Ruben Amorim has given his verdict on Matheus Cunha after the forward made his Old Trafford debut against Fiorentina on Saturday. The 26-year-old joined Manchester United this summer from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth just over £60m as the manager looks to put his stamp on the team during his first preseason in charge.
Goals were a major issue for United last season, with the club scoring just 44 times across the Premier League campaign. Only Everton scored fewer goals without being relegated. Cunha had a fine year himself, scoring 17 goals and assisting a further six in all competitions for Wolves, but he hasn't had the same success in front of goal for his new team just yet.
Shortly after United drew 1-1 with Fiorentina, a video of his highlights emerged and fans had their say about him in the comments.
Reaction to Cunha's Performance
Matheus Cunha
On Saturday, United drew 1-1 with Fiorentina, before beating the Italian side via a penalty shootout. No Red Devil got on the scoresheet, though. Simon Sohm took the lead for Fiorentina, before Robin Gosens put the ball in his own net to equalise for Amorim's side. Despite this, Cunha's performance stood out to fans and they had plenty to say about it.
Taking to X (Twitter) after his highlights emerged, one fan said: "Really good on the left and right wing. Your link-up with Mbeumo is fantastic and deadly. You will make a difference for us in this Premier League season for us for sure. More fantastic performances and dangerous crosses coming up from you soon and in the upcoming games," while another shared that sentiment, posting: "I love how he carries the ball and how he moves with it forward."
Not everyone was convinced, though. Another supporter stated: "Lmao. Nothing close to an upgrade on Rashford."
The fans weren't the only ones to give their opinions on Cunha after the game on Saturday. His brand-new manager, Amorim, also shared his thoughts. He addressed the performance and thinks there's more to come from him. Speaking about the Brazilian forward and Bryan Mbeumo, as quoted by the Standard, he said:
"They are maybe 50-60% of what they can do. I think, like any other team, we are going to improve during the season, and they are going to be so much better."
It's clear that Amorim has high hopes for Cunha and expects big things from him going forward. Others aren't quite as optimistic about his move to Old Trafford, though. Joe Cole also spoke about the former Wolves man recently and expressed his concerns about his attitude.
As quoted by TNT Sports, Cole said: "The thing that worries me about Cunha is - I think he's a brilliant player, a fantastic player, wonderful goals, does everything. But whenever you hear little things about his attitude, I'm not saying he's a bad lad because I wouldn't want to say that, but he's a bit of a maverick.
"The last thing Man United [and] that dressing room needs is another maverick. There's mavericks everywhere. And they're putting stuff on social media and all that. You hear too much coming out of that dressing room. So it's a gamble, Cunha."