Manchester United 1-1 Wolves: 3 things that went wrong for Mourinho’s men

Manchester United’s three-game winning streak was brought to an end on Saturday, following a dull 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. The Red Devils had won each of their last two league games but failed to make it three in a row following the latest setback.

For the majority of the game, Jose Mourinho’s men looked like they would be able to conjure a winner, but that was as far as it got, as Moutinho’s second-half strike saw the visitors snatch a well-deserved draw.

Very few positives can be taken from this game, but the fact that Man United fans saw the real Paul Pogba today is enough consolation. That, coupled with the fact that Fred got on the scoresheet can offer the Old Trafford faithful some respite.

But there were a lot more that went wrong during the game, which ultimately accounted for Mourinho’s men failing to take all three points.

Here are three things that went wrong for Man United in the game against Wolves:

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#3 Defensive frailties resurface

It was a poor defensive showing from Man United

It’s becoming boring to speak about how bad Manchester United’s defence is. It seems the team’s three wins in a row had made some fans forget that their defensive frailties are still not solved.

For some reason, the central defensive pairing of Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof seems not to be working no matter how long they play together. Against Wolves on Saturday, both players were sluggish and often too slow to react to threatening attacks that came their way.

In fact, Moutinho’s goal could have been avoided had Lindelof been there to cover up when Luke Shaw failed to throw in a tackle to prevent the earlier cross.

This was a game that Man United completely dominated and perhaps deserved to have easily won. However, all their work was once again undone by a lethargic defensive showing. Wolves barely created clear-cut chances, but on every occasion, they went forward, the United defenders were uncomfortable.

The result could have been different, but the problematic defence of the Red Devils cost the team.

#2 Lukaku’s wastefulness

Lukaku should have buried the half-chances he had

It is now obvious that Manchester United needs a new striker to put some pressure on Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian has been the club’s undisputed first-choice forward since joining from Everton last season. But if Man United really want to challenge for top honours, then Lukaku is not the ideal man to lead their attack.

The 25-year-old endured a frustrating afternoon against Wolves and did very little for the entire 90 minutes he was on the pitch. His link-up play was poor, anticipation worse and his ball control worst.

Lukaku had some half-chances that any striker would usually bury, yet his lack of proactivity meant those chances went begging. He is simply turning out to be the epitome of a hot and cold striker.

Losing points like this may not look costly at this point, but it is games like this that separate champions from others. And against Wolves, Lukaku did not help his teammates with his wastefulness upfront.

#1 Martial’s introduction came too late

Martial was introduced as a second-half substitute

Sometimes it is difficult to understand what goes through the minds of coaches and, Jose Mourinho’s decision to leave Anthony Martial on the bench was just baffling. The French forward was one of the bright spots during Man United’s 3-0 win over Young Boys in midweek and even scored in that game.

However, Mourinho opted to start the off-colour Alexis Sanchez against Wolves, leaving Martial on the bench. Alexis is very talented and more experienced than Martial, but the Chilean is currently struggling and it is surprising that he continues to get the nod over the former Monaco attacker.

For the better part of 60 minutes, Alexis did nothing against Wolves. On the contrary, Martial sparked that left wing into life when he was introduced into the game.

There is no need continuing to start a player who is clearly off form. And as it stands, it is clear that had Martial been introduced earlier, the result could have been different. The France international plays a more direct style and is a better attacker when it comes to one-on-one duels with defenders. But his introduction was simply too little too late for him to have any meaningful impact on the game.