Up against what could prove statistically the worst team in Premier League history, United were the inferior side for swathes of the game. Just Wolves’ third point of the season came at Old Trafford. Arriving on an 11-match losing run, they may depart with regrets they did not record their first victory of a miserable season.
For United, now with a lone win in their last five home games, it was both the result and the manner of it that jarred. Their goal involved a hefty deflection. The closest they came to a legitimate winner was when Yerson Mosquera almost delivered a comical own goal. Not for the first time, Ruben Amorim’s tactics failed.
But amid United’s inadequacies, there was something to savour in Rob Edwards earning his first point as Wolves manager. A man who seems to have taken on an impossible task had almost got off the mark in other marquee fixtures. Wolves have competed well away at Arsenal and Liverpool, twin 2-1 defeats containing a cruelty. This time, they got a reward for their efforts.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim reacts on the touchline at Old Trafford. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
There could be no excuses for United, not even as Mason Mount took their list of absentees to eight. Wolves were similarly depleted by injuries, suspension and the African Cup of Nations. In any case, Mount was replaced by United’s scorer.
Indeed, Joshua Zirkzee was involved in two goals; perhaps it was too much for United to ask that they would score both. It was a sign of how poor the Dutchman was that, despite scoring, he was still hauled off at half-time
It was Zirkzee’s first Premier League goal at Old Trafford in over a year; a collector’s item, if scarcely a classic. But his strikes have been such rarities that it was understandable he celebrated when a seemingly harmless effort produced a goal.
Suffice it say it will not win goal of the season. Zirkzee lost the ball once, got it back and his shot took such a sizeable deflection off Ladislav Krejci that Jose Sa was left diving in the wrong direction. He seems seventh in line for a place in United’s front three, given that Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo are in Morocco. By the time he went off, he had inadvertently helped Wolves to equalise.
Krejci looped a header in after Zirkzee had flicked Hugo Bueno’s corner on to him. It was a redemptive goal for the Wolves defender.
United still have not kept consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League under Amorim. Wolves’ equaliser illustrated why. They have a habit of conceding in first-half stoppage time, which scarcely helps.
Once again, it put the onus on United to score. They struggled. There was a brilliant save from Jose Sa: but from a teammate. The Portuguese to claw the ball off the line when Mosquera headed it past the goalkeeper and almost into his own net.
Otherwise, the goalkeeper required to excel was Senne Lammens. He made a terrific double save deny Krejci a second and then stop Mosquera from scoring the rebound. He had prevented Hugo Bueno from equalising before the break. Later on, he dived to his left to prevent Jhon Arias from scoring a winner. United could be grateful to the Belgian.
Ladislav Krejci celebrates scoring Wolves’ goal at Old Trafford. Photo: Reuters
Their efforts at the other end intermittent. Benjamin Sesko angled a shot just past the post and headed straight at Jose Sa. He was inches from doubling United’s lead when heading Luke Shaw’s corner against the post but his goal drought now spans eight games.
Patrick Dorgu was twice close to a second goal in as many games, first with a shot that was just deflected wide and then when he converted the rebound after Sesko’s 90th-minute shot was parried, but he was flagged offside – which was confirmed by VAR.
And United scarcely deserved a decider. United had played well without the ball against Newcastle. The test was to excel with it against a lesser side.
United duly failed. They began so slowly that after 17 minutes, Wolves had completed almost four times as many passes in the final third.
There were points when United could not get the ball back from Wolves. With Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte outmanoeuvred in midfield, Amorim added Jack Fletcher at half-time. Amorim had begun by reverting to his beloved 3-4-3 but had to switch to 3-5-2 at the interval.
An animated Amorim looked unhappy with much of what he was witnessing. His side lacked creativity in midfield, without Bruno Fernandes, dynamism in attack and pressing on the pitch.
There were boos when Ayden Heaven was substituted; Amorim remains addicted to swapping his centre-backs. Turning their fortunes around still looks rather harder.
