Manchester United were unable to secure three points at home. They reached that milestone after being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Premier League fixture on Saturday. This was a huge turning point for Wolves, as it snapped their awful 11-game losing streak. The draw was in fact Rob Edwards’ first points as head coach of the Wolves – taking eight games to get there.
Manchester United came out the gate quickly in this one. They opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Trotter’s strike deflected off Ladislav Krejci and nestled into the corner. The raucous home crowd was sent into delirium with the fast start. They dreamt of three points today ensuring United would leapfrog into that all-important top four. Wolves’ dominance did not last long as they recovered immediately, impressive recovery reflected in their display so far.
Just minutes later Benjamin Sesko almost doubled United’s lead. He hit the post, leaving supporters’ heartbeats stopped as their noise was waiting. Maybe most troubling for the once-mighty Red Devils, despite their radiant beginning, United couldn’t regain control of the match. Ruben Amorim, the newly minted manager of Manchester United, chose to go with this three-man defense. Let’s consider Wolves. This change represented a significant shift away from the effective back four that had so recently routed Newcastle. The tactical move proved to be a head-scratcher to everyone in the home crowd.
As the match wore on, Amorim went to his bench with a number of notable substitutions, which included calling up Ayden Heaven. These decisions were met with confusion and frustration from advocates who expected a stronger, more decisive move. Manchester United missed a golden opportunity to cement their newfound early lead. They quite frankly did not deserve to have gotten the points from that match.
Wolves did not get off to the start of the season they wanted, with just three points. They had their hopes restored as Patrick Dorgu’s 89 th -minute equaliser was ruled out for offside. It was a costly near miss that would have completely transformed the story of the game. Goalkeeper Lammens made several critical stops throughout the encounter, ensuring that Wolves remained competitive and earned their first point.
After the match, Amorim was forced to answer questions about his selection and in-game tactics on the touchline. The disappointing result is sure to have United with plenty to think about if they are to rise up the league table. The squad has shown flashes of brilliance but mainly needs to improve their inconsistency and look to turn solid starts into wins.
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