Just 12 days ago, Manchester United produced a spectacular comeback to pick up the three points in the Manchester Derby - but that already seems like an age ago.

Defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, in the Carabao Cup, AFC Bournemouth and now Wolverhampton Wanderers leave United in 14th place in the Premier League. It doesn't get any easier for Ruben Amorim's side either with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool in the next three games.

Bruno Fernandes was sent off very early into the second half against Wolves for a foul on Nelson Semedo, receiving a second yellow card. Matheus Cunha scored directly from a corner and Hwang Hee-Chan added a second in added time to continue a difficult December.

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Manchester United's final away game of the year failed to give supporters much hope as we edge closer to 2025. Here, the Manchester Evening News rounds up the national media's verdict of the latest defeat for United.

Unwanted record for Amorim

Oli Gamp for The Mirror wrote:

Ruben Amorim is the first Manchester United boss to lose five of his first 10 matches for 92 years as his rough start to life at Old Trafford continues.

United were dealt a third straight defeat against Wolves, who secured a 2-0 win at Molineux on Boxing Day, and the honeymoon is surely over for the ex-Sporting Lisbon coach. Bruno Fernandes was shown a second yellow card - his third dismissal of the season - before goals from Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan wrapped up a huge win for Vitor Pereira's men.

United have conceded nine goals in their last three matches and Amorim faces a huge uphill task to turn the team's fortunes around. The Portuguese coach has found life at United even tougher than he imagined and his woes have continued after picking up a rather unwanted record.

You have to go all the way back to 1932 for the last time a United boss lost five of his first ten matches, when Walter Crickmer suffered a poor start to his own reign. The 39-year-old has also broken a landmark previously held by Erik ten Hag. He now holds the record for fewest Premier League games to record a fourth defeat at United, doing so in ten games. Ten Hag took 13 games to lose four.

It wasn't just Amorim who found himself on the wrong side of history. Fernandes being sent off again means he has become the first United star to be dismissed three times in one season since Nemanja Vidic in 2008-09.

'Going backwards'

Chris Wheeler of Mail Online wrote:

Through the Molineux fog and the funk of a desperate first half of the season, Manchester United staggered on last night. The biggest club in English football down to 14th place in the Premier League table, four places above the relegation zone.

It is a remarkable scenario for a team put together at huge expense under Erik ten Hag that actually appears to be going backwards under his successor Ruben Amorim.

United’s new head coach has now lost three games in a row and four of his last five in the league. He is the first United boss since Walter Crickmer in January 1932 to suffer defeat in five of his first 10 games in charge.

Crickmer was sacked later that season and while it seems absurd to even discuss Amorim’s future at this stage, the fact that Joao Pereira, his replacement at Sporting Lisbon, was dismissed on Christmas Day after just six weeks in charge is proof of what a ruthless industry football can be.

United wouldn’t be so short-sighted, of course, but what will worry Amorim most is the lack of creativity United showed in losing to a resurgent Wolves. Four days after they were guilty of not taking their chances in a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, Amorim’s side didn’t create a single one of note here.

Set-piece woes

Ben Fisher of The Guardian wrote:

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.

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.

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.

'No signs of turning over a new leaf'

Dom Smith for The Standard wrote:

Ruben Amorim’s tricky start to life at Manchester United continued as his side fell to a miserable 2-0 defeat at Wolves, who moved out of the relegation zone as a result. Bruno Fernandes was sent off just 88 seconds into the second half for a second bookable offence, and that gave Wolves the impetus to dominate the rest of the match.

They scored the opening goal when the mercurial Matheus Cunha curled home from a direct free-kick. Then, in the final minute of stoppage time, Cunha laid off Hwang Hee-chan selflessly to confirm all three points stayed at Molineux.

While the victory for Wolves moved them out of the Premier League drop zone for the first time in almost a month, defeat left the Red Devils 14th in the table and showing no signs of turning over a new leaf under new boss Amorim.

United started well but were unable to produce a positive response to their damaging 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth before Christmas. Instead, they allowed new Wolves manager Vitor Pereira to pick up his second win in as many games after his tenure got off to a fine start with the 3-0 win over Leicester City.