Matheus Cunha scored his second goal of the season for Wolves against Aston Villa, but one slight ‘concern’ has been flagged up about the Brazilian.
Wolves are bottom of the Premier League table and are now really in need of a first win of the season.
Wolves took the lead against Villa, but again stepped off the gas in the second-half and allowed their opponents back into the contest.
Fans are growing increasingly frustrated by this, and some are now asking questions of Gary O’Neil.
The pressure is cranking up, and the Molineux head coach could really do with three points this weekend against Liverpool, which will be a huge ask.
Matheus Cunha‘s form is a plus for Wolves right now. But journalist Liam Keen has made one observation about him that many fans will have also made.
Gary O’Neil must keep emotional Matheus Cunha focused for Wolves
Cunha is potentially Wolves’ best player these days.
After the sale of Pedro Neto to Chelsea, there is a strong case for the former Atletico Madrid star now being Wanderers’ main man at Molineux.
We have seen him provide moments of magic on the pitch.
He is always a real handful for the opposition with his pace and ball-carrying, and he is obviously a goal threat too.
But some fans will have noted that Cunha very much wears his heart on his sleeve. Sometimes in games, Cunha can let his emotions take over.
If something does not go his way, he will remonstrate. He can often be seen barking at the officials, and it is not uncommon for him to even sink to his knees when he doesn’t get a decision.
Speaking in a new video on Shots TV, journalist Liam Keen said: “He’s a player I’ve interviewed a few times. I’ve always enjoyed speaking to him. Always enjoyed watching him play.
“There have been moments, and towards the end of last season as well, and he does let himself down a little bit at times. He runs the risk of getting himself into trouble. He does throw his toys out of the pram a little bit.
“I think you can allow it to some degree because if a player is going to score goals and be a catalyst for every attack, then sometimes it’s a bit of a luxury to say ‘We can allow them to be troublesome at times on the pitch’.
“Obviously he’s not like that in the dressing room at all, he’s a very highly thought of member of the group. He is a player who really does wear his heart on his sleeve.
“So far it hasn’t particularly cost him. There were a couple of poor performances towards the back end of last season where I felt he got in the way of his own performance. It hasn’t particularly cost him this season, but my worry is that at some point it will do, if he gets in his own head, starts to complain and becomes distracted from the game plan.
“There’s been plenty of times Gary O’Neil has had to get his attention over the last 18 months or so and say ‘Just switch on, stay focused, remain on the game plan’.
“He does tend to let his mind wander and get consumed by the game. That’s definitely a concern you’ve got to keep an eye on.”
Keen is right about Cunha
Cunha is an amazing player who has proven himself to be very influential for Wolves. But this is a legitimate concern about the £60,000-a-week star.
There are times in games when Cunha can let his frustrations get the better of him. It is great to see a player who cares so much, but sometimes it can be to his own detriment.
There was a moment against Villa towards the end when Craig Dawson let rip at Cunha, after he tried to play a through ball to the striker from the back.
Cunha had not been switched on in that moment after being frustrated seconds earlier.
It’s a tough period now for Wolves and it could be about to get even tougher. It is therefore so important that a player as brilliant as Cunha remains totally focused.