Manchester United made a concerted effort in the summer to sign players who weren’t just a fit for a particular manager’s vision, which is where Matheus Cunha was so attractive.
He plays as the left-sided No. 10 in a back-three, and is equally as capable of playing as the striker, which he has done already at Man Utd.
Clearly, Ruben Amorim has a versatile player on his hands, but that has its flipside as well, with Matheus Cunha not having one clear outstanding position.
According to the player himself, that is because his ideal position doesn’t exist in modern football, which is something he realised after entering the world of professional football.
Matheus Cunha covers mouth wearing Manchester United shirt.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Matheus Cunha on his ideal position
Cunha has added a lot of strings to his bow over the years to the point where his hard work and combativeness can even place him as a pure central midfielder.
However, his gifts on the ball, particularly his carrying ability, are too good to be stationed far away from the goal, and hence his proclivity for the No. 10 position.
He struggles to have the same impact as a striker when he’s forced to take the ball with a defender breathing down the back of his neck.
Amorim bought him to add more inventiveness and unpredictability to the left-sided No. 10 role, but according to Cunha himself, even that’s not his ideal role.
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In an interview with Brazilian outlet Globo, Cunha said his introduction to a 4-3-3 system in modern football made him realise that his best position doesn’t exist anymore.
He said: “I came to the national team with this stereotype of a number 9 shirt. I play my entire base as a midfielder, and when I became a professional, I encountered this world of 4-3-3. It seems like you have to adapt: either play center forward, winger, or eight.
“They eliminated the midfielder position, and you have to adapt. But I see it positively, as it has given me experience, many more positions, and even more so in short-term tournaments with the national team. Having a versatile player is a huge help for any coach.”
Cunha would be a world-beater in the 90s
When Cunha says his “entire base” was “as a midfielder”, he means that he’s one of those classic No. 10s in the Juan Roman Riquelme or Pablo Aimar mold.
They weren’t athletic monsters, but their quality on the ball and flair flourished at a time when football wasn’t just a marathon of who could run more than the opposition.
In modern days, Cunha has had to add a lot of combativeness and work off the ball to make himself useful, which is probably why he struggled a bit after coming to Europe.
It was only when Wolves gave him immense creative freedom to make an impact on the ball did he truly break out and earned a move to United.
Now, again at United, there are no “mavericks” because Cunha has to work as hard off the ball as he does on it, hence his low attacking output so far.
It’s a call for Amorim to balance things a bit and free the Brazilian a bit more so he can do what he does best – have a devastating impact in the final third.