How can Matheus Cunha unlock this struggling Manchester United star – Opinion

The Brazilian forward is someone who is very apt at linking plays. He generally drops between midfield and defensive lines to receive the passing angles and goes on to lay off. And then he brings a high work ethic to the dressing up given how he prefers to press from the front and disrupt the buildup that the opponents are placing in the first phase. He can also be used as a really good trigger presser in presses.

Then what makes him different from your average striker is how he has that ability to carry the ball in behind the defenders to draw markers and end up opening channels. He is also a versatile profile given how he can play in a false 9 role as well as a second striker. Amorim can also play him in a wide forward role or even possibly a deep-lying playmaker.

How does Cunha unlock Hojlund tactically?

If we are trying to look into the tactical framework, the first thing that Cunha’s presence ends up doing is breaking the isolation of Højlund upfront. As I wrote above, the Dane international has often found himself wandering up front with midfielders not exactly playing feeders to his strengths, and Cunha changes this. He drops into the locks between opposition midfield and defence, and while doing this, he is most likely going to drag one or more centre-backs with him. He receives and releases quick passes into runners around him (including Højlund), and given his vision and technical intelligence, he is most likely to find his teammates in channels or in spaces.

And given how Bruno always looks to play that final ball every time, the Portuguese can use Cunha as a progressing wall to ensure that there is more ball security than arms flowing in the air.

Moreover, the Brazilian’s movements unlock verticality given how he takes the defenders with him, drifting a bit too wide, creating channels that Højlund can take advantage of. He also enables one-twos with the former Atalanta striker to help him break into dangerous zones.

The former Wolves man can also be used as a pivot in transitions given how he can hold the ball long enough to have Højlund hitting top speed into space before layoffs.

Author Opinion

Matheus Cunha can end up being a real partner to Højlund given how his presence can enable the Dane ace to reach his full potential at Old Trafford. The Brazilian can integrate his movements, link-up play, and pressing ability, which can make this United squad more fluid when it comes to attacking sequences. He will not only score a lot of goals wearing the Man Utd badge, but he also has the capacity to elevate the game of the players around him, and that should come in really handy as well…