The fine tidings forManchester Unitedare that they are safe from relegation, the grim ones are that this came despite a 15th defeat of a dismal Premier League campaign.
Wolves’ winner was simple: on 77 minutes Pablo Sarabia, on as a substitute only 120 seconds before, placed a 20-yard free-kick sweetly to André Onana’s left, Christian Eriksen culpable for the dead-ball foul.
Cue those who motored up from the Black Country to taunt their opposition lustily as they also hailed a fifth top‑flight win in a row for a first time since 1970 for their club.
Ruben Amorim, with a hangdog look, said: “If you look at the game, we were the better team but in the end it doesn’t matter because if we don’t score goals, nothing matters.
“What counts is the result. We created a lot of chances, we controlled the game, and one set piece changes the game and that’s it – really frustrating to end the game like this.”
Amorim’s team have scored only 38 times – one for each of their points. Referencing not scoring shines a light on his critically misfiring No 9, Rasmus Højlund, who has only one goal in 29 hours and 28 minutes –against Leicesterbefore the last international break.
Asked if it might be time to give the Dane a break from the fray, Amorim said: “If you look at games, we have several players that missed big chances, not just Rasmus. But for Rasmus, the game is to score goals because he is a striker. But it is a team thing. I have already said that.
“Our team should score more goals, it is not just Rasmus missing chances, it is all the team. The only way I know is to work on him, show him the videos. He needed to score a goal, he will not score if he’s out. So I try to manage that during games. But he needs to score one, maybe that’s all a striker needs.”
United aretargeting Ipswich’s Liam Delapas a potential centre-forward recruit in the summer. Amorim was asked if a reliable scorer is required. “Of course we have an idea of what this team needs,” he said. “But all the team needs to score more goals. We need to improve as a team because if you don’t score goals in this league it’s impossible to win.”
Amorim is correct to point the finger at his whole attack. Towards the end, Mason Mount twice spurned close-range openings to grab at least a share of the points: first he scooped over wildly; then after Eriksen’s outside-of-the-right-foot delivery, he spooned a volley wide.
This late phase of the contest was, at last, a little watchable. While no one could expect a repeat of the operatic extra-timewin against Lyonon Thursday, nor would you dream this battle of 14th v 17th to be so soporific.
When Højlund collected by the touchline near Amorim’s technical area and left Emmanuel Agbadou trailing and galloped into yards of grass, the game had a first moment of skill and verve – 50 minutes in. The No 9, starved of service all term as his manager says, looked up, saw teammates arriving on the far side, ignored them, dawdled, and Wolves escaped.
Moments later, a dash of pantomime as Nélson Semedo, the visiting captain, bent a backpass towards an empty goal, causing his keeper, Dan Bentley, a scramble to mop the ball up – to jeers.
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On 58 minutes Amorim made a triple change – a function of wishing to shake proceedings up, and give Kobbie Mainoo, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte a rest after their endeavours on Thursday. On came Mount, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot and United continued to be the brighter side, keeping and flicking the ball about inside Wolves’ territory.
A slick move had Eriksen passing the ball to Alejandro Garnacho who sprinted down the left-sided channel and crossed: Højlund was inches away from stabbing home but the ball slid past.
This was about it – before and after Sarabia’s winner.
At the end of the 90, Robert Jones added six minutes of time and the quip was the referee might add six hours and what was on show would still be tame. When he did finally blow, this could be written up as a prime illustration of how not to follow a heartstopping comeback to keep your season alive – as United’s 5-4 victory against Lyon here, 7-6 overall, did in the Europa League.
For Tyler Fredricson, on his United debut at right centre-back, this was a welcome beginning to the first team soured by defeat: sadly, the 20‑year‑old Mancunian needs to be accustomed to the feeling – quick.
Vitor Pereira was left pleased. “We are building something good for the future,” the Wolves manager said.