MANCHESTER UNITED sealed perhaps the most embarrassing season in their history as they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
The Red Devils have had a dismal showing in the Premier League, been dumped from both domestic cups and have now fallen to defeat at their last chance to save their campaign.
GettyManchester United’s dismal season ended in defeat in the Europa League final[/caption]
GettyRuben Amorim’s side have had one of the worst seasons in Manchester United history[/caption]
Their performance in the Europa League final had fans labelling the match the “worst European final ever” as they failed to make 73 PER CENT of possession count, conceding their only shot on target.
It was Brennan Johnson‘ goal that was the difference in the Basque Country as United’s failure to win saw them resigned to their first season outside of Europe since 2015.
That means there will be no European nights for the United fans next term, a reality that won’t just hurt their reputation but also their bank balance.
A season away from Europe’s elite competition will mean a huge hit to the Manchester club’s income streams – missing out on mega TV money.
Their inability to reach Europe via cup success comes after their worst league campaign since the 1973-1974 campaign – a season that they were relegated from the top flight.
United have lost 18 GAMES in the Prem, winning only 10 of their 37 league matches this season.
While nine of those 18 defeats have come at Old Trafford, marking their joint-most home losses in a single league campaign in history.
It is also the worst Premier League points tally ever picked up by United, with their maximum return currently standing at just 42 points – some 16 points less than their previous worst from the 2021/22 season.
ReutersUnited’s campaign has seen them set records with their dismal efforts[/caption]
AlamySir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Alex Ferguson seemed less than impressed in Bilbao[/caption]
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Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand labelled the season as a ‘disaster’ when he told TNT Sports how his former club didn’t even deserve to undo their dismal effort with Europa League glory.
He said: “A disaster of a season ending on a bad note, but I don’t think Man Utd did enough to deserve it.
“There was no real cutting edge in the Man Utd team. All that sustained pressure, the goalkeeper [Guglielmo Vicario] made one save in the whole game – you can’t expect to win a trophy when you’re a bit reserved.”
Boss Ruben Amorim has been unable to turn things around since his arrival at Old Trafford in November, replacing Erik ten Hag.
Across the 26 league matches he has managed, Amorim has averaged less than a point per game (0.92) – winning just six of those games.
But even the Portuguese manager knows that his tenure has not been good enough, hinting earlier this month that he could walk if he can’t turn things around.
He said: “The final is not the issue. We have bigger things to think about. I’m talking about myself and the culture in the club and the culture in the team. We need to change that.
“It’s a decisive moment in the history of the club. We need to be really strong in the summer and to be brave because we will not have a next season like this.
“If we start like this, if the feeling is still here, we should give the space to different people.”
Amorim wants to be strong in the summer, but a lack of European money and no lure of Champions League football will make bringing big names through the door even harder.
Links to bottom-half Prem clubs’ wantaway stars – such as Liam Delap and Matheus Cunha – will fail to excited the majority of United fans who are aware of the mammoth task at hand for the club’s staff.
For now Amorim will have to focus on Sunday, dusting off yet another knockout blow to try and end the season on a high note with a win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Should they not do that they will have yet another mark against their name, failing to reach the traditional ‘Magic 40 points’ that has historically guaranteed a team’s safety in the Premier League.
Amorim will have to spark his team into life to win on SundayGetty Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
