Manchester United appear stronger as a team since Michael Carrick was appointed head coach last month.
That is clear to see from the past three results as United beat Man City, Arsenal and Fulham to give Carrick the perfect start since returning to Old Trafford.
Preparations are underway to see if United can go on their strongest winning run of the season by making it four when they host Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.
Carrick will be hoping his star players guide the team to another victory. Those players include Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo.
Some of these players face uncertain futures at Old Trafford, while Casemiro has already announced his departure.
Raphinha labels Casemiro the ‘Butcher’
Former Leeds star Raphinha is currently one of Barcelona’s most important players.
The Brazilian has had such an influence on Hansi Flick’s side that Marcus Rashford has spent a lot of time on the bench at Camp Nou, despite contributing positively when he’s played for the La Liga title contenders.
Luckily for Rashford, the United loanee may feature in the upcoming game against Mallorca due to Raphinha suffering from a knock.
Speaking to SofaScore in an interview, Raphinha played a name association game and was asked who ‘the Butcher’ was.
The Butcher is a nickname often given to United defender Lisandro Martinez, but Raphinha claims Casemiro is the toughest player he has ever played with.
“This one here ‘the butcher’? It’s not a nice name, but it’s the tough guy in training, the one who really goes in hard.
“Casemiro. Yes, he’s a tough guy. Araujo as well, yes, both of them.”
Casemiro is one of the hardest players in the Premier League right now, so United will be looking for someone to fill his shoes this summer.
They are big shoes to fill.
Raphinha wanted Casemiro at Barcelona
Before a Europa League tie between United and Barcelona in 2023, Raphinha was asked which player he would take from Old Trafford to bring to Camp Nou.
His answer, again, was Casemiro.
Raphinha told ESPN Brasil: “Casemiro is a player that I always talk about to my friends and family. He’s a player that I’d particularly like to have on my team.
“In addition to the experience he has in football and all the things he has achieved in football, he’s a great leader, he’s a great person, and he manages to complete a team with the quality he has.
“For me, he’s one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.”
It is unlikely that Casemiro would ever entertain a move to Barcelona after giving most of his career to Real Madrid, where he won everything.
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