Former Premier League midfielder Sandro has backed Cunha to flourish with Manchester United despite the extra load on him during AFCON and offered his insight into whether he can break into the Brazil starting side for the 2026 World Cup.
The former Brazil international also offered his insights into fellow Brazilian Footballers Jesus and whether he can force his way into the squad after injury, if Thiago Silva could be set for a Premier League return and backs Endrick to make the move to England.
Elsewhere he argues that Maresca is mismanaging Estêvão at Chelsea, picks the Superstar signing he would love to see at Wrexham, reflects on working with Ian Holloway and names his passion outside of football!
Matheus Cunha
Pressure On Cunha During AFCON
Is there too much pressure on Matheus Cunha at Manchester United? No. As a Brazilian, we love that. We love that sort of pressure. We want to say Give me the ball and I think he can handle it. He’s a great guy, and I think he is already showing that he can play and perform well for Manchester United, but I hope he can cross the line from good to great.
When I played in England, you couldn’t just put your jersey on and say you are a Premier League player now. You had to cross that line, and when you go to a new club, you have to perform for your new club all over again.
Matheus Cunha was a Premier League player at Wolves, but Wolves to United is a different level, and he needs to cross the line again. He needs to get comfortable. He needs to score goals in three games in a row, five games in a row. I think it’s the perfect time for him to have that run now while Diallo and Mbeumo are away at AFCON.
Can Cunha Start For Brazil?
He'll be in the squad. It depends on whether he will play because now it's so important. Carlo Ancelotti has just said it's so important for these players to play from January to May. That’s what it is all about. I was happy for Richarllson because he's now going on a good run scoring, but he needs that period as well.
Injuries can finish your international career. I had that experience, I have to let you know, with Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazil coach at the 2014 World Cup. I was at Tottenham, and he said that he will call me because I had a big injury. I did my cruciate, and I was out for eight months, but I had been in the national team before when Mano Menezes was the manager.
I went to a game in London, England, against Brazil, and Felipe invited me to come into the team meeting before the game. He said in front of everyone, Sandro is part of us. He was injured. Now he will be playing again, and he will have his chance to show what he can do.
But when I came back and started to play, I always picked up small calf problems, hamstring problems, and I was always injured when it came time to be called up to the national team, so he could not select me to show him what I could offer to the team. That's why I know it's very important for these guys to keep their consistency, keep scoring and stay fit as well during this critical period.
Brazilian International Stars
Can Jesus Force His Way In?
Can Gabriel Jesus be Brazil’s starting striker at the World Cup? I think it’s difficult because it’s only five or six months. He is a top player, and he can show it, but he has to get lucky and make sure he doesn’t get any other injuries, so he is picked for the squad.
He needs consistency. He needs to be playing good football. Then he can be there, but he needs to get his confidence back, too, and now he has Viktor Gyokeres for competition. It is a good problem for Mikel Arteta to have two amazing strikers if they stay fit. That can increase the level of his Arsenal team. It is a good problem to have.
Right now, I think Gyokeres is the player to start for Arsenal. Gabriel Jesus has shown us what he can do before. He has that in his account. Gyokeres still needs to show that, but he’s in a better moment, and football is the moment, and he’s in better condition, but Gabriel is there.
Silva’s Next Move
I know Thiago Silva well, and he loves Chelsea. Thiago is still one of the best centre-backs in the world. There is no doubt. I would be happy to see him go back to Chelsea because he loves the club, and he deserves an ending there. He came back to Fluminense to have that experience, to come back to his old club to find an ending, but now to have the opportunity to maybe come back to Chelsea before the World Cup, for me, there is no doubt.
I would select Thiago Silva for the World Cup. Even for him to be there, to talk with his experience. He needs to be there. The other guys will need him to help them and keep them on track. Even if he cannot play every full match, it would be like playing with a cigarette in his mouth because he’s so used to football at this level.
He is not scared of anything. He has experienced it all before, and that is huge, even for the defenders. The other defenders will feel safe because Thiago is here. On problems, they will all ask him, Thiago, What do you think? This would be a psychological boost to Brazil and Chelsea.
Endrick Needs To Play!
Endrick needs to play. I think a Premier League move would be good for him. Football is about games. He needs to have that run of games. You can’t just be a Real Madrid player and not play. Come to the Premier League! It’s the best league in the world, and you’re going to love it. Endrick looks like he will be the next Sergio Aguero. He’s strong, can run, and he has the potential to achieve similar things to Aguero. Maybe Aguero was more agile in the beginning, but there is a similarity. Just please don’t go to Manchester City!
He needs to come to Tottenham. We're going to help him, and he will help us as well. I need to call him. I think it would be good for Endrick, but any of the big Premier League clubs like Tottenham, and especially Tottenham, that can make sure you’re going to play where you’re going to express yourself and be happy, that’s where he needs to go.
He has to enjoy this moment because when you are at Real Madrid, one of the biggest teams in the world, you are not part of it; you are not happy. Endrick needs to be part of it. Endrick needs to be playing football.
Would Endrick Suit Spurs?
Is Maresca Mismanaging Estêvão?
Is Maresca managing Estêvão the right way? I don’t agree with it. You have an amazing player in Estêvão. He has a good moment, and then you stop the run. He should be playing every game he can.
I don’t understand what’s going on, to be fair, because what he’s showing, the way he’s playing, I don’t know what they are saving him for. Gareth Bale played every game for us at Tottenham. You have to enjoy these players and these moments. There are ups and downs, but come on, you stand the player down, and his confidence will go away.
Chelsea have to manage that better, I think. He needs to play. Put him in the team, and boom, he will play, and that would be good for us as well in Brazil.
Football League
My Pick Superstar Pick Wrexham
I would love to say Neymar, but there is a player called Matheus Pereira in the Brazilian Serie A at Cruzeiro. He’s like a Number 10. He’s a good footballer. He has played in Europe before. He is a real baller.
When the Wrexham show started to run, I think it was a hit all over the world because it’s a beautiful story, and Brazilian players already love to come over here anyway, so I think it will be hard in the Championship, but if they make it to the Premier League? Not just in Brazil but around the world, everyone loves the Premier League. It’s unbelievable, and it's the best league in the world.
I think to have these guys who are actors have a dream that they’re going to buy a club with one of the best histories in football, and how they did it, it’s perfect. They’ve built the team, hired great people around them, and they’ve gone step by step with new players. I started to be a Wrexham fan, and it would be good to have them in the Premier League, but it will be difficult because now the football starts to become harder in the Championship.
Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway was my manager at QPR. What a legend. He's exceptional. Just wow, what a character. He is like Harry Redknapp. The same kind of manager. What a guy. The way he talks, the way he handles the training sessions, always laughing and saying silly things. I was laughing all the time. He’d come over to me and say, “Sandro, I was a good player as well. Pass me the ball!”
Swindon Town are going good. It’s tough to dream at that level, but I am begging that he can take them up because he deserves it so much. I love him, and I miss him. He has the best energy I’ve ever got from another person. The best energy I’ve ever seen in a dressing room.
I will say that Ian Holloway has the best energy ever. Better than Harry. Happier. He was one of the happiest guys in the dark moments. He could be emotional too, but I wish him well and hope he can keep doing what he’s doing.
Darts
Darting Passion But Its Incomparable With Football!
It all came from Harry Redknapp. Harry said, “Sandro, can you do an interview with Bobby George at his house?” I said yes, of course, because they were friends with each other. Harry knew I liked it. He said he saw I had a dartboard in my house. We had a dartboard in the changing room at Tottenham as well.
Bobby is one of the best, and I said it would be great to meet him, and we did it, and it was so funny. Bobby had all of his gold chains and rings on. I didn’t understand everything that he was saying, but it was a great experience. I remember his house. It was a big house, and he had a pub inside the house.
I would love to go. My friend said to me, Sandro, we are going to go in fancy dress, and 100% I need to do that. But I love football so much, man. I cannot compare it to the darts!
Which Has The Better Atmosphere?
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