Ruben Amorim points the finger of blame at one Man Utd star for Wolves defeat

United endured a third consecutive loss in all competitions, with their 10 men succumbing 2-0 to Wolves. After a tight first half, Fernandes gave Wolves the upper hand when he received a second yellow card for a foul on Nelson Semedo.

Matheus Cunha broke the deadlock with an inswinging corner that flew over Andre Onana and into the far corner.

Despite Amorim’s offensive changes in search of an equalizer, Wolves sealed the crucial three points they needed to escape the relegation zone when Hwang Hee-chan scored on the counter-attack in the 98th minute.

Fernandes has now been sent off three times in 27 matches across all competitions this season, with his disciplinary issues proving costly. Amorim reflected on a third defeat in a week and didn’t hesitate to assign blame, stating that the red card altered the game.

“Of course, when you lose, when we don’t win, it’s a step back. It was really hard with the sending off,” he told Prime Video.

“The goal was similar against Tottenham. Then, we tried. Even with one less guy we tried to and I think we were near something but then Wolves scored the second one. Then, in the end, we tried everything and the transition was 2-0. For us, let’s continue.

Asked about Fernandes’ red card, Amorim said: “I think he cannot go to the ball. He’s trying to reach the ball and some guys are not even looking at the ball but I don’t want to focus on that. I think the good thing is we were near the goal, even with 10 men. That is a good thing, but we lost.”

He added: “It’s so tough to win games in this league with 11 men. With 10 men, it’s more difficult. We have to focus on that.”

Amorim has been frustrated by his poor start since taking over from Erik ten Hag, with his players unable to carry out his instructions.

“We have to improve the relationships, but we have some moments,” Amorim said. “We lack a little bit of aggression, but we don’t train. We just play and try to find a better way to win games and that’s it. We can’t control the games like the other ones that we lost.

“I think we were always in control of the game, not always dominating, but in control of some things, some set-pieces. The sending off was really hard for us.”

Amorim left Marcus Rashford out of the team for the fourth straight match and was inevitably asked about his absence.

“It’s always the same reason it’s going to be,” he said. “We have to be the same professionals, the same guys, winning or losing. Losing, I have to be stronger. I will continue with my idea until the end.”