United Beyond Manchester

One match from the halfway point in the season, Manchester United sit 14th in the Premier League, closer to the relegation zone than the top four. The loss to Wolves is more evidence of the seemingly insurmountable challenge of leading United back to the top, as well as how long any attempt to do it will take.

Match Flow

United began the match sloppy. Leny Yoro and Bruno Fernandes each picked up yellow cards before the half-hour mark. The first quality effort came in the 20th minute, as Diogo Dalot forced Jose Sa into a good save with an outside-the-box strike.

The rest of the half was much like the start, and the Reds never got going. Players struggled to connect in attack and passes went wayward more than they connected. Amorim’s eleven dominated possession 58-42, but the home side created the better chances, ending the half with the same xG as United despite two fewer shots.

Disaster struck less than two minutes into the second half when Bruno Fernandes picked up a second yellow card and was sent off for a reckless lunging tackle. Wolves nearly capitalized immediately on the extra man advantage, but Jurgen Strand Larsen was proven offside by a VAR review.

For the second straight week, Manchester United conceded directly from a corner kick. Andre Onana was weak, flopping instead of fighting to get to clear, and the ball from Matheus Cunha floated into the far corner. United’s defenders also did the goalkeeper no favors, as two Wolves players were able to affect Onana in the net.

After changes by Ruben Amorim, United was able to put more pressure on the Wolves defense. However, no goal came and the man advantage for Wolves was too much to overcome.

Wolves added a second at the death, as a breakaway led to a two-on-one with Onana and Hwang Hee-Chan smashed home to cap a massive win for Wolves.

Analysis

Bruno Fernandes’s recklessness is costing Manchester United this season. The United captain flies into unnecessary challenges and rarely wins the ball. He allows frustration to build until he makes a rash decision, much like the one that got him sent off against Wolves. Nothing is going well for the Reds this season, and a captain unable to control himself only makes things worse.

Andre Onana is as much a liability on set pieces as the defense in front of him. The Cameroonian goalkeeper’s effort on Matheus Cunha’s goal was poor, while the marking allowed for a congested goalmouth. The collapse of Onana after a decent start to the season could force United to assess goalkeeping options next summer.

United’s attack was out of sync at the Molineaux, and chances were few and far between. The inability to play as a unit in attack has led to back-to-back losses by a combined score of 5-0. Those losses weren’t to Big Six clubs but to Bournemouth and Wolves, making the climb back to the top even harder. Amorim must find answers with limited funds available in the January transfer window.

Next Match

Manchester United host Newcastle United on December 30th in the final match of 2024. The visitors are coming off a dominant 3-0 win over Aston Villa, while Manchester United will be without Bruno Fernandes.