Does the best Wolves team include Cunha?
- Published
Ten points from the four games of Matheus Cunha's suspension far exceeded the figure feared by some supporters after his dismissal at Bournemouth.
At that time it was not really apparent who would score the goals to earn Wolves points in his absence. As it turned out, the solution had been there all the time, but by Vitor Pereira's account, it was the workflow towards him that had been off.
After the game, Pereira asked himself a question, and answered it. "Do you know why [Jorgen Strand] Larsen is playing better now?" he said. "Because of [Marshall] Munetsi.
"Munetsi now is playing close to him, opens the space for him and helps him to play and attack the space. The markers, they go with him and open the space. [Larsen's] adaptation in the Premier League is getting better, but because now we put a player behind him, creating space, attacking space, helping him in the first ball and the second ball... this is why Jorgen is doing better and better."
The response to the posting of this clip on social media developed into a surprisingly edgy debate about whether this was good judgement or coincidence, and not all were persuaded of Munetsi's merits. Larsen himself, however, told me he is in no doubt.
"I think Marshall has done an amazing job since he came here," said the Norway striker. "He put down so many kilometres, he's running and he's fighting for every ball. Not everything can be perfect, you can't hold every ball up, you're playing against really big, strong defenders every time. He's working a lot around me, that gives me sometimes the energy to finish off the chances and he's nice to have around."
We could fairly say that some of Munetsi's game is unrefined compared to some of his colleagues. He is not as skilled on the ball as Pablo Sarabia. He is not as good a finisher as Cunha. He is not as quick as Rodrigo Gomes.
But what he has brought to Wolves is perpetual energy, a physical threat. In difficult times this season Wolves were frictionless, brushed off by their opponents without leaving a mark. At the very least, Munetsi's presence changes this. He harries and disrupts, and while he may not always be the man to capitalise, he creates the conditions for others, like Larsen, to do so.
This leads to a new question, with its own edge in light of recent events. Is it possible that while Cunha is by common consensus Wolves' best player, the best Wolves team at this moment does not include him?
Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights
