If you squinted hard enough, you’d have been forgiven for wondering if you were tuning in to see Real Madrid strut their stuff during Manchester United’s 2-0 Premier League victory away at Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.
And not just because Erik ten Hag’s side painted pretty pictures on the City Ground canvas donned in gleaming white.
Not just because Casemiro, the industrial strength superglue which held together a generation-defining Real Madrid midfield, was back from suspension; his first league start since Southampton in March.
For Keylor Navas, the overworked Nottingham Forest goalkeeper who won three Champions League titles during his time at Los Blancos, the masterful performances of Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes may have induced a twinge of nostalgia. A bittersweet reminder of when things were better.
Navas dominated the European game alongside Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos at the Santiago Bernabeu. On the banks of the Trent, Manchester United’s very own midfield triumvirate produced a performance befitting the greatest midfield world football has seen since Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets mesmerised the globe in the red-and-blue of Barcelona.
Manchester United like Real Madrid in Nottingham Forest win
If Eriksen is Ten Hag’s own Toni Kroos – keeping possession ticking over with a metronomic ease – then Bruno was performing a more-than-passable Luka Modric tribute act in his roving ‘number ten’ role in Nottingham. The prancing Portuguese might not have had a goal or an assist to show for his efforts.
But you could argue this was still his most complete performance of the Ten Hag era. Five shots, three on target. Six key passes too.
What’s more, United’s 68 per cent possession was a season-high under the former Ajax boss.
“I really think Bruno is a brilliant player,” Old Trafford legend Roy Keane told Sky Sports; Bruno’s sumptuous display putting a smile on the face of even football’s answer to Jack Dee.
“He’s a striker’s dream. Not many people can play the passes he does.”
“(Bruno) was exceptional,” adds Gary Neville.
Bruno, Eriksen and Casemiro the way forward
Marcel Sabitzer might have made his mark since arriving on loan from Bayern Munich. Fred may be enjoying probably his best United season yet. But if Sunday’s stroll through the Forest proved anything, its that Casemiro, Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes remains Ten Hag’s most well-balanced, most dominant central trio. The midfield best suited to carry out the manager’s possession-based principles.
That United have won 15 out of 17 games in which the three have started together, meanwhile, serves only to add flesh to the bones of that particular argument.
“(Eriksen) is a natural talent. Everything is going so smoothly with him. So many skills, game understanding,” Ten Hag tells the Manchester Evening News; the Dane only starting after Sabitzer was ruled out in the warm-up/.
“When you bring on Christian it’s not a disadvantage for your team and he proved it. I think both (Eriksen and Bruno) did very well. They played a very good game.”
Modric, Kroos and Casemiro are not only one of the most talented midfield trios in football history, they are among the most successful too. The Bruno, Eriksen, Casemiro triumvirate might lack Real Madrid’s remarkable trophy haul but, last weekend, the United three proved that they are capable of turning in performances of similar, supreme quality.
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