That incremental level of excitement that Manchester United supporters felt, after the decisive win over their noisy neighbors in the Manchester Derby, quickly dissipated. AFC Bournemouth are having a fine season, greatly exceeding expectations, but 3-0 is still 3-0. Now comes a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, or Wolves as they’re colloquially known.
Wolves are bad, so bad that it seems inevitable that they’ll get dropped at the end of the season.
Boxing Day FYIs
Manchester United at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Kick off: Thurs. December 26, 5:30, Molineux, Wolverhampton, UK
Man United Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Result Probability: Wolves 26% Man United 49% Draw 25%
PL Form, Position: Wolves LLLLW, 19 pts, 18th Man United WLLWL, 22 pts, 13th
So United should win this one, but it’s not so much about the thrill of victory here, but actually the relief of avoiding the disaster that would be defeat. So with that all in mind, let’s just get to the first team prediction now.
Happy holidays to all the Manchester United supporters.
Man United Starting XI Prediction at Wolves
Andre Onana; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez; Amad Diallo, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Diogo Dalot; Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho; Rasmus Hojlund
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.