Gary O’Neil has been explaining his views on Wolves forward Matheus Cunha’s game, while making an interesting admission.
Wolves have been far better than expected this season so far, thanks in the main to some outstanding form from the attack.
Pedro Neto – who is nearing his return – exploded into life this campaign with seven assists and a goal in 10 league games. A return which is a significant improvement on previous years as he realises his potential.
Hwang Hee-Chan is another who’s been in serious form with eight goals and two assists in the league. This top form for the South Korean has resulted in him earning a new contract at Molineux.
This leaves Matheus Cunha who has also begun to justify his £43m price tag with five goals and three assists this season to date.
Now Gary O’Neil has been discussing the Brazilian and how he envisions him developing.
Gary O’Neil on Matheus Cunha
Speaking exclusively with Sky Sports, O’Neil has shared a bold claim on Cunha’s development right now – specifically who he is looking to use as a template for Cunha.
He began by insisting he wants his number nine to be a threat in the box on every attack before pointing to Erling Haaland as the best player to use and learn from.
“If you use Haaland as the best example, he can go minutes without touching the ball but he is constantly making runs, constantly threatening the back line, making space for others, and you know that as soon as the ball comes across he is going to be sliding it in.
“You need to understand where he is at the moment and what he can best do for the team. That is on me to maximise what he is. We are not there yet but I am sure we will get there,” he insisted.
“As you would expect, it is a few steps forward, one back, then another reminder. But you just have to appreciate the quality and what he can bring as well. He obviously has some fantastic individual attributes that can unlock things and get you up the pitch.”
Cunha has been showing his class – O’Neil will be delighted
In the past few weeks, Cunha has found his feet as a Wolves player and his contributions have been defining.
Three goals and two assists in his past six games – according to SofaScore – is a perfect example of his improvements for Old Gold.
Clearly, O’Neil is having a positive impact on Cunha and long may that continue for Wolves.