daniel chigunwe
WOLVES booked their place in the FA Cup’s next round with an important win over Blackburn last weekend.
After beating Blackburn 2-0 away from home, Wolves will travel to Bournemouth for the FA Cup Fifth Round.
Goals from Joao Gomes and Matheus Cunha sealed Saturday’s result at Ewood Park, and Zimbabwean midfielder Marshall Munetsi, who made his debut, couldn’t believe the influence the travelling fans had on the match.
Joining on deadline-day from Stade Reims, Munetsi was key to Vitor Pereira’s transfer plans. 28-year-old Munetsi has replaced Mario Lemina in the heart of the Wolves’ midfield.
Making his first appearance for the club against Blackburn, Munetsi almost got himself on the score-sheet, and although his debut wasn’t marked with a goal, he did impress.
And speaking about the influence the away support had on the whole team, the Zimbabwe international, who spoke to Wolves’ official website, said, “In France, we do have some supporters, but here, I always hear about the amazing supporters in England, and now at Wolves, I really felt it.
“It gives you that drive, even though it was like 80 minutes, 90 minutes; you keep on going, so I was just able to appreciate the love that they gave me today.”
A strong statement from a player who will be expected to play such a big part between now and the end of the season.
Fans will love hearing what Munetsi has had to say. He has taken to the side almost instantly and looks like a solid addition.
Following Lemina’s decision to withdraw from the squad on the eve of a must-win game against Newcastle last month, Pereira needs players willing to give their all, and Munetsi certainly seems to be that player.
The commanding midfielder has made a huge step up by moving to Wolves and will be thankful for the club for showing such faith in him and his ability.
In return, we can expect to see a do-or-die attitude from a player willing to do whatever it takes to keep the side in the English Premier League.
Wolves fans were also impressed by Munetsi after he came off the bench in the second half to make his debut.
Pereira drafted Munetsi into the action in the 66th minute with the score at 2-0, and the Zimbabwe international replaced forward Goncalo Guedes.
Instantly, the all-action midfielder was immersed in the action at Ewood Park as he constantly made lung-bursting runs into the box and showcased his appetite to break the lines.
The former French Ligue 1 star is known for his attributes in front of goal, and Munetsi’s goal numbers are similar to Ruben Neves, arguably Wolves’ greatest midfielder in the modern era.
Wolves columnist Dave Edwards noticed how Munetsi wanted to make runs into the box, and the former Wolves defender thought it was “refreshing”.
“I think everybody was impressed with Munetsi on his Wolves bow. He was playing very high initially, getting on the end of things, but then went to drop deeper,” Edwards wrote in his column for E&S.
It was quite refreshing to see someone breaking from the heart of the midfield, running beyond the strikers, to get into the box on the end of something.
“It was the position I like to play, but it is a dying breed in football, those box-to-box midfielders. It’s great to see not only does he have the athleticism to do it, but his runs were clever as well.”
Wolves may have struck gold with the signing of Munetsi, as he’s not just capable of scoring from deep but he’s also incredibly hard-working without the ball.
In a team that relies on Cunha to produce a moment of magic, Munetsi could give Pereira an added dimension from midfield.
Across his career, Wolves’ new No. 5 has become synonymous with scoring all types of goals, including headers, close-range strikes, and long-range thunderbolts.
Wolves are now in a better place than they were earlier in the season.
Wanderers had a very turbulent start to the 2024/25 campaign, with Gary O’Neil getting sacked in December after a run of poor results.
It was a decision that many felt should have been made sooner.
Wolves were atrociously defensive under O’Neil, and there was also a real problem with players not managing their emotions and lacking leadership.
Mario Lemina got into a scuffle with Jarrod Bowen after Wolves’ defeat to West Ham United and was then stripped of the captaincy.
The man who succeeded him as captain was Nelson Semedo, and Wolves recently shared some interesting behind-the-scenes footage of the new skipper.
Wolves signed two new players on transfer deadline day.
Nasser Djiga arrived from Red Star Belgrade, while Marshall Munetsi came in from Reims, just like Emmanuel Agbadou before him.
Munetsi made his debut for Wolves against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday and gave a good impression.
He played well considering he only had his first day at the club last Wednesday —and Wolves have released footage of him going around Compton Park.
And there is one interesting interaction he has with Semedo, as the pair head out to the training pitches.
At 9:24, Semedo allows Munetsi to head out the door to the training pitches first, prompting Munetsi to say, “From where I come from, you let the leader go first.”
Semedo humbly replies, “Everyone here is a leader; I’m just the guy who wears the armband.”
The pair then do some training away from the group, with Semedo chatting to the new Wolves midfielder throughout.
Semedo feels like a great choice to be captain of Wolves after the previous incumbent.
Emotions have been too high at Wolves this season. But Semedo is clearly a calm and humble character and not someone who has any kind of ego.
During his time at Wolves, he’s been a top professional and is well respected in the dressing room.
He appears to see the group as equals, and that will likely make him a popular choice.
The one thing with him is that his contract is up at the end of the season, and Wolves do need to make some progress on this soon.
Having lost their captain for the last three summers and then the Lemina situation, the club now needs someone in the role of skipper for a longer period of time, and Semedo feels like a great fit. Agencies/Sports Reporter.
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