Wayne Rooney has provided incredible insight into the catalytic effect of Matheus Cunha’s role in Manchester United’s set-up against Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Manchester United lost 2-1 to Aston Villa on Sunday evening, despite Ruben Amorim’s side earning high praise for their overall superb performance.
Matheus Cunha has been compared to Dwight Yorke – Do you see it?
What are the similarities you see between the two players?
“Cunha’s got that ability, we were very fortunate to play with Yorkie, he could drop back, play in behind, almost like a 10 role.
“Cunha’s ability in terms of his shooting from outside the box, he’s got the pass, he can run in behind. It’s good to see him back.”
Quinton Fortune
Morgan Rogers broke the deadlock on the cusp of half-time after putting Villa into a short-lived lead over United before the Red Devils hit back in injury time.
Matheus Cunha showed his clinical finishing in the final third after Villa lost the ball and the United summer signing curled a fantastic strike past Emiliano Martinez.
However, Morgan Rogers was the man of the hour at the weekend and the 23-year-old Villa winger netted his side’s winner past Senne Lammens in the second half.
Wayne Rooney broke down the impact of Matheus Cunha in Man Utd’s tactical system under Ruben Amorim
Matheus Cunha has netted three times and registered an assist in 15 matches across all competitions for Manchester United since his summer move from Wolves.
Despite his minimal goalscoring returns and assists, Cunha’s absence from United’s first-team squad has been evident with a lack of attacking flair in the final third.
Cunha saw out the full 90 minutes of United’s defeat to Aston Villa and the Brazil international showed his effectiveness to the full dynamic of Ruben Amorim’s side.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day 2, Wayne Rooney showed how Cunha was the catalyst that sparked the major pressure from United players in one move.
This number needs to be so much higher! Cunha and Mbeumo have great potential together!
If Cunha and Mbeumo were on the pitch together for 75% or more of our total minutes, what position would we be in the Premier League table?
The 40-year-old United legend highlighted that Cunha’s energy to close down from the back allowed Amorim’s other players to fall in line with their subsequent moves.
“Again here, Cunha starts this attack, this press-off,” Rooney said.
“[Manuel] Ugarte and [Lisandro] Martinez follow him.
“And now man to man, Mason Mount goes on his press, but then he goes again man to man, you have to go to the goalkeeper.
“This time it comes down Aston Villa’s left-hand side, but no problem, [Diogo] Dalot is there, [Benjamin] Sesko is there, they win the ball back high up the pitch.
“Again, man to man, in the left-hand side of the pitch, this time Villa’s left-hand side, they win a corner.”
Wayne Rooney’s assessment of Man Utd’s approach using Matheus Cunha and Co is a big sign of Ruben Amorim’s tactics
United fans might be disappointed with dropping points on the weekend, but even they felt that the Red Devils did play well in large parts of the match on Sunday.
Even Rooney dropped full praise for United’s showing against an in-form Villa side and how the intense pressing from Red Devils players was in full flow at Villa Park.
Do Ruben Amorim’s comments feel familiar to you?
Which other games have United been better this season and failed to win? Is it down to Amorim, or the players?
Amorim has staunchly defended his tactics and his system at United ever since he walked through the doors at Old Trafford as the replacement for Erik ten Hag.
But Cunha’s ability to immediately press Villa and the knock-on effect it had for other United players shows the system can work at Old Trafford for the long term.
Amorim’s ambitions as United manager feel limited due to his first-team squad depth, but Rooney’s analysis shows fans should be looking at the bigger picture.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/L58mKj2