Vitor Pereira is excited by the combination of Jorgen Strand Larsen and Marshal Munetsi at Wolves.
Pereira signed Munetsi during the January transfer window and hasn’t looked back.
The Wolves manager has started the midfielder in every Premier League game since his debut off the bench at Anfield, seeing the benefits of his arrival.
Speaking to the media after the Old Gold’s win against Ipswich, Pereira shared his belief that Munetsi makes Strand Larsen better, a statement that can’t be argued.
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Vitor Pereira has a clear plan for Jorgen Strand Larsen and Marshall Munetsi
Strand Larsen is the man of the moment at Wolves, scoring four goals in his previous three games.
The timing of the striker’s resurgence is interesting as it coincides with Matheus Cunha’s absence, sparking debate over whether the Brazilian should walk back into the team after his suspension.
Some Wolves fans believe Cunha should be benched once he returns, which would not only be to preserve Strand Larsen’s form, but to keep another player’s role consistent.
Speaking after the Ipswich win, Pereira insisted that Strand Larsen is ‘getting better’ because of Munetsi’s role when playing with the number nine.
“Larsen is getting better because he’s more adapted to the Premier League, because of his work, but Munetsi is playing close to him, creating spaces, attacking spaces every time,” Pereira said, via Express and Star.
“He’s supporting the first ball. Before, when Larsen received the first ball, the man close to him to support this ball was not there. Now we have a physical player that runs a lot, creating spaces and is in the box every time.”
Pereira is liking what he’s seeing from Munetsi and Strand Larsen, and the numbers only reinforce how well the manager’s plan could work long term.
Strand Larsen performs better with Munetsi than he does with Matheus Cunha
Alan Shearer is one of many figures who believe that Strand Larsen operates better without Cunha.
The Brazilian’s absence over the previous four games has been telling, as Wolves have been near-perfect without their star player.
Moving Cunha out of the frame and pushing Munetsi into it as Strand Larsen’s partner, it’s clear to see why Pereira is delighted with the pair’s form.
The Norwegian is averaging more shots, big chances and is creating more with Munetsi in Cunha’s place.
Strand Larsen is far more effective when paired with Munetsi than the Brazil international, which, while giving Pereira a dilemma for the remainder of the season, makes next term all the more exciting.
Cunha’s inevitable exit isn’t all doom and gloom, with the evidence there to suggest that the good times don’t begin and end with the former Atletico Madrid man.