Cunha weaves his magic to leave Onana and United all at sea
The Guardian|December 27, 2024
It is impossible to ignore the shift in mood, the supporters singing the name of their charismatic Portuguese head coach, parachuted in to solve myriad issues but chiefly miserable results and a leaky defence with a particular weakness at set pieces.
Ben Fisher
Cunha weaves his magic to leave Onana and United all at sea

Determined to immerse himself in the local culture, he spent Christmas Day enjoying lunch at a local pub a few miles out of town.

Then there is the friction between those who pay their money in the stands and those who spend it in the boardroom. An unhappy backdrop has been brewing for a while, some presumably plotting an appropriate escape route. The problem for Ruben Amorim is that Vítor Pereira was the manager who triumphed here.

For Manchester United, it is four defeats in their past five league games. United, who drop a place to 14th, are eight points above the relegation zone, 11 from the top four, having taken just seven from a possible 21 since Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag. Matheus Cunha - where would Wolves be without him? - scored the first goal, direct from a corner, and unselfishly squared the ball eight minutes into stoppage time to allow Hwang Hee-chan, on as a substitute, a simple finish to seal a deserved win against 10-man United, whose captain, Bruno Fernandes, was sent off.

For Pereira it has been a flawless start, two wins from two and the worst defence in the division has been bolted secure. At least for now. At the same time, a gutless United never looked like scoring.

This story is from the December 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView All
The Guardian

New year refresh A month-by-month guide to sorting out your finances

Rupert Jones and Hilary Osborne offer a checklist of the vital tasks you need to tackle throughout the year, from filing your tax return to making the most of your holiday cash

time-read
9 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Lost in music How Britain's clubs are disappearing fast - and why they are worth rescuing
The Guardian

Lost in music How Britain's clubs are disappearing fast - and why they are worth rescuing

When the patrons of Watford's Przym nightclub celebrated New Year's Eve a year ago, they were marking the end of an era - or rather, seven eras.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

Nissan shares down 15% as investors react to plan for merger

Shares in the Japanese carmaker Nissan have taken their biggest fall since August's stock market sell-off, as investors turned their attention to the company's planned tie-up with domestic rivals Honda and Mitsubishi.

time-read
1 min  |
December 28, 2024
Climbing out of trouble? Rise in share price suggests BA's turbulent days may be over
The Guardian

Climbing out of trouble? Rise in share price suggests BA's turbulent days may be over

It's been a long and turbulent time since anyone used British Airways' old slogan \"the world's favourite airline\" with a straight face.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

North-south divide flips as EU's periphery beats core economies

The European Central Bank is facing a tough balancing act in 2025, trying to navigate a reversal of fortunes in eurozone economies as the hardest-hit nations of the 2010s debt crisis outperform the traditional core.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Number of retailers on the brink of collapse up by 25%
The Guardian

Number of retailers on the brink of collapse up by 25%

Footfall levels up 18% on Christmas Eve compared with last year.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

London-listed mining company halts operations in Mozambique

The London-listed mining company Gemfields said yesterday it had temporarily halted its ruby mining operation in Mozambique after groups \"took advantage\" of political unrest to attempt to invade and set fire to its site, resulting in two deaths.

time-read
1 min  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

Aid convoy reaches besieged area of Sudanese capital

An aid convoy has reached a besieged area of Khartoum for the first time since Sudan's civil war broke out in April 2023, bringing food and medicines in a country where half of the people are at risk of starvation.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Mexico The mayor who turned wasteland into a utopia
The Guardian

Mexico The mayor who turned wasteland into a utopia

Mexico City's mayor, Clara Brugada, has never been afraid to court controversy and has taken some imaginative steps in her efforts to undo decades of economic and cultural inequality.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Crisis on cat island On Aoshima, is time finally running out for human and feline inhabitants?
The Guardian

Crisis on cat island On Aoshima, is time finally running out for human and feline inhabitants?

The reason for Aoshima's nickname is clear before we set foot on the island.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 28, 2024