Online Reporter
ARGUABLY, no player divides opinion at Wolves more than Marshall Munetsi.
The Zimbabwe international joined the English Premier League club at the end of the January transfer window, following Emmanuel Agbadou to Molineux from Reims. He was essentially signed as a replacement for Mario Lemina, whose exit from the club had been on the cards for weeks after he lost his temper following the defeat to West Ham United and then refused to play against Newcastle United.
Wolves paid around £16 million to sign Munetsi, roughly the same fee the club parted with for Agbadou.
While Agbadou has impressed, Munetsi’s stint at Wolves has been more mixed. Coach Vítor Pereira adores him, but many Wolves fans remain unconvinced.
It’s clear that Munetsi is a tremendous athlete. Pereira noted that Munetsi ran the most during his first training session at Wolves, a clear sign of things to come. Work rate is crucial in modern football, and Pereira places great emphasis on it.
Munetsi has started all but one Premier League match he’s been available for since his arrival. Clearly, Pereira values what he brings to the table.
However, against Brighton, fans felt Munetsi lacked impact, and there have been other matches where supporters have questioned his influence, despite Pereira’s continued praise.
One of the biggest frustrations among fans is his wastefulness in front of goal. Beyond his relentless running, they feel he doesn’t offer much else. He may press effectively and create space for Jørgen Strand Larsen, but many argue that the No. 10 role requires more technical proficiency and Munetsi is not particularly a technician. Even Pereira admitted as much ahead of the recent game against Manchester City.
Munetsi is undoubtedly good enough to play for Wolves. But this current experiment shouldn’t continue into the 2025/26 season. He ought to be playing deeper in midfield, where his industry and tenacity are better utilised.
Advanced midfielders must combine work rate with high technical quality and Munetsi has yet to convince that he can consistently create or score.
Of course, deploying him in central midfield comes with its own challenge: he’s unlikely to displace João Gomes or André in a two-man setup, unless Pereira opts for a three-man midfield, something he hasn’t shown much interest in.
Munetsi’s Stats Suggest He’s Not Suited to the No. 10 Role
Munetsi has been deployed almost exclusively as an advanced midfielder since joining Wolves, a curious decision by Pereira, especially given the availability of natural attacking midfielders like Pablo Sarabia, Gonçalo Guedes, Hwang Hee-chan, and even Rodrigo Gomes.
So far, Munetsi’s numbers in that position don’t make for great reading.
He’s scored just one goal from 19 shots. According to Statmuse, only six of those were on target, giving him a conversion rate of just 5.2%. He has also registered just one assist.
His dribbling has been underwhelming too, with a success rate of only 25%.
— Molineux.news/Sports Reporter
