Some tributes border on indecency. This week, a Manchester United executive dared the unimaginable: bringing a newcomer to the legendary Eric Cantona closer. An outing that could not go unnoticed in a club in search of identity and benchmarks. And all the more so since the man in question has not yet played the slightest minute in the red jersey …
Cunha, “cantona-esque” according to management
The player at the center of this daring comparison is none other than Matheus Cunha, recruited for 70 million euros in Wolverhampton. It was Omar Berrada, the new CEO of the club, who slipped the sentence too much: “He has a little panache … Almost cantona-esque”. An amazing statement for a promising player, but still far from having marked the history of the club as the “King” did in the 1990s.
This declaration seems above all symptomatic of a deeper evil. Manchester United, by going through disappointing seasons, now seems deprived of benchmarks. In the absence of performance, we try to create myths. Compare Cunha to Cantona is less than the fantasy. It is also a form of insult to the memory of a player elected best Red Devil of all time by the supporters themselves.
The “new cantona”? A joke that goes wrong in Manchester
Loss of bearings in a club in crisis
Should we see a desperate attempt to reconnect with the greatness of yesteryear? Maybe. Management is undoubtedly seeking to create enthusiasm around a loss of speed. But as a certain Paul Watzlawick said in The 10 ways to get unhappythe worst way of sinking is to hang on to the past. Nostalgia is a trap, and United seems to plunge the first one.
Cantona was not just a player with unique charisma. It was the symbol of renewal, leadership, creative genius. Cunha, he will have to prove much more than “swagger” to get closer. For the moment, the only record he has broken is that of transfer: almost 18 times more expensive than the King, including inflation. In Manchester, we compare a lot … but we are still waiting to vibrate.
