Wolves fans howled “Who the f**k are Man United?” and “You’re not famous any more”. Such a playlist is befitting this Manchester United, four places above the relegation zone.. There were more gold seats than spectators in the away end at full-time. Ruben Amorim still insisted every player skulk across the pitch to express appreciation. Any applause they received was undeserved.. United players and staff stood motionless for nearly two minutes, as if Amorim demanded they sufficiently front up for a sobering experience.. This is a team so bad that Wolves, the worst team for conceding from set pieces, breached the second-worst. For the second week running, a second United goalkeeper was beaten directly from a corner. Andre Onana demanded a retrospective free kick yet was overruled. He resorted to sarcastically applauding the officials.. Carlos Fernandes, the set-piece choreographer, kicked a water bottle. He was blameless for this howler, as he was when Altay Bayindir was beaten by an identical inswinger at Tottenham last week. Andreas Georgson, previously in charge of set plays, attempted to convince the fourth official there had been a foul.. If only Onana was as front-footed at a corner. Sandwiched between Matt Doherty and Santiago Bueno, Onana was more meek than meaty. There was jostling but not fouling.. This United team is a team of pushovers. Onana’s tepid goalkeeping compounded the red card shown to Bruno Fernandes for a second foul.. Vitor Pereira could hardly have hoped for more obliging opponents for his first match in the home dugout at Molineux. His two wins have come against United managers past and present, having dismissed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City last week.. West Ham United, who have given serious contemplation to changing their manager, are now above United. Wolves, with a mere three wins on the board before Boxing Day, trail United by only seven points.. This is the worst United side since the one that was relegated in 1974. Tommy Docherty’s loyalists still had the backbone to earn immediate promotion, reach two successive FA Cup finals and finish third. The current lot will struggle to break into the top half.. With every match, it is apparent why Amorim preferred to take over in the summer. He does not have the parts or the pieces and United are falling to pieces. It is four defeats in five league matches and five defeats in ten for the Portuguese.. The fog was thick in Molineux and United have brain fog. Amorim reduced his rotation, settling for two changes, yet the game-changing substitutions were Antony, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen – three recruits in Erik ten Hag’s first summer. Antony was the most threatening forward. The outgoings next summer must break double figures if Amorim is to have a chance of transforming United into one of English football’s forces again.. The only player on show who was a throwback to a United great played in gold. A peak time Boxing Day kick-off against United was the cue for Matheus Cunha’s matchwinning audition.. Cunha wowed the crowd with two virtuoso dribbles, the second halted by the booked Fernandes. Cunha, a classically Brazilian playmaker, also elicited a yellow card for Leny Yoro and squared to Hee Chan-Hwang for the added-time clincher. Cunha would slot into Amorim’s 3-4-3, a formation that too many players already jar with. One is Rasmus Hojlund, again a man among boys.. Hojlund was so deterred by the physical mismatch he occasionally withdrew to a deeper position. More alarming was how casually the prone Dane put his boot back on while Wolves had the ball. Hojlund’s pressing was non-existent against a goalkeeper who conceded two penalties from having the ball at his feet against Bournemouth three weeks ago.. United supporters are now seeing players so lifeless they are literally unfit to wear the shirt. There were murmurs of impatience towards the end of a demoralising first half that was no better than the first 45 minutes against Bournemouth.. As incompetent as Onana was as United were cornered by a set piece for the eighth time in the last seven matches, the fall guy from the fallout will be Fernandes. Amorim did not even muster an appeal against his expulsion.. Worse was to come for Fernandes once he had ceased his pointless protest. His manager blanked him.. Fernandes walked past Amorim so closely he could have heard what he had uttered under his breath. Amorim still refused to acknowledge the Manchester United captain.. Nor should he have. For the third time this season, Fernandes saw the red card having never been expelled before this season.. This was the most imbecilic of the three dismissals. Already on a booking for cynically upending Cunha, he embedded his studs on Nelson Semedo’s shin with the ball long gone.. United are unable to appeal as Fernandes collected two yellow cards and would not bother if they could. Amorim immediately accepted the impetuous foul warranted a caution. Fernandes, who would plead innocence if he bludgeoned someone in broad daylight, lingered for an explanation when one was not needed.. The ill-discipline is another growing issue at United. Amorim was exasperated by Manuel Ugarte’s yellow card. He is also suspended for the visit of Newcastle on Monday, possibly the first occasion Newcastle will be favourites against United at Old Trafford. Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez missed the loss at Arsenal for tallying five yellow cards.. Amorim was regularly unimpressed in the first half, on one occasion clapping his hands to signal for the United defenders to occupy a higher line. He patrolled the touchline as though itching for a fight.. It was at Molineux two seasons ago that Marcus Rashford emerged at half-time to score the only goal, having been dropped for his late arrival for a team meeting. Rashford’s first appearance after his Belfast bender last season was also at Molineux and crowned with an early goal. He was absent for the fourth match running.. Rashford is leaving potential relegation fodder.
