MU still has the look of Amorim.

Many players joined MU because of Amorim. Photo: Reuters .

Matheus Cunha chose to look directly at the past, rather than just glorifying the present. While Manchester United were enjoying an exciting five-match unbeaten run, the Brazilian striker surprisingly mentioned Ruben Amorim as an important part of the foundation of their current success.

In January 2026, Amorim was sacked after Manchester United won only 2 of their 7 Premier League matches. Michael Carrick took over as interim manager and immediately made a positive impact.

Manchester United won four consecutive matches, including impressive victories against Manchester City and Arsenal, before extending their unbeaten run to five games.

Cunha was one of the standout players during this period. He scored the decisive goal at the Emirates, helping Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-2 in a tense match. However, the Brazilian striker doesn't believe it was all thanks to Carrick.

"I'm always grateful for what Ruben did," Cunha told DAZN. "When things change, it's easy to look back at the past as if it were all problems. But that's not the case; he was a wonderful person."

According to Cunha, many new players arrived at Old Trafford thanks to Amorim's influence. Therefore, the current success is inseparable from the previous period. This view contradicts many criticisms leveled against Amorim, particularly his perceived rigidity with the three-centre-back system.

Amorim has made a comeback after being sacked by Manchester United.

Cunha frankly stated that the public focuses too much on tactical formations, while in reality, Manchester United under Carrick often defended with a similar structure. The issue, according to him, is not about the number of three or four defenders.

"The pressure to make that system successful was too great. We forgot how simple the big picture was and focused only on the negatives," Cunha added. "The numbers in football are sometimes very deceptive. We attacked in many different ways and then still defended according to what everyone called Ruben's system."

Amorim left quietly and received a contract termination compensation of £12 million. After a period of staying out of the public eye, he recently made a surprise visit to Doha and watched Carlos Alcaraz's match at the Qatar Open.

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