Solskjær speaks!
And that, my old MBM pals, is that. All that’s left is to usher you towards the verdict of our man at Molineux, Stuart James. Here’s his report: click, enjoy and maybe fill your boots below the line. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
Ole’s take. “It was one of those days when we’ve done more than enough to score three or four goals, some great chances, but some fantastic saves by the keeper. Wolves deserve credit because they scored the goals and pounced on our mistakes, but I thought the lads played well today. We created chances, and with ten men as well. They scored on their first chance after the sending off, that’s about 25 minutes after the sending off. The boys have done exactly what they should do, but conceded goals from sloppy mistakes and we didn’t score ourselves. It happens, a couple of bad decisions, but that’s football. You want to trust them to play, and we did play some great football, but that’s a downside when you try to take too many risks. We did well at the start of the second half, Scotty had a great chance, a great save by the keeper again. I think he made four fantastic saves. So we’ve done enough to win but you don[t always get what you deserve. We knew we have to get 15 points probably to get top four, and we’ve still got six games to get those 15 points. We’ve just got to dust ourselves down. A disappointing result, but a very good performance.”
Nuno’s post-match verdict. “It was a good performance. Manchester United started better than us. We were having trouble getting our shape, and they had too much possession. Our team suffered and took a little time to react. The moment we readjusted was a fantastic reaction. We draw, then we managed better the game. And after the red card our task is not so difficult. Of course playing against Manchester United is always dangerous and difficult because they are such an amazing team, and that makes me proud, well done to the boys. Sometimes to bounce back is important and requires an extra effort, so I’m really pleased. If we prepare well for the opposition, we can fight any team. So now we’re going to do it, rest, then switch on and go again on Sunday.”
Our man Simon Burnton was at Vicarage Road to see Watford condemn Fulham to the Championship. Here’s his verdict.
Man-of-the-match Diogo Jota speaks. “It is one more win. It doesn’t matter whether it’s against Manchester United, we have three more points. They started the game very intense, trying to provoke mistakes with balls over our back, and we conceded a goal. But we demonstrated to the people that we can make a comeback, and we are happy with that. We know top seven is one of the highest positions in the table, it is important to reach that place. But we are not obsessed. Every match is hard and we are going game by game. Now we are looking forward to the semi-final.”
Meanwhile at the other end, Manchester United’s bid for a top-four finish takes a serious blow. They remain in fifth place on 61 points, two behind Arsenal and level with Spurs, but having played a game more. Chelsea are on their shoulder, too, a point behind with a game in hand. It’s going to be some scrap for the two up-for-grabs Champions League slots. Wolves meanwhile stay in seventh, the Best of the Rest, on 47 points, one clear of eighth-placed Watford and three clear of Leicester in ninth.
So at the bottom of the Premier League table, Fulham now have that most unwelcome R printed next to their name. Like Huddersfield before them, they’ll be playing Championship football next season. They’rte 19th on 17 points, three ahead of the Terriers having played a game more, but 16 points adrift of 17th spot with only 15 points left to play for.
Wolves were worthy winners of that one. United started marvellously, but seriously lost their way after conceding the equaliser. Wolves always looked dangerous on the counter thereafter; on another night, they may well have scored one or two more. United had chances of their own, of course, but on balance can’t really complain about the result. And hey, life could be a whole lot worse: Watford have beaten Fulham 4-1, confirming the Cottagers’ relegation.
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FULL TIME: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Manchester United
That’s it all right! Wolves have become the first team to beat United having fallen behind for nearly four years! Molineux erupts in delight.
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90 min +5: The corner’s pulled back towards Lingard, to the right of the D. He hesitates before wedging it in, by which point Wolves have pushed out and caught Pogba and Smalling offside. That’s surely it.
90 min +4: Can United salvage this? Jonny is booked for clipping Pereira down the right. A free kick. That’s hooked into the mixer, and leads to a corner.
90 min +3: Cavaleiro chases a long ball down the inside-right channel. Lindelof should intercept and clear, but allows himself to be shoulder barged off the ball. Cavaleiro is clear! He drifts into the area from the right and hammers a rising shot towards the top left. Just too high, as it clatters off the bar and away!
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90 min +1: Nothing comes from the corner. There will be five added minutes. And then United nearly score an own goal again! Jonny bustles his way down the middle, then finds Jimenez to his right. Jimenez loses control in the box, the ball breaking to Lindelof, who prods a backpass towards Smalling Corner. Once again de Gea comes to the rescue and kicks clear.
90 min: Jonny races down the left and looks for Jimenez in the centre. His low cross is intercepted by Smalling, who nearly guides the ball into the bottom left for the second time tonight. He’s thankful to see de Gea at full stretch, turning the ball around the post.
89 min: United sniff about. No spaces. Suddenly Pogba slips a forward pass to Martial, who returns it instantly. Pogba drags his shot well wide right from 20 yards.
87 min: Wolves are hogging possession, making good use of their extra man as they knock the ball around. United can’t get a sniff as the clock ticks on.
86 min: Wolves’ most famous fan, Robert Plant, watches on from the Molineux stands. He looks content, unlike touchline prowler Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose brow is furrowed as he desperately tries to formulate a salvage plan.
84 min: Another change for both teams. Saiss takes the place of Neves, while Dalot makes way for Pereira.
82 min: Unlike Fulham, United aren’t doomed tonight quite yet. Still plenty of time to find an equaliser that will maintain a fine record of not losing any match in which they’ve scored the first goal since Swansea City turned them round in August 2015. That’s 78 games, 69 of which have been won, the other nine drawn.
80 min: It’s now 4-1 to Watford, Kiko with the latest goal on 75 minutes. Fulham are doomed.
79 min: United try to respond immediately, Martial bustling down the right and pulling one back for McTominay, whose shot towards the bottom left is deflected out for a corner. The resulting set piece comes to nothing.
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GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Manchester United (Smalling 77 og)
Moutinho crosses into the mixer from the left. Jones goes up with Jimenez, and the ball squirts off Dendoncker, then Smalling, and dribbles into the bottom left! What a defensive shambles. Not sure what Jones was up to, he was practically upside down at one point. Scrappy as hell, but Wolves have the lead!
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76 min: That’s Vinagre’s last act of the evening. He’s replaced by Jonny.
75 min: Vinagre rolls his foot over the ball and flicks it adroitly down the left flank for Cavaleiro, who runs into a dead end. That was lovely skill, though. They should name that trick the Vinagre Stroke.
74 min: There’s been another goal at Vicarage Road, and Fulham look doomed. Troy Deeney has made it 3-1 to Watford after 69 minutes of that match.
73 min: Both teams make a change. Jota makes way for Cavaleiro, while Lukaku is replaced by Martial.
72 min: Jota dribbles into the United area down the left and runs slap bang into Dalot. He wants a penalty but isn’t getting it. The correct decision. And it’s end to end, United winning a corner down the right, McTominay heading it harmlessly over the bar.
71 min: A goal from Watford midfielder Will Hughes on 63 minutes at Vicarage Road. Fulham are once again hovering over the relegation trapdoor.
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70 min: McTominay takes, and hits long. Wolves struggle to clear, and Shaw cuts in from the left to make room for a shot. But his effort pinballs around a crowded box and comes back out. Dalot tries to rescue the situation with a cross from the right, but it’s way too deep. Goal kick.
69 min: United have steadied the ship since losing Young to that red card. They’re dominating possession. Dalot earns a corner down the right, United getting a fair amount of joy down that flank.
67 min: Pogba hooks a cross into the Wolves box from a deep position on the right. He’s looking for Lukaku but can only find Rui Patricio, who takes with great ease. But United soon come again, Dalot scampering into space down the right. He crosses low for Lukaku, eight yards out. He should be shooting on goal, but can’t control and Wolves are able to intercept the clumsy clank and clear.
65 min: The first change of the evening, as Phil Jones comes on for Fred.
64 min: United stroke it around the back awhile, in order to clear their heads and regroup. Job done, as they press Wolves back into their own half and quieten the crowd a little bit.
62 min: Molineux is bouncing, hopeful of victory now. Wolves are pressing United back. Jimenez has another wander down the right, but once again he overthinks the situation and plays a poor ball. Then a corner’s won on the other flank, but the set piece is a complete waste of time.
60 min: United heads are spinning. Lindelof tries to shepherd a ball back to de Gea, who slides but doesn’t smother, and it clanks away to Jimenez. Fortunately for the keeper, the angle’s too tight to contemplate a shot towards the unguarded net. Jimenez hesitates, and it’s fatal. United regroup and clear.
59 min: Jota felt that challenge, and needs a couple of minutes worth of attention from the physio. He’s up and about eventually.
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RED CARD! Young (Manchester United)
57 min: Mike Dean becomes the first referee to reach 100 red cards, as Young overstretches at a loose ball and catches Jota on the ankle. Young won the ball, but the follow through was reckless, his studs crumping on Jota’s lower leg. That’s a second yellow, and could feasibly have been a straight red. Anyway, he’s off.
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56 min: Pogba tries to find Lukaku in the box with a diagonal pass. It turns into a shot, sort of, that dribbles towards the bottom right. Rui Patricio gathers.
55 min: Lukaku glides down the left and crosses. Pogba flicks a header on, and McTominay stoops to flash a header goalwards. It’s straight at Rui Patricio, in slow motion. Boly clears. There have been some missed close-range headers this evening.
54 min: Lindelof steams into the centre circle to win a header, and misses it. Moutinho sends Jota away instead. The ball’s shipped left to Jimenez, who tries to return it to Jota in the middle, but overhits. Goal kick, and relief for United, who were short at the back.
53 min: Fred skies a strange backpass towards Smalling, who does very well to bring it down and clear under pressure from Jimenez. United look nervous at the back.
52 min: Young comes through the back of Jota, and goes in the book. He was lucky to escape a yellow card in the first half, but the referee’s patience has finally run out.
50 min: Vinagre beats Fred in a footrace down the left. A firm shoulder charge thrown in. He strides into space and whips a cross straight down the throat of de Gea. Good field position wasted there, because there was only one old gold shirt in the box. Easy for the keeper.
49 min: Vinagre clips Pogba to the ground, 30 yards out on the right. Young takes the free kick ... and once again he fails to beat the first man. That’s dismal. A fine chance to put pressure on Wolves spurned.
47 min: United stroke the ball around. Wolves hold their shape. So Fred decides to have a pop at goal from 25 yards. He sends a looping dipper towards the top left, but it’s always going wide of the post. Rui Patricio sees it out calmly.
Wolves get the second half underway. No changes. Before the teams kick into proper action, we’ve got just enough time to welcome Justin Kavanagh: “Dalot goes in the book for a cynical arm in Vinagre’s face, you say. Well, if United are getting chippy with assault thrown in, the Wolves man can’t be sour about it with a face like Vinagre’s. Sorry, I’ve already got my coat on.” He’s here all week, ladies and gentlemen, try the crispy bits.
Half-time entertainment. This is marvellous.
HALF TIME: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Manchester United
That fair flew by. A half of two halves. United were utterly dominant early on; it was all Wolves thereafter. Can’t wait for the second half.
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45 min +1: And so of course United nearly take the lead again, Pogba forcing the ball down the inside-right channel to release Lukaku, who whips a first-time shot across Rui Patricio and inches wide of the left-hand post.
45 min: A welcome period of sterile possession for United in midfield. They needed it; they’ve been rocking.
43 min: Moutinho’s looper instigates a game of head tennis in the United box. The visitors half clear. Neves returns the dropping ball, sending it arcing towards the top right. De Gea does extremely well to claim it under his crossbar, then make sure he doesn’t take it back over the line. Safe hands.
42 min: Now Dalot goes in the book for a cynical arm in Vinagre’s face, the Wolves man threatening to break clear down the left. A free kick in a dangerous position. Moutinho will take.
40 min: Coady shanks a backpass high into the sky. Pogba is lurking, and Rui Patricio does extremely well to improvise a clearing header. No way is this match going to end 1-1.
39 min: The resulting free kick is floated into the mixer. Doherty rises highest and heads wide left from six yards. A great chance spurned. Some rank headers this evening.
38 min: McTominay holds the ball up well down the left, and is yanked to the ground by Bennett. A free kick in a very dangerous position. But Young’s delivery is totally hopeless, failing to beat the first man, and suddenly Jota is tearing away from the packed box and up the other end! Shaw tries to stop him but fails, gives chase, and tugs him back. That’s his tenth booking of the season, and he’ll miss United’s upcoming matches against West Ham and Everton.
37 min: Fulham aren’t relegated yet! Ryan Babel (33 min) has equalised for the Cottagers against Watford.
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35 min: Pogba faffs around out on the United right and is stripped by Jota, who immediately knocks the ball past Young and is tugged back by the shirt. Young should be booked, but for some reason Mike Dean can’t be bothered to do his thing. Which reminds me, Peter Littley sent this email a few minutes ago: “Doesn’t really matter what plans each team has made, with Mike Dean in charge the result is in his hands. Hope he’s swallowed the pea and stays well off stage.” Latest score: Littley 1-0 Dean.
33 min: United’s early confidence is kaput. They were purring nicely for the first 20 minutes of this game, but can hardly string two passes together at the moment. Now it’s Wolves who are first to everything. It’s been good fun from the first whistle.
31 min: Wolves are right in this game now. In fact, they should be in the lead. Doherty and Jimenez combine cutely down the right. Doherty reaches the byline and hooks back for Dendoncker, who should score, eight yards out, but leans back and lifts his shot miles over. To be fair, the ball might have bobbled just before he hit it, but still.
29 min: That equaliser has got Molineux bouncing. And now the hosts are seeing much more of the ball. A free kick on the halfway line is pumped upfield by Coady. Jimenez teases Shaw down the right, then rolls a pass across the face of the United box for Neves, who hoicks an awful shot miles over the bar, and wide right to boot. Neves has a good old shout, hollering into the sky in frustration. It was a decent chance to work de Gea.
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27 min: If Fulham lose at Watford tonight, they’ll be relegated. And they’ve just fallen behind at Vicarage Road. Abdoulaye Doucoure with the opening goal after 23 minutes.
GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Manchester United (Jota 25)
Fred dawdles, 25 yards from his own goal. Dendoncker slides in to dispossess him. Jimenez takes up possession and flicks a ball down the middle and into the box, where Jota is clean through and onside! He lifts a shot calmly over de Gea and the hosts, who have been outplayed up to this point, are level!
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24 min: Vinagre skedaddles in from the left. He tries to slip in Jota down the channel, but the ball breaks off Boly, to Jimenez, free on the right. Jimenez flashes a shot high and wide from a tight angle. But no matter, because ...
22 min: United continue to dominate. They’re first to everything right now. McTominay is seeing a lot of the ball. Jose Mourinho, for all his faults, has an eye for a player.
20 min: Wolves win their first corner of the evening, Vinagre making ground down the left, his cross cut out by Smalling. Wolves load the box ... then Moutinho stubs his toe while taking the corner, the ball dribbling straight out of play. That’s a risible corner, registering 8/10 on the Aspas-o-meter.
19 min: It’s fair to say United deserved that early goal. They’ve been effervescent from the get-go. Wolves haven’t been able to hit their stride at all. They try to clear their heads by stringing a few passes together at the back. They don’t go anywhere, but that’s not the point.
17 min: How on earth are United not two up? First Shaw dribbles with purpose down the left and cuts back for Lukaku. But McTominay, perhaps still giddy, gets in the way of his own man. No matter, because Lukaku is soon chipping in a cross from the left, the ball dropping to Lingard, whose header towards the bottom left is well kept out by Rui Patricio. Like Lukaku earlier, he probably should have scored.
15 min: That’s McTominay’s first goal in a Manchester United shirt. He peeled off in celebration with a smile that would have lit up those Molineux friendlies during the Cullis era.
GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Manchester United (McTominay 13)
United find their feet! Shaw shuttles the ball infield from the left wing. Fred then moves it on to McTominay, to the right of the D. McTominay takes a touch and sends a diagonal fizzer towards the bottom left. Rui Patricio is at full stretch, but has no chance, the ball skidding off the wet turf at high speed and in! That’s a fine finish!
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11 min: Dendoncker takes possession of a Neves pass in the centre circle and with one touch nips past two United players. He’s got a lot of space to romp into, but a rush of blood makes him play a pointless pass to Jota, who wasn’t expecting it, and United intercept. Neither team have found their feet yet.
10 min: The first corner of the night is won by United, thanks to good work from Lukaku down the left. The set piece is worked back to Pogba, who attempts to release Young into the box with a wedge down the inside-left channel. But the pass is too strong, Young can’t control, and the flag goes up for offside anyway.
9 min: The rain’s coming down in the midlands. Pogba falls over in the centre circle under no pressure whatsoever, allowing Neves to stride off with the ball. He slips a pass wide right for Jimenez, who enters the box but can’t get a shot away. Wolves should have done more with that situation.
7 min: But it was good build-up play by United, who will be encouraged by the ease with which they opened up the hosts. Now Pogba sends a pass wide left. Shaw tries to break clear but Lingard’s weak role in a one-two scuppers the plan.
5 min: United should be leading. Pogba rolls a pass wide right for Dalot, who crosses perfectly for Lukaku. He’s six yards out, the ball dropping for him to head home. He slams his effort straight at Rui Patricio, who parries well but really shouldn’t have the chance to save. That’s a poor miss. Wolves clear their lines.
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4 min: Neves dribbles down the right, tight on the touchline. For a second he threatens to break free of Shaw but is forced to check back. Then McTominay attempts to power through the centre circle but he’s turned around as well. It’s a little bit scrappy, but very high paced.
2 min: Both teams take turns to get a feel of the ball. Wolves first, then United. Lindelof launches long in the hope of finding Lukaku, but the pass is no good and sails straight through to Rui Patricio.
And we’re off! Within ten seconds, Lingard is shooting goalwards after a dribble down the middle of the park, straight from kick-off. He sends a dribbler towards the bottom right from the edge of the box. Rui Patricio gathers without fuss. Talk about starting on the front foot!
The teams are out! Wolves are in their classic old gold, while United sport their famous red. It’s one of the great sights in football. Squint slightly and pretend you’re watching the two glamour teams of the 1950s: Billy Wright, satin shirt shimmering under the lights, leading his men against the Busby Babes. Drizzle coming down. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the touchline kicking a ball; you know full well the player inside is busting to play. We’ll be off in a minute!
Ole speaks. “Wolves are well organised, they counter quickly, they have some individual quality. The two up front work as a pair really well. The three in midfield have all the passing range you can ask for. They have the fitness, they run about the pitch and are solid at the back with their size and pace. They’ve drilled this system for quite a while. It’s important for us to start the game well, to get on the front foot and play with more tempo and urgency, rather than the slow game we played last time.”
Nuno talks. “We must bounce back from the last performance at Burnley. We want to play better. We have to bounce back immediately and raise our standards again. We have to be more compact and when we have the ball we have to provoke more, create more, produce chances. This is a different game [to their FA Cup victory over United]. It’s a new challenge, let’s go game by game.”
Wolves make four changes to the side named for the defeat at Burnley last weekend. Jonny, Romain Saiss, Ivan Cavaleiro and Adama Traore all drop to the bench, with Ryan Bennett, Matt Doherty, Ruben Vinagre and Raul Jimenez taking their spots.
Manchester United make six changes to the team that beat Watford on Saturday. Stepping up: Victor Lindelof, Fred, Scott McTominay, Diogo Dalot, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard. Standing down: Phil Jones, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial and an injured Marcus Rashford.
The teams
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Rui Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Vinagre, Jimenez, Jota.
Subs: Cavaleiro, Costa, Gibbs-White, Jonny, Ruddy, Saiss, Traore.
Manchester United: de Gea, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, Fred, McTominay, Pogba, Dalot, Lukaku, Lingard.
Subs: Jones, Mata, Martial, Andreas Pereira, Rojo, Romero, Matic.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
Preamble
Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed playing Manchester United this season. Back in September, they came away from Old Trafford with a deserved 1-1 draw, Fred and Joao Moutinho exchanging goals, Adama Traore going close twice late on. Then a couple of weeks ago, Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota fired Wolves into the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Molineux at United’s expense. Can they do it again, and beat the Reds twice in the same season for the first time since 1980?
They don’t come into this match in particularly good nick. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sit seventh in the Premier League table, the Best of the Rest, but they’ve only won once in the league in the last two months, and that against Cardiff City. They’re coming off the back of a lame 2-0 defeat at Burnley. And they’ll surely have one eye on this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final with Watford. It’s only natural if they don’t approach this game with 100 percent vigour.
Then again, United haven’t been themselves of late either. They suffered back-to-back defeats before the international break, in the league at Arsenal and in the cup against Wolves. And their return to Premier League action was frankly weird, a 2-1 home win over Watford in which the Hornets were by far the better team. Nevertheless, everyone’s feeling pretty good about themselves again. A top-four finish, unimaginable when Jose was at the wheel, is a very real prospect now. A rediscovery of form here, and infectious new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be three points closer to completing one of the great managerial salvage jobs.
Here we go, then, a big match between two of English football’s grandest clubs at the business end of the season. It’s on! Kick off is at 7.45pm BST.
