adminHow Gary O’Neil Unlocked Matheus Cunha’s Full Potential at Wolves
One of Gary O’Neil’s standout achievements during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers was the transformation of Matheus Cunha into a top Premier League performer.
Cunha had initially joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid in January 2023 under Julen Lopetegui, but he struggled to justify his £44 million price tag. The Brazilian forward failed to hit the ground running and often looked out of place in England’s top flight.
However, when O’Neil took over, everything changed. The English manager inherited Cunha and worked tirelessly to bring the best out of him—both tactically and mentally. The result was a complete turnaround in form.
O’Neil recently broke his silence following his dismissal from Wolves in December, after a difficult start to the 2024/25 season which saw the club five points adrift of safety and having conceded 40 goals in just 16 games. Despite those challenges, his time in charge wasn’t without success.
Speaking to The Guardian, O’Neil reflected on the development of key players like Cunha and Pedro Neto. He revealed that both players were at the right stage of their careers to embrace improvement. “I was fortunate that Matheus and Pedro were both at an age where they were still ready to lap that stuff up,” he told journalist Jacob Steinberg.
O’Neil detailed how he dedicated time to refining Cunha’s role, focusing on repositioning him as an “inside left” forward. The goal was to exploit his right-footed curling shots into the far corner—something fans witnessed frequently throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
Beyond tactical adjustments, O’Neil also sought to reshape Cunha’s mindset, encouraging more discipline while preserving his flair and creativity. The effort paid off, as Cunha evolved from a struggling forward into a dynamic Premier League threat.
His improvement is backed by the numbers. Cunha saw major gains across key stats: his conversion rate doubled, his key passes and chance creation significantly increased, and he became a more effective dribbler and goal threat.
In the end, Wolves were rewarded handsomely. A player many doubted was sold to a ‘big six’ club for £62.5 million—representing a major profit and testament to O’Neil’s influence.
Cunha’s journey at Molineux might be over, but his success story is a clear example of what targeted coaching and belief can achieve. Wolves will no doubt be grateful for the impact Gary O’Neil had on the Brazilian’s developm
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