Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has questioned Matheus Cunha’s performance against Wolves, convinced the forward ‘didn’t wish to rating’ against his former side.
Cunha left Molineux in a £62.5million deal in the course of the summer transfer window, starting against his former club for the primary time on Monday night.
United laboured against the side all-time low of the Premier League but an improved second-half performance saw them run out 4-1 winners, moving them back as much as sixth within the Premier League.
Their first-half opener got here in almost comical circumstances with Cunha intercepting a back pass from Wolves midfielder Andre. As an alternative of shooting for goal, the Brazil international searched for Bruno Fernandes, playing the ball behind the United skipper.
Fernandes slipped as he tried to recuperate the ball, eventually getting it back under control before shooting, with Sam Johnstone getting a hand to it but not enough to maintain it out.
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Cunha registered eight shots on goal on Monday night but former United full-back Parker was not convinced by his performance.
Parker believed the previous Wolves star lacked his usual aggression against his former employers and wanted to come back away ‘not offending anybody’ back within the Black Country.
‘Well, I just think in certain ways, he looked a bit of bit embarrassed to be there,’ Parker, told Metro via CasinoBernie.
‘He looked like he didn’t actually need to offend Wolves. Because there wasn’t that extra little bit of aggression from him to get that little little bit of a burst, that fight to try to get on the tip of the ball.
‘Once we have a look at the goal, he passed the ball back to Fernandes when he could have taken it on himself. And Fernandes someway managed to still rating. I mean, it was a very scruffy, ugly goal.
‘But Cunha could have taken it on himself and he appeared like he didn’t wish to rating.
‘He never shouted for fouls or anything, when normally he does shout for fouls.
‘So I just think that each one he desired to do was come away unscathed, not offend anybody, and if United were to win, sometimes he looked like he didn’t wish to be on the rating sheet.’
Cunha spent two-and-a-half years at Wolves, scoring 15 Premier League goals in his final season on the club. Wolves have endured a thoroughly miserable campaign since his exit, taking just two points from their opening 15 games, already eight points from safety with relegation seemingly looming even before the halfway stage of the season.
Parker added: ‘It’s all the time difficult to play against mates or anything like that in football whenever you return to your old club.
‘But for me, he really showed Wolves a little bit of respect, to be perfectly honest, the best way he played.’
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