It is impossible to ignore the shift in mood, the supporters singing the name of their charismatic Portuguese head coach, parachuted in to solve myriad issues but chiefly miserable results and a leaky defence with a particular weakness at set pieces. Determined to immerse himself in the local culture, he spent Christmas Day enjoying lunch at a local pub a few miles out of town.

Then there is the friction between those who pay their money in the stands and those who spend it in the boardroom. An unhappy backdrop has been brewing for a while, some presumably plotting an appropriate escape route. The problem for Ruben Amorim is that Vítor Pereira was the manager who triumphed here.

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For Manchester United, it is now four defeats in their past five league games. United, who drop a place to 14th, are eight points above the rele­gation zone, 11 from the top four, having taken just seven from a possible 21 since Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag. Matheus Cunha – just where would Wolves be without him? – scored the first goal, direct from a corner, and unselfishly squared the ball eight minutes into stoppage time to allow Hwang Hee-chan, on as a substitute, a simple finish to seal a deserved win against 10-man United, whose captain, Bruno Fernandes, was sent off.

For Pereira it has been a flawless start, two wins from two and the worst defence in the division has been bolted secure. At least for now. At the same time, a gutless United never looked like scoring.

A glance at the pitch at full time spoke of contrasting stories. Pereira gathered his players before the Sir Jack Hayward Stand and then punched the air, an act reminiscent of the glory days under Nuno Espírito Santo, a hero for many in these parts. There were chants against the chairman, Jeff Shi, but ­generally this match was a prime example of just how quickly the landscape can change.

As Craig Dawson commenced his warm down, sprints to halfway, those fans who had stuck around beckoned him to salute the South Bank. He obliged. Then, too, did Tommy Doyle. Wolves are out of the relegation zone and looking up, Pereira the first Portuguese to win his first two Premier League matches since José Mourinho in 2004. United, meanwhile, could be forgiven for peering below.

If the first half descended broadly into a period of nothingness in ­thickening fog, the second was the polar opposite. It was only 85 seconds old when Fernandes was penalised for a poor challenge on his Portugal teammate Nelson Semedo, catching the Wolves captain on the top of his ankle. The referee, Tony Harrington, was quick to pull out a second yellow card. Fernandes had been cautioned in the first half for tripping Cunha – the best, and arguably most gifted, player on the pitch, a captivating forward capable of the extraordinary.

Exhibit A here was the moment, 15 minutes into this contest, when he controlled José Sá’s awkward lobbed pass towards the left flank with an exquisite back‑heel and then played a one-two with the typically tigerish João Gomes, ­luring Noussair Mazraoui into a crude takedown to halt his progress.

Barely a minute after Fernandes removed the captain’s armband from his biceps and trudged off the pitch, Jørgen Strand Larsen headed in a Semedo cross but the goal was ­disallowed. Then came a lengthy VAR check, which deemed the Norway striker offside.

Cunha was determined to enjoy himself despite the extra attention and his inswinging corner caught Onana, under pressure from Matt Doherty, floundering in the fog, the Brazilian’s wicked whipped cross curving under the crossbar and ­nestling in at the far post. Onana hoped the referee would bail him out but the very claim spoke ­volumes of United’s insipid performance and by now desperate nature. By the end the sight of Harry Maguire ­attempting to reach a hopeful long ball into the box had alarming echoes of the recent past.

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United lacked any rhythm from the moment Leny Yoro, promoted to the XI to make his second league start for the club, was booked for ­clipping Cunha four minutes in. Yoro was among those withdrawn just after the hour as Amorim made a triple change, with Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Antony introduced. Then came ­Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee. Marcus Rashford? He was not included for the fourth ­successive match.

Rockin’ All Over the World blared over the speakers at the final ­whistle but United’s players probably trudged off the pitch with the chants of Wolves’ supporters still ringing in their ears. “You’re not famous any more,” they sang gleefully.

United host the in-form ­Newcastle – Eddie Howe’s team have won their past four games – on Monday. Amorim has four days to get a dif­ferent tune out of his players.