For those of us old enough to remember, there hasn’t been a better striking partnership at Manchester United than Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. They seemed to have a telepathic connection on the pitch and also genuinely enjoyed each other’s company off it. In the treble-winning 1998/99 season, they scored 53 goals between them.
Over the years United have had other strong attacking partnerships as well. In the early 90s it was Mark Hughes and Eric Cantona. Later we saw Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney forming a formidable combination. But Cole and Yorke remain the gold standard when it comes to two forwards who simply understood each other.
I know what you’re thinking. No one plays 4-4-2 anymore, at least not with two out-and-out strikers. In the modern game that seems too adventurous, and you risk losing control of the midfield. But the formation graphic you see before kickoff rarely tells the whole story. Football is far more fluid than three numbers on a screen.
My point is this: Benjamin Šeško and Matheus Cunha could become a genuinely exciting partnership for Manchester United, regardless of what formation appears on the television graphic before the match starts.
Why Cunha and Šeško could work
What matters more is how close they operate to each other on the pitch. Cunha was outstanding at Wolves when playing alongside a traditional number nine in Jørgen Strand Larsen. Šeško also spent much of his time at RB Leipzig working in tandem with Loïs Openda. Both players are used to having a partner in attack, and that familiarity could prove invaluable for United going forward.
Their playing styles complement each other nicely. Šeško is very much a classic number nine with impressive physical attributes. He thrives inside the box, can hold the ball up, play simple layoffs and attack space through the middle. Cunha, on the other hand, is more of a creator. He is comfortable taking on defenders, drifting into pockets of space and either finding the final pass or creating chances for himself.
With Bruno Fernandes pulling all the strings behind them, there is every reason to believe that this could develop into a very productive relationship if given time to grow.
The key will be how they are used. One of the worst things any United manager could do would be to push Cunha too far out of position. When he ends up isolated on the flanks, there is a real danger that he drifts out of games. We have already seen that happen in certain periods this season.
Keeping him closer to Šeško feels like the more natural solution.
And yes, I will say something slightly old-fashioned here. I want Šeško and Cunha to go out together, have a couple of beers, play some darts and enjoy each other’s company. You can call it simple team building if you like. But sometimes football really is that simple.
The best partnerships are not only built on tactics. They are built on trust, chemistry and understanding. Cole and Yorke had that. If things fall into place, maybe Cunha and Šeško can start building something similar.