By Scott Cooper
January 29 2006

TODAY was supposed to be the turning point of the season for Wolves. Instead a poor performance at home to Manchester United heaped more misery on what has so far been a very disappointing season.

When the likes of Manchester United come to Molineux it's important to make them work for their goals. Today however Wolves gifted Manchester United three with the first coming after just 4 minutes, the second 40 minutes later and the third seven minutes into the second half.

The Wolves boss was the centre of some criticism before the game has he named a three man midfield. It had been widely reported that Manchester United were struggling with their midfield and the Wolves boss went with experience rather than pace with Mark Kennedy, Paul Ince and the poor Darren Anderton getting the nod ahead of Mark Davies, Rohan Ricketts and Colin Cameron.

The idea was for Wolves to keep it tight at the back, but after just four minutes Richardson lashed the ball home from the edge of the area after first Lee Naylor, Gyepes and Lescott all failed to clear the cross from Luis Saha.

It could have been two minutes later, but a neat block by Gyepes prevented Ruud Van Nistelrooy scoring his first ever goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves could have snatched one mid-way through the first half but Carl Cort's header from a Lee Naylor free kick whistled past the near post.

A long ball forward from United's £7M signing Vidic later found Saha who took the ball in his stride and fired past Postma in the Wolves goal in the final minute of the first half.

Hoddle rang the changes in the second half with Davies and Cameron replacing Anderton and Seol. The change also paid of too, with United keeper Van-Der-Saar having to make a good save to prevent Cameron's 30 yarder from finding the top corner.

The fightback wasn't going to materialise though as Richardson scored his second of the game with a clinical header after Lee Naylor had been dispossessed by South Korean International Park.

Hoddle's last throw of the dice was out on Polish International Thomasz Frankowski and the debutant nearly scored from six yards with his first touch of the game, but his low angled effort missed the far post.

Postma later saved well from Rooney whilst Van Nistlerooy hit the crossbar, but the damage had already been done and Wolves had been well and truly outclassed.