Man Utd analysis: Fans draw little comfort from home point vs rockbottom Wolves
Manchester United ended 2025 with a whimper, struggling to beat a Wolves side who have banked three points from 19 Premier League games so far this season.
Joshua Zirkzee's opener on 27 minutes was cancelled out by Ladislav Krejci’s 45th-minute equaliser - and Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim angered fans and pundits by reverting to a back three in a poor performance against the league’s rockbottom team.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s beleaguered Man Utd fan Robert Bore picks through the debris of the frustrating draw at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
Mild dose of confidence
It seemed pretty apt, and doom-worthy, that Wolves' last win was in this fixture last season.
And while a pessimist is never disappointed, even I had to admit to having a mild dose of confidence going into this one against a Wolves team I reckon I could get into judging by what I'd seen this season. Ok, maybe a place on the bench.
Rob Edwards' 45 Premier League games had seen the Molineux men ship 154 goals, almost three and a half per game.
Now I know what you are thinking, how can you score half a goal Bobby lad?
Well, stop being so pedantic, it doesn't become you.
One enforced change
Big Ruben made just the one enforced change for as injury turned Mason Mount back into the 'Lesser Spotted MM', Joshua Zirkzee his replacement and with a 4-4-2 and a fair wind behind us this would be the perfect fixture for a back-to-back win/clean sheet and to apply some pressure on the European places.
There was no sitting on the stairs with the dog this evening, no Sir.
United started brightly and won a cheap corner that Luke Shaw curled towards the far corner and needed a worried intervention from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Matheus Cunha, who had already been brought down by his old club early on, won another set-piece after torturing Yerson Mosquera down the left with some lovely skill but the free-kick was wasted.
Lisandro Martinez, similar to in the win against Newcastle, lofted a ball over the Wolves backline - which looked like a dog's leg incidentally - for Diogo Dalot but he couldn't control.
The visitors had negotiated the opening 10 minutes in one piece though.
Benjamin Sesko almost turned nothing into something when Patrick Dorgu, on the left after his right-sided masterclass against the Geordies, released him in behind.
The chance looked gone when the frontman recovered the ball on the Wolves deadball-line but he turned his defender and worked an angle for the shot but could only flash it just wide of the far post. It was unlucky.
Wolves were no dead rubber mind, they were knocking the ball around well and playing nice shapes in the pockets but with little end product, Hwang Hee-Chan curling one high over the bar.
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Sloppy play
United needed a goal. It was all a bit sloppy. And the visitors were quickly into two banks of four when they lost the ball.
It wasn't really going to plan.
But just as I was about to think about ways to blame Dalot, United took the lead.
It was thanks to the industry of Ayden Heaven. The young defender won the ball just inside the Wolves half and surged at goal, almost getting on the end of an attempted one-two on the edge of the box but instead Zirkzee dragged the loose ball back sideways and got his shot off, albeit profiting from a fortuitous bounce off a defender that wrong-footed Sa for 1-0.
Wolves' resistance had lasted just over 26 minutes.
Sesko nodded Dorgu's cross straight at Sa while Hwang fired wide this time from the edge of the box for another reminder that United could press the Calamity Button whenever they saw fit.
Ominous feeling
Dorgu almost made it two after a good counter, taking the chance on himself but a deflection saw it narrowly wide for a corner which Sesko saw come back off a post and off a defender for another corner. This already felt ominous.
It should have been 1-1 moments later, Tolu Arokodare losing Heaven and leaping high but he could only head over when he really should have done better. It was another scare.
Wolves came again, Arokodare playing in Hugo Bueno as he surged into the left side of the box but Senne Lammens saved well. Mateus Mané was next up and United were looking a little bit Shakin' Stevens as we approached half-time.
So it was no surprise when that Calamity Button started to flash and my heartburn flared up as Ladislav Krejci headed into the far corner unopposed after Zirkzee's afro had flicked on a Wolves corner.
The visitors had only scored in the first half in two of their last 10 Premier League matches - aptly both times against Amorim's men.
I sighed. And cleaned the Calamity Button off with an anti-bac wipe as I figured I might need it again before the end.
Amorim had seen enough as well, Jack Fletcher thrown on for Zirkzee who had in truth been pretty underwhelming apart from the lucky goal.
Brighter from United
United looked a little brighter, Casemiro lofting a clever ball over the top but Sesko headed straight at Sa. The flag went up but it would have been close. Sa was penalised for holding onto the ball too long and United had a corner that Dalot headed wide.
Wolves then got away with one, Mosquero's headed backpass almost catching Sa out but the stopper raced back to claw it off his own line before the ref's watch had a chance to go all sex toy. The buzzer was quiet. So was I.
How Wolves never went ahead next I will never know. Lammens saved well from Krejci after United failed to deal with a ball into their box and the rebound looked certain to be despatched by the onrushing Mosquero but Lammens somehow got a hand to it first.
Big let off
It was the biggest let off since OJ Simpson struggled to get a pair of gloves on.
Ugarte fired straight at Sa but United still lacked fluidity and I wasn't sure where a goal was going to come from, particularly as Cunha was having maybe his quietest game since his arrival at Old Trafford.
Dorgu saw his strike blocked for a corner as Wolves skipper Matt Doherty pretended to be hurt and got a 30-second mini sin bin for his theatrics, Sa punching well twice from the centre.
Amorim looked to his bench with 16 minutes or so remaining, changing his back line yet again by bringing on Leny Yoro and debutante Bendito Mantato - a 17-year old wideman - with Heaven and Ugarte hooked. The natives weren't pleased.
Dorgu did too much after hearing the crowd wail "shoot" and lost it but on the counter Dalot got a toe on Jhon Arias' effort.
Lacking killer instinct
This felt like so many games this season, United lacking a killer instinct and offering the opposition into a game to a point where they felt they could win it.
But come on, this is a Wolves side that, despite some encouraging performances recently, had only picked up two points beyond Christmas.
Sesko headed tamely at Sa from Luke Shaw's cross and time was in short supply.
It was that lacklustre I checked what Wolves' odds were (they were 17/2).
We were into the last five minutes plus added time, did United have anything left?
We thought they did when Sesko's low shot was palmed out to Dorgu but the Dane had gone a bit too early and his strike at the far post was chalked off after a VAR check confirmed the linesman's call was spot on.
Could they go again?
No. Of course not.
The game ended with the Calamity Button buzzing the tune to 'Glory Glory Man United' in a blatant taunt.
By the second chorus I'd taken the batteries out of the little bastard and thrown it in the sink.
File this under Everton, West Ham and Bournemouth as points thrown away at home. Chances to get a foothold in those European places bottled again.
Lack of potency
More worrying was the lack of potency. United had chances, particularly their Slovenian frontman, but he looks more like 'Tesco Meal Deal' than 'Sesko Real Deal' at the moment.
Maybe all he needs is a bit of luck?
Cunha was very quiet and Bruno Fernandes' absence - while we got away with it against Newcastle - adds £10m onto his value for every game he misses.
You could say similar for Bryan Mbuemo and Amad Diallo who have every chance of progressing past the AFCON group stages and delaying their returns.
Sadly, there's more teeth in a Baltimore crack den at the moment than our forward line.
So next on to the friendly confines of Elland Road. Here's hoping they draw 9-9 with Liverpool on Thursday and have half an hour of added time at the end to leave them a little leggy come Sunday lunchtime.
Because make no mistake, they will be up for this one and won't be afraid of United's gummy bite.
In the meantime, Happy New Year everyone.
