One win can often kick-start the season, especially if it comes at the home of your greatest rivals, which is why Matheus Cunha and Rio Ferdinand sound bullish.
Ruben Amorim preached the importance of taking it one game at a time and building on the 2-1 victory at Liverpool with another win at home to Brighton.
However, Rio Ferdinand was fully carried away, like any fan would, and singled out Matheus Cunha in particular by saying he was ‘magnificent’ and will soon become ‘unplayable’.
Cunha has now backed Ferdinand’s warning by making a prediction of his own about how his season will unfold from now onwards.
Matheus Cunha sends ominous warning to Premier League
Cunha has garnered rave reviews for his performances at Old Trafford, especially because he has managed to contribute without scoring or assisting yet.
There have been some chances missed, but he hasn’t let those get to his head and shake his confidence.
Against Liverpool, it was another example of the impact he can have on a game with his ball-carrying and game-management skills.
However, the Brazilian is not settling for an impact like that, and he is surely targeting goals and assists soon to contribute more directly to the team’s cause.
Echoing Ferdinand’s warning that he will become unplayable soon, Cunha stressed that he is still adapting to the team and playing the role the manager is asking him to do.
Once he adapts, and it’s happening more and more with ‘every game’, then the goals and assists will start to flow.
He said (via Stadium Astro): “Right now, [I’m adapting]. In the beginning, it is normal to need a little bit more time to adapt. And then I think in the last conversation with him, this kind of participation in the game was something that he asked.
“And then I think, yeah, every game, every week that we pass together is a little bit more time to learn and then showing that we can, I think, I can adapt and then try everything to do what he wants.
“Of course, everyone wants to perform more in individual terms, numbers, everything. But I think the first point to be here is help the team to come back to the glory there is now.
“I think if this is my part right now, I’m happy. I’ll try everything. And then, of course, the other part of individual things will come, and then I’ll be happy also.”
Cunha’s ceiling is frightening
It’s easy to talk impressively in the media and much harder to back it up on the pitch.
Cunha, on the other hand, is recognising what he needs to add to his game, while also downplaying his contribution to the team.
He has the steely determination to do well and demand more from himself than anyone else could, and that bodes well for Man Utd.
He’s the sort of character who sets the standards and leads by example even when he’s not contributing directly, which is exactly what he’s doing now.
Instead of being a burden on the team, he’s made himself an asset in other ways to reach a point where the goals and assists, when they come, will make his ceiling frightening.
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