Matheus Cunha | 2026/27 Performances

Escobar said:
Play him on the left or not at all. Give him a proper LB and I'm sure he will come good. But as a striker (or second striker with Bruno also on the pitch), it makes zero sense.
On top, he was clearly not fit enough to start the game.
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100% agree.

I said it in the pre-season game: what I don't want to happen is he's shoehorned there and then gets judged in a position that nullifies everything that makes him a class player.
Happened at some point last season as well.
 
I really don’t blame Carrick for trying him as a striker. After all that’s where he played for Brazil this summer at the World Cup. What I do blame Carrick for is how slow he is to react and change things when they are clearly not working.
 
He is our best LW. Unless we buy a better LW, start him here for the time being, and give him a good overlapping LB too.
 
Every time he plays as a striker we playsh*t. Hopefully Rashford is striker and Cunha is on the left.
 
Has to start for me but not sure where. Good problem to have.
 
I think he was arguably as good as Bruno out of our attacking players, but Bruno obviously had far more end product. Encouraging start to the season. Last season his passing was frustrating but then something clicked and got better. Good again today
 
He's not a striker and we need a number 9 that makes runs in behind on the regular or provides some form of hold up in the air. That doesn't mean he's a bad player, it just means he's being played out of position. Still would like him playing on the left or in behind the striker, he will contribute greatly for us in those places.
 
Tied a lot together under the radar. I'd have to watch it again but it looked like he was quite often playing behind Bruno.
 
Playing him up too works when you have rashford and Mbeumo making runs in behind, let's him roam more. Want more consistency in his touches generally but he was alright. Has his moments always.
 
Love him as a player. Dont like him as a striker. Mitigated if we have other attackers able to overlap, but long term he needs to be either on the left or perhaps playing as a 10 post-Bruno.
 
Played very well today even if he still clearly isn't a striker and Bruno basically needed to become the striker today to make up for it. That being said his class is obvious and he should definitely be a starter, just not up front. Great assist for Bruno's first goal. I assume he'll continue playing up front at least until Sesko performs well enough to start or Amad returns from injury, so hopefully he gets a bit better in the penalty box. Outside it he's already great.
 
Interestingly Carrick mentioned in the post match interview that he played him deeper today with Rashford and Mbeumo higher up, so similar to his role in Brazil, rather than a striker per se.

Seemed to work, especially in the second half.
 
Glorio said:
Interestingly Carrick mentioned in the post match interview that he played him deeper today with Rashford and Mbeumo higher up, so similar to his role in Brazil, rather than a striker per se.

Seemed to work, especially in the second half.
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I did think Mbeumo in particular looked much higher and more central in the 2nd half. Didn't see that in 1st half tbh but maybe Carrick made a point of it at half time
 
Can he train himself into that proper false 9 role like Firminho? I see him being a little bit of everywhere flashes of brilliance but not a real pattern with him, perhaps that's the false 9 he gives us now but he could still mature into that.

I think with him Bruno and Tielemans there is always a bit of CHaos which can be great to watch if it works, just think we dont have a proper position for him. Would be interesting to see if he played in Bruno's position as a SS dropping deep if Bruno is rested/out. It wouldnt give us Bruno's vision but he's a very good player in the transition and to create something out of nothing.

And that pen is good example too, he's got very quick feet to position himself well to cover the ball, his best trait I'd say.
 
Poborsky's hair said:
Can he train himself into that proper false 9 role like Firminho? I see him being a little bit of everywhere flashes of brilliance but not a real pattern with him, perhaps that's the false 9 he gives us now but he could still mature into that.

I think with him Bruno and Tielemans there is always a bit of CHaos which can be great to watch if it works, just think we dont have a proper position for him. Would be interesting to see if he played in Bruno's position as a SS dropping deep if Bruno is rested/out. It wouldnt give us Bruno's vision but he's a very good player in the transition and to create something out of nothing.

And that pen is good example too, he's got very quick feet to position himself well to cover the ball, his best trait I'd say.
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I think his pace keeps surprising me - that he was able to get to that ball was impressive. It's the same when he goes past people - he can look quite slow at times, but then when he decides to, he goes past players for fun with dribbles and pace. He's a very good player, probably best suited to one of two tens starting slightly wide, but I think he can be very effective in several positions.
 
I felt like Bruno was playing like the false 9 and Cunha as deep as a 10.


Cunha, Zirkzee will continue to struggle as False 9's unless you have wingers that have the ability to take players on and finish chances.

It's kind of why Rashford is more useful when playing alongside Cunha or Zirkzee than when he would be playing alongside Sesko.
 
I like Cunha, but he can drift in and out of games and is prone to being rash and lacking in composure when goal scoring opportunities present themselves.
More consistency is needed.
His overall play in the 2nd half was excellent yesterday.

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Don't get all the negativity. Had a really solid game, especially that second half. Him coming short is what gave Bruno the space behind. Brilliant pass for the equaliser and good run and touch for the pen too.

Will be at his best at LW when Benji gets back into the line-up.
 
Some of his touches and link up play is class to watch.

I'd like to see him bring back a bit more individuality into his game, like he had at Wolves and even at the start of his United career, look at his game v Arsenal. After that game, things weren't coming off for him and he was being called ball greedy, he got injured, came back and simplified his game and has done well, but it'll be good to see him show his individual ability a bit more because he definitely has it.
 
He's a brilliant footballer and he can be a joy to watch, but I wish he wouldn't look for fouls so often. And I admit that sometimes I love it; when we're trying to run the clock and see out a win, it can be brilliant when he draws a foul and earns some respite from pressure etc etc.

But mate you're through on goal from a brilliant pass from Kobbie! Just take another touch and finish it please.
 
I know people really wanted a pure striker on but we actually benefitted greatly from him dropping and offering a passing option and it allowed us to dominate the game.
 
Bastian said:
I know people really wanted a pure striker on but we actually benefitted greatly from him dropping and offering a passing option and it allowed us to dominate the game.
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I though Cunha was atrocious today and did very little right.
 
Bastian said:
I know people really wanted a pure striker on but we actually benefitted greatly from him dropping and offering a passing option and it allowed us to dominate the game.
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He was shocking today
 
He’s not really a number 9 and he’s not really winger; you can’t help but wonder what he can be within our current setup
 
I don't think he's any good. Don't know what people see in him. Far too slow and drifts out of games. In his defense, he's playing out of position
 
How can a player who is this strong at riding tackles and carrying the ball be so poor technically? I’m so rarely convinced he’s going to either make the right pass or put the right weight on it when we’re in a counter
 
He was dreadful all game and did nothing right. Thought he should have been hooked off 10mins into the second as he made no improvement on his awful first half. Typical of Carrick to make the change too late.

I like Cunha as a player but I've watched enough of him to know when he's having a stinker it stays a stinker, he's most likely not going to turn it around.
 
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