Michael Carrick has dismissed any possibility of a reversal in Casemiro's decision to leave Manchester United, stating the situation is "pretty clear" after the Brazilian scored the opening goal in a 2-1 victory over Brentford.
Casemiro's Departure Confirmed
The midfielder's header after 11 minutes marked his ninth Premier League goal for United, second only to Benjamin Sesko, who added a second just before half-time to secure the win. Casemiro, who has impressed throughout the season, previously announced he will depart in June after four years at Old Trafford. Carrick, the interim manager, stressed that the decision remains unchanged.
"It's pretty clear – from both sides it's pretty clear the decision," Carrick said. "It's pretty clear, too, how much it means to him playing for United, and probably the situation and the clarity of the decision has helped everything to be understandable for the supporters as well. Credit to him because he's given absolutely everything and had some big moments for us, so all round it's quite a nice direction for it to be taken."
Champions League Qualification in Sight
Mathias Jensen's late 20-yard strike proved a consolation for Brentford, leaving United third in the table, needing two points to secure Champions League qualification. However, Carrick insisted the team should not rest on its laurels. "This week's been very effective in terms of the league. Champions League is one thing, but it's not something we should be celebrating either. We want to be finishing high up the league and trying to get more points so our season doesn't get to a close when that happens. It's one thing certainly we need to try and achieve, and we've put ourselves in a good position at this moment, but there's still more work to be done."
Brentford's Perspective
Brentford manager Keith Andrews expressed disappointment with the result but praised his team's performance. "I was really happy with how we performed overall. United started better than us, dangerous from corner kicks and got the lead. We calmed down after that, got to grips with the game, the occasion, the opposition better. The bravery of the players was really impressive."
