Amorim Demands More from Matheus Cunha Despite Promising Man United Debut Performance
Adopting a reflective approach following Manchester United's opening pre-season match of the campaign, manager Ruben Amorim emphasized the absence of chemistry between newcomer Matheus Cunha and team captain Bruno Fernandes as a key development priority for the team moving ahead.
Cunha featured in his inaugural unofficial appearance for the Red Devils against Leeds United on Saturday after finalizing his £62.5 million ($83.8 million) move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Similar to most of his unprepared new colleagues, Cunha found it difficult to make an impact in a lackluster 0–0 stalemate. Throughout his 45-minute stint on the field, the Brazilian attacker managed neither a shot attempt nor created any scoring opportunities.
The partnership—or absence of one—with fellow creative midfielder Fernandes was a topic Amorim addressed following the encounter. "Clearly, you can observe that the understanding between him and Bruno isn't established yet," United's Portuguese manager explained to MUTV, before shifting to a more optimistic perspective.
"However, it will develop into a strong partnership because you can position a talent like Kobbie Mainoo in that role or Mason Mount in that position. Therefore we need to enhance our effectiveness in the attacking third."
On the whole, Amorim expressed satisfaction having Cunha as part of his squad instead of facing him as an opponent: "We observed that throughout the previous campaign with a different club. So we anticipate similar contributions."
Diego León, the sole other player besides Cunha to join Old Trafford for a fee during this transfer window, also made his debut appearance in the club's jersey. The young talent from Cerro Porteño impressed with a dynamic performance against Leeds.
"We must recognize that this young man arrived from Paraguay and it's only his first or second week at Manchester United," Amorim cautioned. "He performed admirably, he's absorbing knowledge, he's athletic. He will develop into an excellent player."
Cunha will probably get another opportunity to demonstrate his abilities next week when United travel for the Premier League Summer Series facing West Ham United, Bournemouth and Everton. Beyond his connection with Fernandes, Cunha might also be evaluated on his collaborative play with incoming signing Bryan Mbeumo.