During an appearance on the Express and Star Wolves podcast, journalist Nathan Judah slammed Wolves star midfielder Joao Moutinho for his recent performances and wants him dropped.
Wolves had a big change in the squad this summer, especially in the midfield areas after they sold Morgan Gibbs-White and Leander Dendoncker and replaced them with the likes of Matheus Nunes, Goncalo Guedes, and Boubacar Traore.
While they have the likes of Nunes, Ruben Neves, and Traore to start in the midfield now, the club are still starting 36-year-old Portuguese ace Moutinho, which has baffled Judah as he recently slammed the former Porto man as an ‘anonymous’ figure in the side.
Judah told the Express and Star Wolves podcast, “Look, he’s been incredible for Wolves. And he continues to be very useful when needed. But I’m sorry, Liam [Keen]. I couldn’t, I was staggered again thinking about this game that Joao Moutinho was actually played in it.
“I did not see him once. He was absolutely anonymous. Now, if you’re going to play and you want to score goals, and you’re going to try and change it because it’s not working as it is at the moment in time. For me, you take Moutinho out, Neves and Nunes are quite capable, as two central midfielders as playing as a two.”
TIF Thoughts on Moutinho…
While Moutinho has been a great player in the past and has been a solid starter for Wolves since he arrived, we think it is time for the club to move on to a new player who can keep up with the pace of the league and not hinder the side, which Judah nods to.
Should Wolves drop Moutinho?
Yes
No
So far this season Moutinho has started five of the club’s seven games and has played the entire 90 minutes in all bar one of these games, he is also yet to contribute a goal or assist to the side this season.
While he ranks second for tackles per game at Wolves, his passing game is not on the same level as he ranks ninth for pass accuracy and then seventh for interceptions and third for fouls a game, giving away 1.4 per game. (WhoScored)
Wolves need a serious improvement if they are to avoid a relegation battle in the Premier League, and with the way Moutinho is currently playing, it is hard to see how they do this with him in the squad.