Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney has praised striker Rodrigo Muniz as an ‘animal’ after his recent upturn in form.
If you told most Fulham fans two months ago that Rodrigo Muniz would be up for the Premier League Player of the Month award for February, they would probably would have laughed.
Muniz was hardly even considered by Fulham fans as a potential striking solution when Aleksandar Mitrovic left the club last summer.
A quiet loan spell at Middlesbrough last season didn’t really indicate that a big Premier League breakout was on the cards.
The Brazilian has stepped up in recent weeks though with Raul Jimenez injured and loan signing Armando Broja off to a fairly slow start.
Muniz’s header against Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend now means that he has bagged five goals in his last five outings.
Tom Cairney hails Rodrigo Muniz
Muniz is the talk of the town right now and praise has been coming in from all corners.
Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney has now joined in whilst speaking on the The Footballer’s Football Podcast.
Cairney suggested that Muniz’s form is ‘mental’ right now, suggesting that he has become an ‘animal’ in the Fulham attack.
Cairney noted that Muniz is ‘fighting defenders’ and showing his aggressive side, even scoring a Mitrovic-like goal agains Brighton.
The Fulham skipper also feels that Muniz will improve with time, believing that this is an exciting time for fans as they watch him develop.
“It’s mental! He’s got five goals, he’s just turned into an animal! He’s a handful, he’s fighting defenders, he’s aggressive, his goal was a bit like Mitrovic in the box,” said Cairney. “He’s brilliant in the air, he’s not the tallest or the biggest but he’s got a leap, he’s a strong boy and I think it’s just confidence. I think confidence is such a big thing in football and he is chomping at the bit right now.”
“Last season, he didn’t really play a lot for Middlesbrough but he has took his chance when called upon this month really and he’s up for Premier League Player of the Month as well. Still only 22, got a lot of things to improve and I think he will with time and age, so it’s an exciting time for Fulham fans watching him,” he added.
Snapped up from Flamengo in 2021, Muniz only scored five goals in his first Fulham season and then two on loan at Middlesbrough.
Fulham must now attempt to figure out whether this is a purple patch or whether Muniz is the real deal up top.
The 22-year-old should have plenty of chances to shine before the end of the season, and that will likely dictate just how strongly Fulham chase a new striker this summer.