Former Wolves midfielder David Edwards has hailed Joao Moutinho after his matchwinning goal against Manchester United on Monday night.
In the Express and Star, Edwards also had credit for Ruben Neves, who almost opened the scoring from outside the box in the first half.
In the end, it was Moutinho who won the game, as he scored at Old Trafford for the second time in Wolves colours to clinch a historic win.
“It was a masterclass from Moutinho. Everyone knows he has the ability on the ball and the way he manipulates the football to get out of tight situations is excellent, but since he has come to Wolves I cannot believe how tenacious he is.
“Knowing how much I suffered in my early 30s onwards trying to keep up with the pace of the game, to watch him still do that at the highest level in the quickest league in the world is miraculous. He deserved that goal, he was sensational alongside Ruben Neves.
“If you spoke to a neutral you would expect Moutinho and Neves to be in that Man United team because they eclipsed their midfield by far. The balance they have is brilliant.
“I still believe they need to bring in more midfielders but at the moment you’ll do well to find a better pairing than those two. They were the heartbeat of the team and the game was won by them winning that midfield battle.”
Edwards’ comments about tenacity show why Neves and Moutinho are able dominate Premier League games as well as fight as scrap despite not being the biggest or most physical.
Bruno Lage wants a passing team but he also wants one which presses and competes and Moutinho has adjusted to those demands well as the season has gone on.
The win over United will see some Wolves players get some credit which might have been overdue from other fans and pundits but the Molineux supporters know how good Moutinho and Neves are already.
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