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Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Matheus Cunha will bring 'explosiveness' to Man United
Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Modern football exists as much on spreadsheets on laptops as it does in stadiums such is the incredible proliferation of statistical analysis in recent years. Clubs like Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion have achieved incredible success, on and off the pitch, by using data to gain significant advantages on clubs with more resources but less knowledge. We're looking at you Manchester United. Advertisement But this shift towards statistics can often lead to individual data points being used to form narratives which are much more nuanced than on first glance. And a recent chart, detailing how Matheus Cunha 'spent more time walking' than any other outfield player in the Premier League, is a perfect example of this misrepresentation. Data Without Depth Tweet: 'Matheus Cunha is heading to Manchester United but Opta stats reveal he spent more time walking than any other Premier League player this season.' Match of the Day revealed the Wolverhampton Wanderers forward spent 77.1% of his season 'walking' – the highest in the league outside of goalkeepers, with four defenders making up the rest of the top five. Advertisement This chart blew up on social media given Cunha is set to join United this summer in a deal worth £62.5 million after an agreement was reached with the Brazilian international. It was described as evidence the club were welcoming another lazy player with a lackadaisical attitude to Old Trafford for big money; an illustration the Red Devils were not heeding lessons from the past. But the chart omits the fact that Cunha was one of only two players in the 'bottom ten' of the Premier League to reach the 20 mark for goals and assists, along with West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen. The 26-year-old forward finished the season with 15 goals and six assists without scoring a single penalty. Only five players scored more non-penalty goals than Cunha – Mohammed Salah, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland, Yoanne Wissa, and Chris Wood. Advertisement The chart ignores Cunha produced these numbers while playing for one of the worst teams in the division, a side who flirted with relegation for much of the campaign before Vitor Pereira's arrival at Christmas. But, being fair, neither Cunha's attacking threat nor his place in a poor team (though this experience will prepare him well for a switch to Old Trafford) necessarily excuse a lazy attitude on the pitch. He can be an elite goal threat hindered by inferior teammates and still demonstrate a lethargy which could worry United fans. The issue is that this chart offers zero insight into what Cunha does for the remaining 22.9% of his time on the pitch. 'If you want explosiveness…' STATSports, an industry leading data analysis group in football, reveals Cunha ranks highly in comparison to his Wolves' teammates for 'explosive' statistics, dispelling the idea of laziness. Advertisement Amongst the senior squad at Molineux, Cunha ranks third for 'most sprint distance' and 'most sprints', while clocking in at second for 'percentage of his time spent sprinting (per 90).' The idea that the Brazilian spends the second most amount of time sprinting for his side while simultaneously spending the most amount of time walking out of any outfield Premier League player shows the issue with analysis statistics in isolation. The former paints the picture of a relentless player who simply does not stop running; the latter suggests a story of laziness and arrogance, a player who considers himself 'above' running off the ball such is his talent on it. As with every black and white story, the truth will lie somewhere in the grey. Advertisement Cunha is an explosive player in attack who can contribute much more in defence. This does not indicate an inherent issue with work-rate, rather the reality of a brilliant attacker playing for a team teetering on relegation. A player who believes he has outgrown his club will often struggle to find the motivation to run for every ball. A good example of this situation was Youri Tielemans at Leicester City who eventually moved to Aston Villa on a free transfer, despite excellent performances at the heart of the Foxes' midfield. Yet there were concerns over the Belgian's work-rate, most notably from Leicester fans themselves, and other clubs neglected to follow up their interest. But it has proven a revelatory signing for Villa with Tielemans arguably Unai Emery's most important player in the last two season. The 28-year-old midfielder was spurred on by arriving at a bigger club with better players and higher expectations; rather, he felt he was at home. It should prove a similar experience for Cunha who is believed to see Old Trafford as a dream move with a firm motivation to help turn the clubs fortunes around. Advertisement Ruben Amorim has repeatedly referenced the need for hard yards since arriving in Manchester n November. Working hard is a pre-requisite to play under the Portuguese coach, as Marcus Rashford can attest to from Birmingham. But Amorim has played a key role in identifying Cunha as a target and spoken with the forward over the role he will play for the Red Devils. If the former Sporting manager was in any worried by Cunha's tendency to walk, United would have walked away from the deal long ago. STATSports concludes their analysis of the Wolves Player of the Season by stating, 'If you want explosiveness, Cunha gives it to you.' Amorim will be hoping the Brazilian international has an explosive effect on United's misfiring attack next season. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images Follow us on Bluesky: @
Metro
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Martin Keown names the Man Utd who 'won't turn up' for Europa League final
Manchester United will lose the Europa League final against Tottenham as their star player 'won't turn up on the night'. That is Martin Keown's prediction ahead of the all-important clash in Bilbao on Wednesday night. Both United and Spurs have endured terrible Premier League campaigns, sitting 16th and 17th in the table ahead of the final weekend of the season. Yet, both clubs have performed well in Europe and are desperate to win the Europa League, as it will give them not only a trophy but qualification for the Champions League. The two sides have already met three times this season, twice in the Premier League and in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, with Tottenham winning each time. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. But this final is a match that could go either way with Spurs under extreme pressure to end their 17-year wait for silverware, while manager Ange Postecoglou knows that defeat will surely cost him his job. 'My Tottenham roots pull me towards them and I want them to win of course,' former Spurs and Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said on Match of the Day 2. 'But I think Manchester United have the only player in both the sides whose reliable in the big games and can create magic: Bruno Fernandes. 'I think he's been a shining light and he'll make the difference.' In spite of United's awful form, Fernandes has been fantastic, recording 38 goal contributions in 55 appearances, including seven goals and five assists in the Europa League. Who will win the Europa League final? The Red Devils captain already has plenty of experience in major finals, leading his side to FA Cup and Carabao Cup glory in the past two years. Yet, Murphy's co-pundit Keown isn't convinced the attacking midfielder will be able to repeat the trick in Bilbao, instead predicting: 'I think Spurs will win it, I honestly do. 'I know it could be a long night, maybe Manchester United will look for extra-time and penalties but I feel like Spurs can win this.' Asked if Fernandes could make the difference for United, the Arsenal legend replied: 'I don't think he'll turn up on the night. More Trending 'I actually think Dominic Solanke might be the standout player. £65million will be like a snip if they win it.' Solanke has endured a difficult and injury-ridden first season in north London following his big money move from Bournemouth. The England striker has managed 15 goals and eight assists in 45 appearances, but appears to be finding form at the right time, scoring in each of the last three Europa League matches. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The National
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Russell Martin speaks on next job plans amid Rangers links
The former Ibrox defender has been reported to be in the mix to become the next permanent Gers manager after being sacked by Southampton in December. The 39-year-old led Saints to promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge, beating Leeds in the play-off final. That campaign included a club-record 25-game unbeaten run as they recovered from a poor start to the season to bring themselves back into contention. But they struggled with the step up but as the manager stuck to his style of play principles and he was sacked with just one league win in 16 matches. Martin's previous jobs were in charge of MK Dons and Swansea as he built up a reputation for an attractive style of play. Read more: Oscar Cortes' Rangers future in focus - Video debate What is going on with Oscar Cortes? Raskin and Rangers' Ibrox experiment are telling After a break of six months, the former Scotland international is now ready for another test. Speaking on Match of the Day 2, he said: "Yeah, I'm feeling it's been a good time to reflect, a good break after 20 years or so of playing and straight into management. "It's been a nice time to enjoy. I think wherever I go in next and whenever I go in next, I'll be much better for it." Martin also revealed he has rejected other job offers since his Southampton departure. Asked about the importance of making sure his next opportunity is the right one, he went on: "Yeah I think so. It's really important. "We've turned a few opportunities down because it just didn't feel quite right and it's about the opportunity it gives us, how we feel about it, the people you're working for, all of it comes into account. "Also, the cultural context, the style of play, how the style of play, the work that we do will fit the club."
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Wayne Rooney calls out Ruben Amorim with brutal assessment of Man Utd – 'It's strange'
Manchester United were beaten 4-3 by Brentford on Sunday after Ruben Amorim picked an inexperienced side - and Wayne Rooney was fuming as he dissected their performance Wayne Rooney has given a scathing assessment of Manchester United under Ruben Amorim after their 4-3 defeat by Brentford on Sunday. Amorim picked an inexperienced team to face the Bees and saw his side beaten for the 16th time in the Premier League this season. Brentford raced into a 4-1 lead before United scored two late goals to close the gap, but it was ultimately another disappointing day for Amorim and his players. They have now gone six league games without a win and sit 15th in the Premier League table. With Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao the clear priority, Amorim named the third youngest Premier League starting XI of any club. Youngsters Chido Obi-Martin, Harry Amass and Tyler Fredricson were all handed opportunities but did not impress. However, United legend Rooney was more critical of Amorim and the more experienced players who were out there. Speaking on Match of the Day 2, he called out Kobbie Mainoo for 'switching off' for two of Brentford's goals and Amorim for fielding substitute Amad Diallo out of position at right wingback and for putting a 'disjointed' team together which put 'no pressure on the ball' and lacked intensity. Expanding on Rooney's points, ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said: 'It is about intensity, but with wingbacks, different to a back four, it allows you to go and press because you've got the extra centre half behind you. 'But surely that's what they do in training, no? If you're a coach of a system – the basics of this system with wingbacks is they press the wide men quick and it doesn't look like they're doing it. It's bizarre for me to see.' Rooney replied: 'It's strange, because that's why you play a back five with wingbacks. They have to put pressure on the ball or otherwise you get outnumbered in the midfield and the ball comes back into midfield. It was strange, but they had a lot of young players.' HAVE YOUR SAY! Are Manchester United improving under Ruben Amorim's management? Comment below. 'There was a lack of movement and a lack of knowhow on the pitch,' he added. 'They've got a 17-year-old lad up front – the youngest ever to start up front for United – and they're just launching balls up to him. I really felt for Obi today because you can tell he's inexperienced but it looked like he had no help, they were just throwing balls up to him.' Murphy added: 'I get that there's young players, I understand that and they're playing against good teams. But he (Amorim) only plays one system, he's not mixing things up, personnel and system and he's been there a while now. When you play a system that much and you work on it in training, surely we can see more improvement, irrelevant of who is playing because they should be organised in that system.' Rooney responded: 'You'd think so, but I think the second team are playing a back four, which I found strange, because those players who are coming into the first team now with the under-23s or under-21s are playing a different system. "For me, that's a bit confusing. Getting to the Europa League final is papering over a lot of cracks for Manchester United and that needs solving quickly.' Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
BBC News
05-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Man Utd youngsters showed 'lack of knowhow'
Former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney says he "really felt" for 17-year-old forward Chido Obi during the Red Devils' 4-3 defeat to Brentford, as Ruben Amorim named the third youngest Premier League starting XI of any club on Match of the Day 2, Rooney said: "It did show at times. I think it showed with the lack of movement and knowhow on the pitch."The build-up was slow with balls going back to the goalkeeper and getting moved around slowly at the back, plus there was no movement from anyone to get on the ball."They had a 17-year-old lad up front - the youngest-ever to start a Premier League game for Manchester United - and they were just launching balls up to him."I really felt for [Chido] Obi because you could tell how inexperienced he is and then it also looked like he had no help. They were just throwing balls up to him."There was no intensity or organisation in Manchester United's pressing. There was lots of space for Brentford to do what they wanted to do and it was easy for them to deal with Obi up top."Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy added: "I get that there were young players out there and they were playing against a good team, but Ruben Amorim only plays this system."He has been there for a while now and when you play a system that much and you work on it in training, surely we should be able to see some improvement - regardless of who is playing - because they should be organised."Catch up on Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer
