Three reasons why Manchester United lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers

The pain for Manchester United continues with a soul-excruciating defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in midweek. In the penultimate game of the year, under the new manager, Ruben Amorim, they succumbed to defeat against the relegation-battling Wolves. The 2-0 defeat has raised several questions about the management and the team, while the fans are still giving the new coach the benefit of the doubt. 

While both the clubs vied for supremacy in the first half, with Bruno Fernandes sent off in the early second half, the club had to settle back and configure the game differently. However, they conceded the goal and there was no looking back as the club were outnumbered in the center of the park. In this article, we shall look at the top three reasons why Manchester United lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers and how they can address the systemic issues before the next PL fixture:

1. Lack of Physicality 

Under Ruben Amorim, Manchester United have lost five games in the space of 22 days, and this has predominantly come against the sides that are physical in nature. May it be the Nottingham Forest or Wolverhampton Wanderers, the side has struggled to face the physical battle both in attack and midfield. Despite the presence of de Ligt and Harry Maguire, the absence of strong physical players in midfield like Nemanja Matic or Paul Pogba has hurt the side. Even in the previous game, there were no answers to questions posed by Cunha, Gomes, or Andre, who were engaging with Manchester United players. 

The solution to this can be usurping strong and physical players who can make a last-ditch tackle or win the aerial battle. Until the FFP situation is resolved, the club has to go with the likes of Collyer and Casemiro, who can address the physical battle in the midfield. 

2. Lack of quality players 

Despite not winning the title for over a decade now, Manchester United always had a lineup that oozed talent and flair. But for the first time, though the names are there who have proved themselves in the other leagues, the team has struggled to get going. In the current system, the players have to be rigorous with their running and also good at possession. But amongst the current crop of players, there are very few who are good at both. The select set includes Mazroui, Amad, de Ligt, and Harry Maguire, who qualify for both criteria. Also, Manchester United players have blown hot and cold, drowning the quality of the gameplay

January and the summer transfer window 2025 becomes very important for the club if they are serious about bringing a change. The club should go for the likes of Cunha (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Estupinian (Brighton and Hove Albion), Kerkez (AFC Bournemouth) and Ederson (Atalanta) who could fit into profiles that Ruben Amorim is dearly searching for to get the team rolling. 

3. Red card to Bruno Fernandes and refereeing quality 

The relatively new referee in the English Premier League, with three years of experience in the English top flight, doled out yellow cards for minimal offenses. The game saw the first yellow card before the first ten minutes of the game, with Lenny Yoro getting booked. Soon after, Bruno Fernandes was also in the referee’s books. 

Even the same thing happened with Wolverhampton Wanderers, where the referee dished out cards for minor offenses. This left no room for tactical fouls that players could commit, and Bruno Fernandes’ lunging tackle on Nelson Semedo in Wolves’ half at the start of the second half cost Manchester United the game as they were down to ten men. Though the players tried significantly hard with ten men, with fresh legs providing significant impetus, the Red Devils failed to find the back of the net, resulting in consecutive losses for the manager and the side. 

Against Newcastle United, the club will be forced to make changes in the midfield, but Ruben Amorim should bring back Casemiro or Eriksen. With Kobbie Mainoo needing a break, the Portuguese manager should bring back both into the midfield, with Garnacho playing as one of the club's number 10s. This would add to the attacking threat but also provide physical strength in the midfield. 

Manchester United will play Newcastle United at St James Park on December 31st in a bid to revive their campaign. It remains interesting to see the tactical changes that Ruben Amorim will make in the absence of Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, who are suspended due to red cards and multiple yellows, respectively.