Matheus Cunha
Wolves star Matheus Cunha has made his feelings on Gary O'Neil clear
Wolves star Matheus Cunha dubbed now-axed Gary O’Neil one of the ‘best’ managers he's had amid Manchester United’s rumoured interest in the Brazilian.
In what has been a difficult-to-watch season so far for Wolves, Cunha has been a revelation, with eight league goals to his name. Yet, whilst strikes have been relatively easy to come by for his side, clean sheets have not.
Just two wins this campaign see Cunha’s team sit in 19th. And, despite being handed a vote of confidence after last week’s Monday night disappointment to West Ham, boss O’Neil has now been shown the exit door after an equally gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Cunha and his stellar form have been linked with a move to bigger fish in the form of the Red Devils - though his adoration for both his current club and O’Neil has been well-documented. However, the manager’s dismissal could hand Ruben Amorim’s side a potential in.
[
Matheus Cunha could face FA ban after ugly scenes following damaging Wolves loss](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/wolves-ipswich-premier-league-investigation-34315282)
“For me, he’s [O’Neil] one of the best managers that I’ve had in my career. He’s improved me a lot,” Cunha told Wolves’ official website. “Not only as a player but he’s improved me to be calm and manage situations. I can be frustrating and I feel like he can always help me in every single point of being a human, a player and a man.”
However, Saturday's 2-1 defeat proved to be the last straw for O'Neil, which will no doubt come as a blow personally for Cunha. While some may think that the loss of O’Neil could ease the Brazilian forward’s stance on leaving his current club, the Brazilian has previously spoke of his love for Wolves.
“I feel like it’s my home,” Cunha said earlier this season. “I feel the admiration of the fans, and this is something that I never believed I would get when I first came here, to a small city in England, which is completely different from my hometown – but now I feel like I’m at home.
Matheus Cunha of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates scoring his team's second goal at Brighton
Cunha is a reported Man Utd target ( Image: 2024 Getty Images)
“The fans are unbelievable with me, with my family, and I have only great things to say about my teammates. But to go to the stadium and to perform for them is like I feel at home. I feel like I want to do everything I can to change the situation because when you play with a little bit more passion, not as if it was just my work, then I think you put in a little bit more things that can change it.”
Cunha is evidently comfortable with his current employers, yet with relegation a real threat and a new manager set to arrive as an unknown entity, perhaps those courting the star, including Amorim’s United, could be in luck.
Wolves, however, may have to make do without their star man after Cunha was involved in an altercation with Ipswich staff as scenes turned ugly after the match.
Mirror Football understands that the FA is now waiting to see whether referee Simon Hooper will include the incident in his match report before deciding whether or not to open an investigation, but ex-Premier League referee Mike Dean thinks Cunha could find himself in hot water.
"Going back to the suspension. Cunha, the biggest player that they’ve got. I’ve watched the footage back afterwards," Dean told Sky Sports. "He elbows the back of the head of one of the Ipswich coaches. Then he pulls his glasses off and throws them to the pitch. For me, I think he’ll be in trouble with the FA."
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