Liam Keen comment: Wolves should be upbeat despite defeat
Another officiating controversy marred Wolves’ display at Old Trafford as the Gary O’Neil era got under way.
Putting that late decision aside – which is almost universally agreed as a huge error that the PGMOL have now apologised for – Wolves’ performance was arguably the best for at least a couple seasons.
Some of the same issues still haunt them, but we learned plenty from O’Neil’s first game in charge as the 2023/24 season began.
Free-flowing attack
Many believed O’Neil would choose to sit in and frustrate Manchester United on Monday night, and no-one would have blamed him for doing so.
But instead, he launched a full-scale attack on United’s brittle structure and Wolves consistently found time, space and created excellent goalscoring opportunities.
Some of the solo runs from the impressive Matheus Nunes and Matheus Cunha were mesmerising and in creating so many chances, Wolves managed the most shots (23) for an away side at Old Trafford in the Premier League since 2005 – and the second most in recorded history.
On Cunha, O'Neil said: “He was very good. He missed a lot of training this week with a slight issue so we were never going to get 90 minutes out of him but he caused Manchester United some real problems.
