If you’ve been watching Manchester United over the course of the past two seasons, you may have noticed that Matheus Cunha is a bit crazy.
Always playing on the edge, getting in the face of the opponents, and dancing his way through celebrations, Cunha is the fighting spirit that can bring United out of a slump.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe’s not the type to get bogged down or distraught when the rest of the team don’t play well. Instead, he raises his own level.
Embed from Getty ImagesThat’s exactly what we’ve seen from Cunha in the last two matches against Spurs and Fulham, with the Brazilian standing out amongst a crowd of lackluster performers.
Embed from Getty ImagesManchester United were abysmal in the opening 30 minutes against Tottenham, with the Lilywhites dominating much of the ball in United’s half.
That is, until Matheus Cunha won just your everyday, average challenge and then went ballistic to the crowd – gesturing for them to get up and stand up for their team.
Embed from Getty ImagesFrom there, Manchester United performed better. They got on the ball, started combining in tight areas, and started to create chances, with Cunha at the centre of everything.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was his best match of the season, on the first occasion he returned to his favoured left side.
Manchester United have a bit of a dilemma when it comes to their team selection. Cunha, Mbeumo, and Sesko can all perform up top.
Carrick’s started the season with Cunha as the ‘number 9’ and Marcus Rashford off the left, and it’s gone okay.
But when Manchester United were at their best from January to June, it was when Cunha worked his magic from the left-hand-side.
Embed from Getty ImagesMbeumo and Sesko are better up front because they play as more traditional strikers, capable of either sprinting in behind or holding up the play.
Cunha on the other hand is your quintessential ‘false 9’. He likes to float around the pitch, dribble the ball through tight spaces, and create chances for other players.
But given how good he is at taking players on and working those tight spaces, it’s better for him to come off the left.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is where the Brazilian had his best performance of the season on Saturday against Spurs.
Playing from the left allows Cunha to drive inside, and float inside to allow positional variety and rotation of the players around him.
He’ll operate in central channels and left-half-spaces, as the opposite side winger plays a more traditionally wide role to provide that balance.
From these dangerous positions, Cunha wants the ball at his feet at every waking moment. His superpower is in getting his body in between ball and defender, where he can ride challenges, win fouls, and wiggle his way out of tight spaces.
Like this moment against Archie Gray, where he shielded the incoming pass, let it roll across his body, and then won the foul.
When receiving, he’ll often take his first few touches back in the direction of the pass, draw attention toward him, and then accelerate forward. Sometimes, the defender has no choice but to foul.
Other times, Cunha escapes not one defender but two or three, and rampages forward.
This approach is also essential for how United defend.
Cunha is a workhorse. He’s always coming back to help his full-back defend wide areas, and he’s great at getting his body in the way to stop attacks.
His “craziness” has nothing to do with discipline. He’s actually a clean tackler and defender, with how good he is at using his body and strength to dispossess an opponent. The 27-year-old is yet to receive a caution this season and commits just over 1 foul per game.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs soon as he wins the ball, he’ll use his strength to ride challenges and then immediately set the team free on the counter attack.
When he gets himself into dangerous positions, he’s always quite clever in how he shifts the ball. He’s a steady creator, a tricky dribbler, and never shies away from a shot. That kind of variety means that defenders can never predict his play nor cope with his endless threat.
Cunha scored the goal to bail United out against Fulham, and assisted what should have been the game winner against Tottenham this week.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe’s been one of the key difference makers across this difficult spell for United, and others in the Red Devil ranks need to rise to his level of effort and intensity.
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