THE VERDICT: UNITED 1 WOLVES 1
JAMES’ immortal Sit Down played around the ground. ‘If I hadn’t seen such riches I could live with being poor’ is stitched onto Manchester United T-shirts and no man is more responsible for that adopted motto than Sir Alex Ferguson.
It was appropriate the song, released in the year of his first United trophy in 1990, preceded his reintroduction to Old Trafford.
Jaap Stam, David Gill and Ed Woodward were among those already awaiting him in a packed directors’ box when, at just gone ten to three, he emerged bashfully and returned to the row of seats with his plaque chiselled onto each one, flanked by wife Cathy.
All but one of United’s previous matches this season were televised before Wolves’ visit, the first fixture in M16 in 26 days and a rare 3pm kick-off. Little wonder Ferguson relished a walk – or drive – down Warwick Road just when there were smiles upon the faces of the supporters again. They broadened at the sight of the 76-year-old ascending the south stand steps. But those smiles turned into frowns against Wolves’ fearless pack.
Nuno Espirito Santo, Mourinho’s substitute goalkeeper in Porto’s 2004 Champions League final, merited his second point against the Manchester clubs this campaign and the Portuguese-infused Wolves were superior than United for the majority in their first game at Old Trafford since December 2011.
The same problems resurfaced for United – their attack needs sharpening and their defence reinforcing.
Unfortunately for Mourinho, the January window is over three months away and United are already also-rans. Premier League leaders Liverpool are eight points ahead and rapidly resembling a mirage.
David de Gea bailed out United again as he began his latest campaign to retain the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year statue. The Spaniard agilely denied Raul Jimenez with his feet and Willy Boly with his fists in a dominant opening quarter of an hour for the Championship champions.
The first Old Trafford game of the season for Ferguson featured a first Old Trafford goal for the £52m Fred. The Brazilian’s tidy 18th-minute finish was perhaps bettered by the beautifully delicate assist by Paul Pogba, whose one-touch simultaneously killed the ball and rolled it into his team-mate’s path to finish quickly past Rui Patricio.
But Pogba’s grave decision to place his foot on the ball inside his own half sparked the counter from which Joao Moutinho curled in the 53rd-minute leveller. Fred (18) Moutinho (53) 64% 36% 21 19 5 4 74, 489 Shaw Neves Kevin Friend Mourinho turned away in disgust as Ruben Neves dispossessed Pogba but called over Luke Shaw rather than the Frenchman.
On 63 minutes, Jose turned to Martial and Mata. The blunt Alexis Sanchez was hooked in the third successive game.
Recovering from setbacks was a speciality of Ferguson’s but Mourinho’s United seldom seem capable of recovering from concessions.
The substitutes change.
“Mourinho’s right, your fans are s **** ,” Wolves fans chirped. Most United fans were sat down. prompted little