Newcastle United legend waxes lyrical over ‘horrible’ £8 million Fulham star
Rodrigo Muniz gave Fulham’s match against Bournemouth a thrilling performance that hinted at his potential.
As Fulham’s striker Rodrigo Muniz led his team to victory over Bournemouth at Craven Cottage on Saturday, Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer couldn’t help but wax poetic about the Brazilian’s performance. The 22-year-old has shown promise since moving to London from Flamengo in 2021 for a fee of around £8 million, but a knee injury has hindered his progress at Fulham and on loan at Middlesbrough. With Raul Jimenez out due to injury, Marco Silva brought in Chelsea forward Armando Broja on loan to relieve some of the load on Muniz.
The Fulham player, who scored two goals in a commanding display against the Cherries that had supporters hollering as they filed out onto West London’s streets, was compared to the late Cottagers hero Aleksandar Mitrovic. Premier League record goalscorer Shearer showered the striker with adulation, leaving not just the Fulham supporters in awe.Shearer commented, “He really was a handful today, horrible to play against,” during an appearance on Match of the Day. That is invariably advantageous for a center-forward.
“He was a powerful player who disrupted the Bournemouth defender in every way he did. He also ran the channels and brought players into the game.” His willingness to come from behind allowed them to score their first goal. If he doesn’t run, it doesn’t happen.
“He was the first to respond and comprehend the situation as they dropped balls into the box. He was pushing defenders aside with a barge. I thought his performance tonight was fantastic; we haven’t seen enough of him yet, but he now has a great chance to establish himself and remain there. He possesses to generate that each week. Broja is a new player that they signed on loan, but if he plays well, he could end up staying.”
This season, Muniz has played just over 500 minutes of Premier League football; but, since recovering from his most recent injury in December, he has started four games.
After the game, Silva expressed his happiness, saying, “He truly deserves it. I’m really pleased for him.” Rodrigo had his chance to shine and demonstrate his abilities when the opportunity presented itself.
“It was likely his best performance in a Fulham shirt this afternoon, and he deserves it because he’s put in a lot of effort.” After an injury that sidelined his promising preseason, he is returning to the field and demonstrating his willingness to play as Fulham’s striker. The manner in which he played behind the midfielders’ pressure and linked our game incredibly well.
