-Cunha’s Early Months at Old Trafford
Ruben Amorim believes Matheus Cunha still has ''levels to go and plenty of room to grow at Manchester United'' and hinted the forward has been putting too much pressure on himself over his goalscoring numbers.
The 26-year-old became Manchester United’s first signing of the summer after completing a £62.5 million move from Wolves in June. While Cunha has shown flashes of quality early in his Old Trafford career, he has found the net just once in 11 appearances — a sharp contrast to the 15 Premier League goals and six assists he registered last season.
The Brazilian recently missed two matches after picking up a knock in training, but is set to return for Thursday’s home clash with West Ham.
Manchester United Boss Amorim Says: ‘Cunha Still Has Levels to Reach’
“Matheus still has levels to reach,” Amorim said. “He’s in a different club now with other pressure, but he handles that really well. The issue was that he wasn’t scoring and started thinking too much about the numbers.
“His overall influence on the team is hugely important for us, but he still has a lot of development ahead of him, both defensively and offensively.”
Supporting Young Talent: Leny Yoro
Amorim also offered support to teenage defender Leny Yoro, who conceded the penalty that allowed Jean-Philippe Mateta to score during United’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Yoro appeared visibly deflated after being substituted in the 54th minute.
After the match, goalscorer Mason Mount was seen consoling the 20-year-old, putting an arm around him in a show of support.
“That moment was critical,” Amorim said. “I spoke to him, too, because he overthinks things. When he makes a mistake, he takes it hard because he’s young and wants to do everything perfectly.
“He’s growing at the same time as the rest of the team, but learning through games and setbacks isn’t easy. He also understood that his reaction on the bench wasn’t ideal. He was very frustrated.
“The positive thing is that it shows how much he cares. He knows it wasn’t his best game, but he also did some good things, and I reminded him of that. Now he’s fit and ready for the next challenge.”
Manchester United Team News Ahead of West Ham
Looking ahead to West Ham, Amorim revealed there are doubts over two unnamed players.
“We have two question marks for the game,” he said. “I won’t name them because it could affect how we prepare. We’ll see tomorrow. The rest of the squad is in good shape.
“Matheus is back, but we may be without two players. Harry Maguire remains out, as does Benjamin Sesko.
