Before the season begins with an away game against Hull City on August 22, it’s hard not to notice an unfamiliar element within this United squad during the pre-season period.
The element being the presence of positive energy aka good vibes.
Under Ruben Amorim, the United dressing room had turned rather sour. Players described the environment as toxic, a trend that has reverberated through the club ever since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The fact that Amorim did not shy from berating his own players in press conferences therafter did not help the situation either.
It has taken a massive effort over the past eight months from current manager Michael Carrick to get the good vibes flowing again and lead United to Champions League qualification.
An integral cog in this recent reversal in fortunes has been the signing of Mattheus Cunha.
The forward arrived from Wolves in 2025 amidst much scrutiny and notorious reputation of being a whiny and grumpy dressing room character .
However, the Brazilian continues to pleasantly surprise Man United fans by quickly becoming embedded in the club culture.
The 27-year-old has emerged as a much-needed glue for the club both on and off the field.
He also speaks five languages, making him one of the most approachable personalities in the dressing room.
But it isn’t just Cunha who is bringing the good vibes back at United.
Of late, led by skipper Bruno Fernandes himself, videos have gone viral showcasing the Red Devils squad devoted to a card game as if it were a Champions League final.
The pastime in question is the popular party game called Werewolf.
Based on the cult-classic Mafia game that originated in the 1980s, its latest card-based rendition has been published by Bezier since 2008.
One particular session from Dublin, where Man United took on Leeds United in a friendly, has caught the internet’s fascination.
In this social deduction activity, werewolves are hidden amongst villagers and the goal for them is to survive till the end without being found out.
Fans unaware of the game where left confused with the activity their favorite footballers were highly engrossed with.
It seems the game is in its final stages with only three players remaining.
Let us help those confused with actions in the video from Dublin.
At the centre of the action unsurprisingly is Cunha, who has been at the heart of everything good United seem to do of late.
Cunha (a wolf) appears to have the casting vote with 2 cards remaining, compatriot Andrey Santos and goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Santos desperately pleads his innocence to his fellow Brazilian, only for Lammens to caution Cunha against being manipulated.
Cunha seems distraught by the situation with the decision in front of him, evidenced by him scratching his hair and rubbing his chest.
Eventually, he bends down and decides to execute Santos and all hell immediately breaks loose.
As it turns out, Santos was a wolf while Lammens was a villager.
Cunha walks away from the scene with his head in his hands as he gets engulfed by the rest of the squad erupting in mad celebration.
Fernandes leads the victory parade, wheeling off in loud and animated victory chants alongside Diogo Dalot and Amad Diallo.
In the end, Fernandes even holds up the werewolf card and passionately declares himself as the winner of the game with a huge grin on his face.
If that was not enough, Fernandes also uploaded a video taunting Cunha claiming it was the second time he had gotten the better of him on the same day.
Cunha was clearly annoyed, but his captain only added salt to the wounds by forcing the Brazilian into a mocking handshake.
When the video was posted on Instagram by United’s official handle, Cunha even commented unbelievable to let fans know he was still sulking over the entire saga.
Such a positive dressing room environment is bound to hold United in good stead. They will be hopeful of improving upon last season’s thor placed finish, with the Champions League also to look forward to.
