IT is safe to say that Manchester United failed to live up to their supporters’ expectations last season.
They finished in 15th place on just 42 points, lost the Europa League final to Tottenham to leave them trophy-less and without European football next term.
United have backed new boss Ruben Amorim despite the historically bad results and that backing appears to have extended to the transfer market.
Brazil star Matheus Cunha is already confirmed in a £62.5million arrival from Wolves.
Meanwhile, club captain Bruno Fernandes has opted to stay at Old Trafford despite a mega £700,000-a-WEEK offer to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.
How Cunha will be used by Man Utd still remains to be seen.
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He has played as a striker at points for Wolves but he is not the type to make regular runs in behind, preferring to drop deeper in order to link play.
He is arguably more effective in behind a main striker, which could create a clash of styles with Fernandes.
Below, we break down the tactical fit of Cunha at Man Utd under Amorim.
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Intelligent penalty area movement
Towards the end of the season, Wolves typically played the same tactical shape as Man Utd did under Amorim.
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Their 3-4-2-1 shape saw Cunha used either as a No9 or as one of the two attacking midfielders behind the main striker.
In these positions, Cunha’s intelligence and movement in the final third and around the penalty area helped Wolves create a lo.
He easily finds little pockets of space to drop into and attack around the opposition defence.
The Brazilian is also difficult to deal with because often opposing defenders be concentrating on defending the space between the ball and the goal.
Cunha takes advantage of this with sharp movements to outwit defenders and create shooting opportunities.
We believe Cunha would be able to play in a similar kind of role to Fernandes.
This would mean that Man Utd would still need to add a new forward to play ahead of him, assuming they decide Rasmus Hojlund is not the long-term solution.
This could be an issue solved in the near future with the signing of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
The type of runs Mbeumo makes would be perfect to stretch the game and offer passing options or decoys for Cunha.
Indeed, the Mbeumo’s movement is like Mohamed Salah’s at Liverpool and could benefit both Cunha and Fernandes.
With Fernandes being more comfortable as a passer and creator from deeper areas, we should see Cunha acting as the link between the Portugal star and the main forward.
Given Fernandes is well known as one of the most aggressive and creative passers in the league he will enjoy having a player like Cunha alongside him to find space in tight areas.
While Cunha is not an out-and-out striker, his movement and intelligence of positioning around the area will create chances.
Not just a finisher
Cunha finished with 15 league goals last season.
But he has long been seen as more of a creative attacker than a true goalscorer, such as when he was at Hertha Berlin or Atletico Madrid.
Cunha has always been great at spotting through balls.
He is happy to drift the width of the penalty area in order to find pockets of space.
It will be interesting to see how Cunha interacts with Fernandes on the pitch.
They could be hampered by the fact United don’t have many forwards looking to run beyond the ball.
The issue United may have is they will essentially have two advanced midfielders without a proper striker.
It is all very well for Amorim to add creativity – but he needs to also have players who take advantage of that vision.
Decision making and intelligence
Cunha is an hugely intelligent footballer.
This is what makes him such a versatile attacker – so it would be wasteful to play him as the main striker.
He is far better when allowed to play deeper behind a physical and aggressive No9.
Essentially, Man Utd should be looking to use a striker who can go in behind.
This should force the opposition defensive line deeper and then we would see Cunha and Bruno with more space.
The fact the Brazilian regularly picks the right option at the right time will help United unlock opponents.
Conclusion
Signing a player like Cunha off the back of a terrible season will be a real boost for the Red Devils.
It is vital Cunha is surrounded by more signings in key areas to make the most of his attacking and creative abilities.
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Given Man Utd are already looking to add Mbeumo to their ranks, it would suggest an awareness they need to add more attacking options.
It will still be a long summer ahead for United’s recruitment team.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
