MAN UTD 1 WOLVES 0: Disjointed Red Devils snatch three points but there are more problems than just up front for Ten Hag

SIR ALEX FERGUSON must have spread some of his magic dust on the Old Trafford pitch before kick-off.

The legendary boss was doing a pre-match interview with American channel NBC on the hallowed surface about what a great job Erik ten Hag was doing.

Then he watched on as Manchester United were outfought, out thought, outplayed….and won.

Sir Alex had the copyright on plucking victory out of the jaws of draws or defeats.

On the occasions they had bad days under him the Red Devils somehow found a way.

And that’s what they did here with a 76th-minute headed winner from Raphael Varane.

Wolves had calved out chance after chance to put this game away long before that but could not take them.

Matheus Cunha will be haunted by the one that fell to him on 49 minutes when he hit the post from a couple of yards out.

There has not been such optimism approaching a new season for some time here and the expectation was for a comfortable victory for United.

Erik ten Hag’s fine work in his first season brought it’s rewards with a third-placed finish and first trophy in six years with the Carabao Cup.

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He believes he has the foundations now to build towards his ultimate goal of toppling neighbours Manchester City off their perch.

New signings goalkeeper Andre Onana and Mason Mount were on display last night and striker Rasmus Hojlund is to come.

As for Wolves, they had lost their manager Julen Lopetegui last week after he was told FFP regulations would not allow him to do what he wanted in the transfer market.

In fact, they have shipped £90million worth of talent this summer most notably Ruben Neves who was lured by the Saudi millions as the peak of his career aged 26-years-old.

So it is already one heck of a job new boss Gary O’Neil has to do and a visit to Old Trafford was not the ideal fixture for the former Bournemouth boss to start his new job.

But whatever he said in those handful of days he had with his new players it worked given this performance.

He will be gutted not to have earned something from it.

Wolves who should have the lead at half-time.

Twice on the break the ball finished just inches the wrong side of the post.

On 26 minutes Matheus Cunha, who made his loan move permanent this summer, burst forward and crashed through a challenge by Lisandro Martinez on halfway.

He was free and fed Pablo Sarabia to his left and his cross-shot got the slightest deflection off Raphael Varane and went just wide.

Warning served and soon after roles were reversed as Sarabia found Cunha who fired low past Andre Onana and was also just wide.

At this point, United were looking short on ideas and struggling to break Wolves down.

They had an early chance after 11 minutes when Casemiro played the ball out from the back and Antony broke.

Marcus Rashford overlapped and received the ball but his shot was blocked by Jose Sa who had come out and narrowed the angles.

Rashford would also have a header that was blocked by Nelson Semedo.

But other than that the giant center-back pairing of Max Kilman and Craig Dawson had kept the 30-goal Red Devils stop scorer from last season quiet.

Usually there is a reaction from United in the second half under Ten Hag, but Wolves picked up the pace first again.

Then came that chance.

Nunes went on a lung-bursting 60-yard run and eased the ball out to Pedro Neto whose cross found it’s way to Cunha unmarked at the far post but somehow he hit it, rather than the back of the net.

Heads in hands all round for those vocal visiting fans in gold.

Wolves kept at it and when Cunha tried to make amends by cutting through the reds with ease his final shot was scrambled away by Onana.

The home crowd was growing restless the closest they had come this point after the break was when Antony clipped a chip over Jose Sa and Dawson headed it away from in front of the line.

It wasn’t going in but the Wolves defender had to be safe.

Ten Hag needed to change something and did in taking off Alejandro Garnacho and Mount both of whom had been ineffective.

On came Jadon Sancho and Christian Eriksen and new life was breathed into United and with it the winner.

Bruno Fernandes clipped the ball through for Wan-Bissaka whose hooked cross was headed home by Varane.

Still Wolves could have got a point when Fabio Silva thumped a shot through a crowd of players from the middle of the United box but Onana saved.

Wolves would have a late call for a penalty which went to VAR turned down after Onana clattered through two Wolves players.

O'Neil was booked for his protestations and Wolves will wonder how they left Old Trafford empty-handed.

United fans have seen it all before.

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