Marshall Munetsi is a player that divides opinion, but there is no doubt that he is a Vitor Pereira favourite.
The Zimbabwean, for all the criticism he receives, cannot be slated for his lack of effort, and that is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why he continuously plays.
However, there are a lot of deficiencies in Marshall Munetsi’s game, and playing him simply for his athleticism may be an overall hindrance for Wolves.
Dave Edwards is a big fan of the player, and while Edwards has given him a nickname that describes his role, what he does not offer Wolves is a bigger issue.
Marshall Munetsi has some of the worst passing statistics in the Premier League
When it comes to technical ability, Marshall Munetsi is far from the best in the Wolves squad, but he has never been portrayed as the opposite.
The midfielder must be praised for his work rate, and that we cannot deny, but when and how often he gets the ball is actually a major problem for the whole Wolves team.
The Wanderers struggle to get a hold on games and will often only be good for short spells, with the opposition causing them issues.
While in these cases when the Old Gold are defending, Munetsi is beneficial; the problem arises when they win it back.
In terms of both midfielders and players that operate in the forward positions, as Munetsi has often done, he comes in with the third-lowest pass completion and the lowest passes per 90 in the Premier League for players that have played at least 300 minutes.
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| Stat | Total |
| Passes per 90 | 15.59 |
| Pass completion % | 61.02% |
In terms of players worse at pass completion, Yankubah Minteh comes in at 57.14% and Dango Outtara at 59.18%.
This means that the player is barely involved in matches when in possession, and when he is, he gives it away quite a bit.
The last two matches have shown this, with Munetsi completing just two out of nine passes against Chelsea in 45 minutes and four out of nine against Burnley in 84 minutes.
This does make Jean-Ricner Bellegarde a better option for Pereira.
Marshall Munetsi’s athleticism might not be worth giving up control
There is a time and a place for a player like Marshall Munetsi, and he has certainly shown his quality throughout games.
You can say he has been unfortunate to not be played in his natural position, and that has led him to receive criticism, which is quite unfair.
It is not Munetsi’s fault that he is being asked to do a role that he does not have all the tools for.
Despite this, he has popped up with some big moments this season, even if Wolves have not been able to capitalise on those results-wise, and he has perhaps been one of their better performers so far this campaign.
Munetsi scored against Burnley and forced an own goal against Brighton.
However, playing a midfielder or an attacking midfielder who barely gets involved in the game while on the ball is a one-way street to losing control.
In search of a better way of saying it, on the pitch the Zimbabwean is essentially more often than not a ‘training cone’.
If Wolves can use a player who looks to receive the ball in the middle and final thirds more than Munetsi, they could sustain larger periods of dominance across matches.
Fer Lopez could be that player, and despite a poor showing against Chelsea, Lee Naylor has defended the Spaniard due to his lack of game time.
Marshall Munetsi is a Vitor Pereira favourite, so we do not expect that to happen anytime soon, though, but if the head coach is going to play him, at least give him the right conditions so he can properly impact the game.