Everyone seemed to be in a good mood before the Europa League final. Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, and head coach Ruben Amorim were cracking jokes in the pre-match press conference. There was palpable excitement among the red side of Manchester. In a season in which they saw their noisy neighbors and London rivals Arsenal finish the season empty-handed for the first time in 8 years, United believed they could save face by winning in Bilbao.
What happened in Bilbao on Wednesday night, however, turned out to be one of the worst moments in United’s recent history. While the last decade has been a very difficult one for the English giants, perhaps last night was the lowest both the team and fans have felt.
A first-half goal handed Tottenham its first trophy in 17 years as Ange Postecoglou paid back the faith his club has put in him. On the other hand, hard questions are now being asked of Ruben Amorim and whether he deserved to stay at the club.
Man United were the only unbeaten side throughout the competition in their run to the final. Most of the injured players have returned, and Amorim had a strong group of players to choose from. However, despite things looking like they were going United’s way, the players didn’t manage to deliver when it mattered the most.
Man United didn’t create enough chances and failed to control the game. They constantly fell victim to Tottenham’s aggressive pressing and lost the ball in dangerous areas. Luke Shaw was unable to withstand the pressure, Amad Diallo made poor decisions in the final third, and even the reliable Fernandes was wasteful at times.
Man United is slowly losing faith in Ruben Amorim
Despite the team's clear shortcomings, Amorim didn’t immediately rectify the issues in the starting 11. There was visible reinvigoration when Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee were introduced, but the players didn’t have enough time to make the desired impact.
It might not be straightforward to pinpoint where it all went wrong for United. Should the club have sacked Erik ten Hag last summer? Should the club have spent so much money acquiring players for a manager they would eventually go on to fire?
Should they have let club legend Ruud Van Nisterlooy see out the season and build on the initial buzz and excitement he brought to the club? Should they have waited until the summer to bring in a coach with radical ideas? Should the club have backed Amorim well in the January transfer window? It all seems pointless and retrospective now.
Amorim still believes in himself and is confident he can take Man United back to the glory days. Despite his upbeat tone, it is unlikely that many fans still believe in him or the hierarchy, for that matter.
This has been such a forgettable season for United. As many of the players stated in their post-match media duties, they have to ask themselves tough questions, and now there is no room for excuses.