Dropped points was the story yet again for Manchester United against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ruben Neves’ golazo and Paul Pogba’s missed penalty knocked the wind out of a United side that looked to be in control of the occasion. The squad didn’t assert themselves as well as they did a week ago at Old Trafford, particularly in the second half, and the result is a pretty fair reflection of the overall performance.
Here are the grades for each of the players:
Starters
David De Gea: 7/10
De Gea was mostly tested in the second half, and for a bit Wolves showed why they were such a tough side for United last season. He did well maintaining order in that period, but Neves’ goal was simply hit too well. There was hardly a thing the Spaniard could have done about it, but it did come on a set piece. The defensive unit need to sort out defending short corners.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 8/10
Wan Bissaka showed again why he was such an important acquisition for the club. He was tested a bit more than he was against Chelsea, but for the most part shut down the counter attacks that came his way. The right side of defense will likely be United’s stronger side this season.
Victor Lindelof: 6/10 & Harry Maguire: 6/10
Lindelof and Maguire look really impressive as a partnership. Today they were a bit shaky at times, but for the most part maintained control. Wolves weren’t able to get anything off of counter attacks, but set pieces remain a problem. They’ll need to do better keeping their shape and composure, but this still looks like the making of a good partnership.
Luke Shaw: 5/10
While the right hand side looks strong, the left hand side does not. For the second match in a row Shaw struggled to make an impact. Though overall United looked alright defensively, Shaw is starting to look like the weakest link. He also didn’t look great going forward, was part of a short corner mishap that led to a goal, and he missed a great opportunity to win the game in the final seconds of stoppage time.
Scott McTominay: 5/10
McTominay didn’t have a bad game by any means, but he needs to do more if he’s going to be Pogba’s partner in midfield. He lost the ball a few times today, and at key moments too. He also featured in some great buildup play in the first half, but overall didn’t give United the control they needed for the full 90.
Paul Pogba: 6/10
If not for the missed penalty, Pogba might have a 7 or 8 out of 10. Up until that moment he was sharp and effective in orchestrating United’s attack against a sturdy Wolves midfield and back line. He was important in setting up United’s best chances, and led the charge again after Wolves’ equalizer. He did well to win the penalty, but the execution was poor. The miss was demoralizing so soon after conceding the equalizer, and Pogba was clearly effected by it. He has to improve at getting back into matches after tough moments.
Jesse Lingard: 3/10
Lingard isn’t good enough to start at no. 10 for United. It says a lot about United’s lack of depth in midfield that he does start their, and his play said even more. He was wasteful with the ball and with scoring chances, and it cost United on the day. He should have made it 2-0 on a couple of occasions.
Daniel James: 4/10
There’s no way around it, James had a very poor first start for United. His speed and work ethic are unquestionable, but his game still needs refining. He put himself in some poor positions on the right, which subsequently shut down some solid possessions in Wolves’ half. He’s got some growing to do as a player, and perhaps would be more effective as a second half option off the bench, as he was against Chelsea.
Marcus Rashford: 6/10
Rashford had a difficult day, but it certainly wasn’t a red flag performance. He lost the ball some, and was wasteful with a free kick in a dangerous area when United needed to retake the lead. However, he was also crucial linking up with Anthony Martial, and he set up the opening goal in a strong first half showing.
Anthony Martial: 7/10
Martial’s grade is heavily influenced by his goal in the first half, but it wound up getting United a point on the day. He and Rashford again looked sharp in attack, and his finish on the goal was a great display of his ability in the box. He disappeared some in the second half, but that’s to be expected for a striker when his team is out of possession.
Substitutes
Juan Mata: N/A
Mata was Ole’s first substitution, and he did manage to get involved a bit, but overall it wasn’t really enough to accurately assess. His passing and experience might have been more useful than Lingard’s contributions at no. 10, and after today he may get a chance to start.
Mason Greenwood: N/A
Greenwood again came on late and again wasn’t able to do much. Hope to see more from him soon though, he seems like he might have the talent to take a starting role at either 10 or RW. Those are areas of need for United
Andreas Pereira: N/A
Again, didn’t have much time to do anything. Seems like He’ll be getting some time in different roles when he appears for United, which shows his versatility, but also that he doesn’t have a best position yet.