Ruben Amorim showed a telling reaction to Bruno Fernandes' dismissal during Manchester United's Boxing Day loss to Wolves. The Portuguese mastermind, who took over from Erik ten Hag in November, has yet to make a significant impact at Old Trafford - with only two victories, one draw and four losses in the Premier League since his appointment.
The latest setback was a 2-0 defeat to Wolves on Thursday (December 26), a match that remained goalless until the boss' compatriot and captain Fernandes received his second yellow card 47 minutes into the game. The Portuguese midfielder had already been booked when he collided with Nelson Semedo after losing the ball near the Wolves penalty area, and Fernandes' visible disappointment as he left the pitch was mirrored by Amorim's reaction that spoke volumes.
The manager did not acknowledge Fernandes as he walked past him on the touchline, his face filled with disappointment of his own. To make matters worse, Wolves' Matheus Cunha broke the deadlock just 11 minutes after Fernandes' red card, delivering a dangerous corner from the left that bypassed the United defence and beat goalkeeper Andre Onana.
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United's night turned even more sour in the dying moments of stoppage time as Alejandro Garnacho lost possession to Wolves substitute Tommy Doyle, who deftly shifted the ball down the right side for Cunha. In a decisive two-on-one breakaway, Cunha charged at Onana with Lisandro Martinez in pursuit, before coolly passing to Hwang Hee-chan who scored for Wolves with the clock striking 99 minutes.
To add insult to injury, Fernandes is set to miss United's upcoming match against Newcastle on Monday (December 30) following his third red of the season, having been sent off during matches against Spurs and Porto - although the Tottenham dismissal was eventually rescinded.
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Discussing the red card incident with Amazon Prime Video, Amorim said (via the Mirror): "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, highlighting the challenge ahead: "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."
Following their poor first half to the campaign, United occupy 14th spot in the Premier League table, having registered six victories, four draws and eight defeats.
