'I don't care at all' - Man Utd star Matheus Cunha takes aim at the United Strand over haircut stunt in stark 'pressure' admission

The United Strand has become headline news for his viral challenge that looks set to continue for some time. Ilett initially vowed in October 2024 that he wouldn't cut his hair until United had won five straight games and is still waiting for his team to deliver. Club legend Wayne Rooney has criticised the United Strand for taking the focus away from the players, while Manchester United women's team poked fun at him this week with a hair-cutting celebration. Meanwhile, Ilett has insisted he doesn't want to be the focus of attention and has highlighted how his challenge is also raising money for a children's cancer charity.

Cunha has now shared his thoughts on the situation and insists he's not interested in Ilett or his haircut. "People are more worried about getting five wins because of the haircut than about the 15 points. So, I'm more for the 15 points, I don't care about his haircut at all," he told RomarioTV. "We talk about it sometimes, but it's not very motivating for us. We don't see it as cool. No-one wants those five wins more than we do, or more wins, whatever. But I think having this pressure from his haircut hides a bit of the beauty that could be in the season, you know?"

The Brazilian has played his part in United's recent good form, scoring in the wins over Arsenal and Fulham and grabbing an assist in the victory against Manchester City.

United interim manager Michael Carrick admitted his team were disappointing at not being able to make it five wins in a row against West Ham, but he was still relieved to see Benjamin Sesko's stoppage-time strike rescue a point. He said: "I think we're a bit disappointed. We definitely weren’t at our best. We've had five games now, and we've been at a really good level. It's a tough place to come, they made it difficult, and we just didn't quite have that sharpness or that spark, really, to find the answers too often. But in the end, big credit to the boys, the spirit again in the late goal, and when we needed it. It's a great quality to have. So, we'll take the point and we'll move on.

"Sometimes, you credit the other team, I thought West Ham defended largely pretty well and made it difficult for us. It’s a good sign that the boys are disappointed. It shows that’s not enough, we’ll take it as a positive that we finished the game strong.

"It shows how challenging and hard it is to be consistent in this league. That’s five games unbeaten with the four wins, I think it’s a pretty good run and something we’ve got to continue really. But it shows when you put things in perspective how well the boys have done, and we want to come back stronger and keep on improving in this little break we’ve got from games. [We need to] use it well and come back in a better place."

The draw with West Ham means that Ilett's viral challenge now resets. Man Utd do not play again until February 23 against Everton at Goodison Park and then go on to face Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth in the Premier League. Win all of those games and The United Strand can finally head to the barbers for a long-awaited trim.