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Jose Mourinho’s men make the journey back to their hunting grounds in Manchester after a successful initiation of their European innings. The resumption of domestic football will see them play three matches (2 League and 1 Cup game) within 8 days before they host Valencia on 3rd October.
Manchester United have won the last two matches in the league but also have suffered a red card dismissal in each of the two matches. They have never had a man sent off in three consecutive Premier League and that is one record they would not want to add to their illustrious Club’s scroll of accomplishments.
On Saturday, United host the newly-promoted side Wolves at Old Trafford. In what is billed as a Portuguese duel in Manchester, the two sides come into the match looking for their third successive Premier League win.
Wolves’ manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping for a competitive showing after the Club’s buoyant return to the English top division. The Midlands club has settled in the Premier League with consummate ease. They have only been beaten once in their five matches. They have a draw against Manchester City to show for the progress they have made. They come into this match on the back to two straight victories against West Ham and Burnley. Currently, they occupy the ninth position in the league table.
Historically, United have dominated this fixture. The Red Devils took 48 wins out of 98 games. The last match between both sides was in 2012.
United sealed their previous encounter with a solid 5-0 at Wolves' home. The visiting Wolves have not defeated United at their home in 38 years.
The match is an interesting spectacle for myriad reasons and intrigues. Here is a breakdown of five such points of difference:
1. Back at Old Trafford after the Spurs debacle:
Manchester United return to the Theatre of Dreams for the first time since the humbling against Tottenham. Having secured consecutive away victories against Watford and Burnley and a third in the UEFA Champions League, United player will be rearing to go and reward the Old Trafford faithful for their exemplary away support after the Spurs’ loss.
The clean sheet against Young Boys and Burnley have given must needed stability to the rearguard for United. The defensive shambles against Brighton and Tottenham had been a major reason for the two losses.
The settled center-back pairing of Lindelof and Smalling should continue. Luke Shaw put in another impressive display in midweek and should get the nod over Ashley Young even though that is not a guarantee. Diogo Dalot had a stellar first half performance and was solid throughout his debut against Young Boys. Jose has already earmarked his return against Derby on Tuesday and club captain Valencia should start at right-back for United.
For United Marcos Rojo and Ander Herrera are unavailable due to injury, while Phil Jones is back in shape.
2. The Martial story:
Anthony Martial was on target against Swiss side Young Boys in midweek and will be vying for a position on the flanks alongside Sanchez and Lingard, both of whom were rested for the same game.
Martial struggled in the first half but found his mood in the second in Switzerland. Teed up by Pogba, he finessed the ball into the net, albeit via a slight deflection. The goal seemed to have put the fire back in his belly and he went on to improve drastically. He finished the 90 minutes and must be rearing to put on his skids again on Saturday.
However, it is likely that the two wing spots will be given to Sanchez and Lingard. Sanchez has struggled so far this season and may see Martial’s performance as a reminder to pull up his socks.
3. Who replaces Matic?
With Matic suspended for this match after his red card against Watford, Fred and Pereira are the likeliest replacements. Ander Herrera is not fit enough to take to the field and Pogba and Fellaini are already a shoo-in for the two spots of the midfield three.
Fred started the midweek fixture and did enough to earn an encore on Saturday. A home match against a less physical side like Wolves is likely to shift the scales in his favor over Brazilian compatriot Pereira.
4. Wolves midfield maze:
Wolves midfielders like Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho and rapid wingers like Costa and Jota provide an eclectic mix of athleticism and intricate play. Then there is the threat of Adama Traore who adds to the attacking edge of Wolves, not been seen at the Molineux for some time. Their counter-attacking potential was patently visible against Manchester City and West Ham United.
Apart from the midfield motley, Wolves also have target man Jimenez up front who has troubled Premier League defenders aplenty. He scored the winner against Burnley in their last outing.
5. Master vs Apprentice:
Nuno Santo was a Jose Mourinho player at Porto. They became a Champions League winner in Gelsenkirchen in 2004. And although not a regular starter under Jose, they both reached the summit of the European game together. That is something you cannot disregard. Apart from their nationality, they also have a common agent or the super agent himself, Jorge Mendes.
The win was launched Mourinho into the Russian orbit of Abramovich and his new obsession named Chelsea football club. Since Porto, Jose has claimed 3 Premier League titles, 2 Serie A crowns, 1 La Liga, another Champions League, and a Europa League among other domestic and international cups.
Nuno on the other hand, having only played six games in two-years for Mourinho spend a lot of his time on the touchline, studying and imbibing from one the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’. According to the Wolves manager, the man management of Mourinho is his greatest trait.
He won the Championship in his first season (2017/18) and earned plaudits for playing football the right way, going for goals and creating openings, football with intent and desire to entertain. His team seems fearless even against the likes of Manchester City etc.
He is adored at Wolves for all of the above and most importantly for bringing them back to the Premier League after a gap of six long years. He has an astonishing 36 wins out the 58 matches for Wolves.
Mourinho, on the other hand, lives under the microscope. His every move and breath is scrutinized by the zealous United fandom and ravenous media men.
Unsurprisingly, he shows pragmatism, stoicism, and even improvidence. His disarming charm at Chelsea has been beaten into a frantic growl and irascible body.
His philosophy is about the minimum, frugality and defensive solidity. Entertainment is a secondary aim and the primary sacrifice. To his credit, he wants to win championships and not just a game of 90 minutes.
Nuno has also been considered a potential successor to Mourinho, at least in some fanciful journalists’ minds. The Wolves manager has already nipped that Panglossian theory in the bud.
Mourinho continues to be a role model to his former players and colleagues like Nuno or AVB. The thing about master and pupil relationship is that the pupil always wants to outdo the master and a win for Wolves at Old Trafford will send a few cosmic shocks through the footballing universe for certain.
Jose Mourinho predicts a ‘stable’ season for Wolves with manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Jose applauds the route taken by Nuno through the rundown of Championship (English 2nd Division) and deserves the accolades and stripes he has earned.
