What Next for United After an Embarrassing Defeat By Wolves?

So what now for Ed Woodward? A blip has become a wobble and Gary Neville’s theory Manchester United would announce Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s upgrade from caretaker to permanent manager in the international break seems unlikely.

United are outside the top four, out of the FA Cup and Barcelona await in Europe.

For a man who has said he is reluctant to dwell on the past Solskjaer has entertained nostalgia an awful lot of late and harking back to the glory days was only going to get him so far in the present. Yes, United beat Arsenal and Chelsea in the FA Cup 20 years ago but, for all the parallels with 1999, United are not going to win it or the Premier League.

Wolves utterly merited their win. United were sterile and stumped by the Premier League top six’s bogey side and what was maybe most startling was the lack of alacrity from Solskjaer to galvanise his pitiful players. The first substitution was reactive rather than proactive; a response to Raul Jimenez’s instinctive 70th minute opener.

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Solskjaer struck the wrong balance by recalling and rushing back United’s injured players. Jesse Lingard, Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial all started and all failed to perform. In previous rounds, Solskjaer freshened United up with leftfield selections and the discarding of Fred and Scott McTominay was questionable, as was United’s rigid set-up in a 4-3-3 against Wolves’ back three system.

United switched seamlessly to a defensive trident in defeat at Arsenal and Solskjaer hinted at adopting it against Wolves. Instead he reverted to the tried and trusted formula, only some players were patently not 100 per cent fit and it contributed to United’s poorest performance under the Norwegian. Wolves fans goaded the visitors with ‘Who the f*** are Man United?’

It was too much of an ask for the previously established front sextet of Lingard, Herrera, Matic, Martial, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford to get back in sync at, of all places, Wolves. Lingard appeared uncomfortable in the physical altercations and Martial was too timid against the marauding Matt Doherty on his first start in over a month. It also deprived Solskjaer of a game-changer off the bench, where he was uncharacteristically dormant.

For a relatively junior manager, Solskjaer has seldom been guilty of naivety but it recurred at the worst moment. He is still yet to be told whether he will be United manager beyond the summer and, while the last two matches should not jeopardise his cachet, United have suffered a hangover from Rashford’s Marc de triomphe in Paris. The international fortnight’s timing is unfortunate.

When five minutes of added time were signalled, there was no defiant roar from the away section. United were resigned to defeat long before the final shrill. Ironically, United replied through Rashford to erode Wolves’ deficit but the final scoreline flattered them.

It did not have the makings of an auspicious evening. ‘Mourinho’s right, your fans are s’ was a first at a United away day and Molineux’s Steve Bull Stand is not the most conducive for a raucous atmosphere. The United acoustics were not as cringing as the Wolves light and fire show, gimmicks that are anathema to the FA Cup’s tradition – as was the inconsiderate evening kick-off time. “What the f** hell is that?” United fans queried. They could have asked that of their team’s display.

United amassed 84 per cent of possession just 10 minutes in. From Tiki-taka to Mickey-Carra; Phelan and Carrick stayed seated as Solskjaer urged Herrera and Lingard to knit the play from deep and draw out a Wolves defender. Nobody broke from the pack and when Rashford eventually worked John Ruddy in the 13th minute it was from distance. Lingard and Herrera, as well as Pogba and Martial, exchanged differing views amid the stodginess.

A stultifying half was nearly salvaged when Jota was played in but his telegraphed shot was easily repelled by Sergio Romero. United had a reasonable claim for a penalty that might have been awarded by the present Video Assistant Referee on the continent, alas the first 45 minutes were karma for the broadcasters who had inconvenienced the matchgoers’ Saturday evenings. This was never going to have the vigour of the teams’ 1976 tie at the same stage.

If Romero’s denial of Jota in a one-on-one was routine then his outstretched save from Raul Jimenez’s 54th minute header rivalled De Gea’s own pantheon of saves. Dubious honour it may be, but there is perhaps not a better back-up ‘keeper in the world than Romero, who sullied his personal performance by not guarding his near post.

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