In the unpredictable season Manchester United are experiencing, their latest performance at Molineux offered a glimpse of promise. A strong showing against Wolves suggested progress — but whether it truly signals a shift remains uncertain.
Recent history offers plenty of warning signs.
United followed a dominant victory over Crystal Palace just nine days ago with a disappointing draw against relegation-threatened West Ham. Before that, a sequence of three wins quickly unravelled into a run of three matches without victory, ending in a home loss to an Everton side that played with 10 men for nearly the entire match.
United’s Biggest Win of the Season Arrives
Monday’s emphatic 4-1 victory over Wolves marked United’s largest win of the campaign. It also matched the highest number of goals Ruben Amorim’s side has conceded in a Premier League match since his appointment 13 months ago.
United unleashed 27 shots — the most they have taken in a league game under Amorim. They have also spent more time leading matches this season than they did throughout the entire 2024-25 campaign.
Still, Amorim delivered a warning alongside the praise, highlighting both Wolves’ struggles on the field and the tense atmosphere surrounding the club.
“This was a very specific situation,” he said. “We played against a team suffering badly. You could feel it in every moment of the match. Wolves are going through a difficult period, and we took advantage of it.”
A Missed Opportunity Almost Materialised
Because of Wolves’ struggles, Amorim feared United might squander a huge opening to move into the top six and close the gap on the Champions League contenders.
New Wolves manager Rob Edwards pointed out that his side finally showed some structure in the last 15 minutes of the first half — a spell that included Jean-Ricner Bellegarde ending their 540-minute goal drought.
That was not part of Amorim’s plan, especially on a night when minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance, seen discussing the club's direction with director of football Jason Wilcox.
Amorim reminded his players that they needed to respond immediately.
“We should have ended the half differently,” he said. “At the break, they realised everything was still there for us to win. If we had stayed fully focused, Everton was three points. West Ham could have been two more. Look at the table, look at the situation — we needed the second half.”
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Jean-Ricner Bellegarde | 1 |
| Others | 0 |
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Alejandro Garnacho | 1 |
| Marcus Rashford | 1 |
| Rasmus Højlund | 1 |
| Kobbie Mainoo | 1 |
Carragher’s Warning: Is Another Slip Coming?
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher acknowledged United’s impressive performance but added a sharp warning:
“Everyone assumes a bad result is just around the corner.”
And he is far from alone in this view.
United have kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League this season — against Sunderland on 4 October. Depending on how you frame it, they are either on a run of one defeat in nine or just two wins in six.
Despite opportunities to climb to second place twice and fifth on another occasion, United sit sixth. A victory over Bournemouth on 15 December could lift them to fourth — but a few poor results could just as easily send them sliding back into the bottom half.
Bournemouth’s Old Trafford Record Raises Concerns
Andoni Iraola’s side have collected only two points from their last six matches, yet they have won 3-0 on their previous two visits to Old Trafford.
In a season where nothing feels predictable for United, even this fixture offers no guarantees.
Squad Uncertainty Continues
Amorim believed Matthijs de Ligt would be fit to face Wolves after missing the West Ham game with a minor injury — but the defender was unavailable again. Now, the manager admits he cannot predict when the Dutchman will return.
United are also in discussions with the national federations of Morocco, Ivory Coast and Cameroon regarding the availability of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo before they depart for Africa Cup of Nations duty.
“It’s a positive sign,” Amorim said, “but I don’t know yet if they can play against Bournemouth. We’ll know midweek.”
Sixth Place Means Little if Consistency Doesn’t Arrive
Asked whether moving into sixth place held any significance, Amorim responded:
“Nothing changes. The feeling is the same. We should have more points, but that’s the past. Now we focus on what comes next.”
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