Why Matheus Cunha is in danger of becoming another Man United flop | OneFootball

A temperamental Brazilian flair player, suspended after his latest meltdown: Manchester United may have feared that would be their experience of life with Matheus Cunha. It is, after all, approaching the one-year anniversary of the game that ended with Cunha ripping the glasses off a member of Ipswich Town’s backroom staff; acting in an “improper manner”, the subsequent charge had it, and incurring a two-match ban.

Instead, the Selecao man sidelined when West Ham visit Old Trafford on Thursday is Lucas Paqueta, who ludicrously talked himself into trouble in Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool. Instead of being out, Cunha returns, even if there is still an element of the odd. A knock in training, ruling him out of the matches against Everton and Crystal Palace, first became known when he did not turn up to turn on Altrincham’s Christmas lights.

That apart, the criticism of Cunha’s time at Old Trafford may be that it has been too uneventful. Comparisons with Eric Cantona abounded when a charismatic figure with a gift for the spectacular and a chequered disciplinary record arrived. There have been altogether fewer during his time in the team.

“I think he has more levels to go,” said Ruben Amorim. That might have been putting it lightly. Cunha’s last season with Wolves yielded 15 top-flight goals and six assists, numbers that could have been higher still but for suspensions.

For United, he has a lone goal and no assists. That lack of productivity, Amorim admitted, has affected Cunha. He was a big fish in the smaller pond of Molineux. Now he has been swimming with the sharks at Old Trafford.

“He's in a different club, different pressure,” said his manager. “But I think he coped with that really well. He was struggling because he was not scoring. He was thinking too much about the numbers. But the influence that he has in the team is so important for us, but I think Cunha has so much to grow defensively and offensively.”

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Matheus Cunha still has more levels to go, according to Ruben Amorim (Getty)

That sense Cunha is a team player is one reason why his lack of goals has felt less of an issue; so, too, the reality that two of his better performances came in high-profile games. His debut against Arsenal was encouraging, if perhaps overhyped. He was excellent as a false nine in the win at Anfield. Those displays render it harder to brand him a flop, a misfit, another of United’s expensive mistakes.

But at this point in their first seasons – albeit in campaigns with more games – Joshua Zirkzee had four goals and Rasmus Hojlund had five. Each is more of a striker than Cunha; neither, thus far, ranks as a successful signing. But, in a relegation-threatened Wolves side, he delivered the numbers of an elite forward.

“I think he feels that he wants to score,” added Amorim. “He wants to assist.” If those goals and assists have been elusive, the numbers have been revealing.

Cunha scored with 14 percent of his shots last season, just 4.5 percent now. His shot volume is down a little, from 3.81 shots per 90 minutes to 2.90, but the biggest difference is simply that fewer are going in. The Brazilian has let fly 22 times, with 10 on target but only scored against Brighton. Of those with more shots, only Evanilson and Dominik Szoboszlai have as few goals, before Wednesday’s matches.

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Cunha had a considerably better goal tally during his Wolves days (AFP via Getty Images)

He has managed 4.21 shot-creating chances per 90 minutes, just outside the Premier League’s top 10, and almost as many as last season. Yet the damning part is that his expected assists total is just 0.61, only the seventh highest in the United squad and barely above Luke Shaw. His expected assists per 90 minutes is 0.08; it was three times higher last season. Cunha may be involved in moves, but they are not producing enough fine chances.

“But he is really happy playing the game,” Amorim said. “It is really important. I think he struggled with these two games out. He had fun playing and that is so important in our team. Guys having fun. Wanting the challenge. The pressure. He is that guy. So I think it was not good for him to stop playing. He watched a lot of players playing well, especially in his position. So he is not happy.”

Indeed, his absence saw Mason Mount score at Palace. There has been an ongoing debate if United actually needed to sign two No 10s this summer, but so far Mbeumo’s goals have compensated for Cunha’s lack of them.

Yet when the Cameroonian goes to the African Cup of Nations, there will be a greater onus on Cunha, especially with Benjamin Sesko also making a slow start and currently sidelined. West Ham provides the first chance to improve his record. “Maybe he will have the opportunity to come back and to score again or assist,” said Amorim.

Sooner or later, United need him to. Because, for £62.5m, they surely expected more than a lone goal and no assists so far.