Coach Ruben Amorim has repeatedly said that he will not change his playing style through the 3-4-2-1 formation. Therefore, a plus for Matheus Cunha - a new player of Manchester United - is that coach Vitor Pereira used this system at Wolves in the second half of last season.
Cunha plays as a left-sided 'number 10' in Pereira's system and scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season. In general, the Portuguese player has continued to score regularly throughout the campaign, but has reached his peak under Pereira.
The 2024-2025 season heat map shows Cunha regularly operating in the left wing and central route - in line with the 3-4-2-1 formation's requirements.
In particular, Cunha knows how to stretch the edge to receive the ball, support the defender to push up, and is also willing to stick inside to launch shots or make decisive passes.
Cunha has scored in both of his first two games under Pereira in the left-sided 'number 10' position. After that, the 26-year-old player scored a total of 5 goals in 7 consecutive matches from the beginning of February to April this year.
What is the problem for Cunha when playing in that position for Man United? That is Bruno Fernandes. Under Amorim, the Portuguese international often took on the role of a "number 10" to the left and performed relatively well.
The Man United captain ended the 2024-2025 season in a slightly deeper position, truly playing as one of the two defensive midfielders. In fact, at the beginning of the season, Mason Mount took over for Fernandes. That was also the lineup when Man United lost the Europa League final to Spurs.
But will Fernandes easily accept a deeper role and watch Cunha take over and lose his strengths? First, there are doubts about the balance of the Man United squad, then there is a more difficult problem.
When Amorim was still leading Sporting Lisbon, the "number 10" position belonged to Pedro Goncalves. This player does not necessarily have to be the star of the team but is the main attacking engine.
Although players like Viktor Gyokeres have taken all the attention, Pedro Goncalves has created a lot of combinations in attack. He has scored 30 goals and provided 27 assists in the final 73 games of the Amorim era at Sporting.
Therefore, the "number 10" position often belongs to the most important "toothbrush" in Amorim's squad. The Man United head coach will need to determine whether that position at Old Trafford belongs to Fernandes or Cunha.
