Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United
Based on what I’m about to say, no one will be surprised if this Premier League encounter ends all square now, yet it sums up modern day football when I say there will be enormous scrutiny and pressure on either manager if their team loses this encounter.
Yes, already! Just three games into the new season but that is the brutal reality.
New Wolves head coach Bruno Lage may have seen his side gain a first victory of the season in midweek with a League Cup win over Nottingham Forest but, if his side suffers a third straight top flight defeat, questions will be asked.
Likewise, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer oversaw a fine 5-1 opening weekend rout of Leeds which had fans and pundits alike positively purring, despite my cautiousness.
But that was duly followed by a solitary point on the south coast against a team which has just sold its best two players to bring his long-term critics back out in force.
So yes, there may be plenty of Premier League 2021 highlights to look forward to at Molineux this weekend, but there will also be plenty of scrutiny on the men in the dugouts.
Talking Points
There are similarities between the men in the respective hot seats.
Heads were certainly turned when Lage was linked with replacing Nuno Espírito Santo as Wolves’ head coach, although the club was adamant he was first choice.
Lage has spent only two seasons managing senior teams and he began one of those in charge of Benfica B in the Portuguese second division.
Midway through 2018-19, he was made caretaker of the struggling senior team. And with a run of 18 wins from 19 games, he won the Primeira League title.
The following season, Benfica went on a poor run and after leaving the club in June 2020, he had been out of work which made his arrival in the Midlands slightly more curious.
Likewise, I remember the morning in December 2018 – the day after United and Jose Mourinho parted company – when news emerged that a contender for his replacement was the popular Norwegian Solskjaer.
I don’t mind admitting to you, I thought it was a joke – which is speculation some of the media had thrown in amongst half a dozen other names.
Even as an interim caretaker boss, I found it hard to accept that his managerial CV was up to the task.
Well, wind the clock forward and there’s no doubt Solskjaer has made some progress in the job – and there have been plenty of wobbles along the way too – and ended up being an ideal figure to restore values and harmony after a seemingly divisive period between his predecessor and some players.
However, my overall viewpoint has not altered one bit and a comment made in the aftermath of last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with the Saints was further proof to me that Solskjaer is not the man to bring success to the club.
He stressed, while the result was not what he wanted, that he was “content” with a point.
If a manager is “content” with a point against a team which has just sold and not replaced its best players, then he should not be in charge of the biggest club in the country.
Indeed, it sums up to me just why United need a savvier more tactically astute boss.
I would go further and argue that against Southampton or Villarreal for example in last season’s Europa League Final, a team with United’s strength would have won with a more tactically astute boss.
Perhaps I am being slightly harsh. I am after all a rather disgruntled United fan.
Yet this does not alter the dynamic both managers face this weekend. Rightly or wrongly, this is modern day football at the highest level. You read it here first!
History
This is a rip-roaring traditional English football contest with a rich history, ever since Newton Heath (before they became Manchester United) and Wolverhampton Wanderers first clashed in October 1892.
Overall, United have 51 triumphs while the Wolves have won 36 times and there have been 20 draws.
One of them came at Old Trafford nearly three years ago when Wolves showed impressive traits to earn a 1-1 draw and early glimpses of the pedigree they have displayed against many of the big boys ever since.
That has included two wins and three draws against United in league and FA Cup.
United earned a Premier League double over Wolves last season. A last-gasp Marcus Rashford goal settled the contest at Old Trafford before a Juan Mata penalty won the return fixture 2-1 at Molineux – a game in which both featured much-changed sides on the final day of the season in Nuno Santo’s final game in charge.
Betting Tip
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Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United | Manchester United Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.09 |
| August 29, 23:30 (GMT+8) |
The SBOTOP Premier League 2021 betting odds make United clear favourites and they can be backed 1X2 @ 1.81 compared to Wolves @ 4.30. The draw is on offer @ 3.50.
I am going to opt for a United success and just hope they show the character and talent required in front of a passionate home support.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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