Liam Keen comment: Still improvements to be made after disappointing Wolves loss

A late and contentious penalty may have denied them a point, but Gary O'Neil's side should have come away with something despite the controversy.

Overplaying

Despite a tumultuous summer and a difficult start to life at Wolves, Gary O'Neil has done a stellar job in transforming this side in a short space of time.

Not only have Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan been on wonderful form, but the team has been cohesive, aggressive and intelligent – while scoring more goals.

But a running theme during Saturday's game was the disappointing overplaying Wolves displayed.

During a dominant first half in which they controlled every aspect of the game, Wolves failed to score. Hwang had a chance to shoot but did not pull the trigger, while Rayan Ait-Nouri had two good chances to test the goalkeeper.

The best example from that first half, however, came from Nelson Semedo. He was through, with a good chance to shoot, but instead looked to square it to Sasa Kalajdzic and the chance was gone.

In the second half, when Wolves were struggling to contain United and handle the pressure, there were several occasions when Mario Lemina overplayed the ball in midfield and did not look for the easy pass out wide.

Finding the right balance is tough, but Wolves have to work on it to break teams down and win these kind of fixtures in the future.

Electric Ait-Nouri

Despite his two missed chances, Ait-Nouri is going from strength to strength under O'Neil.

He was frozen out by Julen Lopetegui at the end of last season and destined for a move away, until O'Neil revived his Wolves career – and the player himself is currently taking his chance.

The hybrid system that O'Neil is employing, that regularly switches between a back four and back five, suits Ait-Nouri perfectly. Playing either as a left winger or left-wing-back, Ait-Nouri is given licence to get forward and he is proving to be a dangerous and effective attacking option.

However, one of his big improvements, has been his defending and work-rate. It is clear he has a good relationship with O'Neil and he is working hard to track back for the team – which he showed regularly against United.

There are still improvements to be made, but he is a player with superb talent that can go far.

Fabio's future

Fabio Silva has been desperate for a chance in the team and it is hard not to feel sorry for him after Saturday.

Having not played in almost a month, the young striker came off the bench in the 80th minute but unfortunately handed United a last minute penalty and all three points.

Silva was in tears after the game and needed consoling by his team-mates and the player will need that behind the scenes too.

It is clear O'Neil wanted more from Silva before his substitute appearance, but as a fairly emotional young player, Silva will need O'Neil's backing going forward.

The January window may prove pivotal for Silva, but he is a player desperate to impress and perform for Wolves – if given the right chance.

This will be a test of O'Neil's management skills, as the wrong move here could upset the squad.