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Manchester United were angling for one of their most successful seasons in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Having finished second in the Premier League, all that remained was a trophy to boot.
The Europa League final against Villarreal on Wednesday presented the perfect opportunity for the Red Devils to finish the season with a trophy.
However, they ended up bottling it. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side simply did not turn up and were shambolic for the majority of the game.
The Norwegian’s tenure at Old Trafford has been characterized by near misses and that, as uncomfortable as it sounds, is beginning to define his managerial career.
Red Devils fall to Villarreal
This was undoubtedly Manchester United's biggest game in the last four years and it was supposed to be the crowning moment for all of their hard work.
Solskjaer has done really well to qualify the team for the Champions League but that is not enough for a team of Manchester United’s standing, who are meant to be winning trophies each year.
Against Villarreal, Solskjaer didn’t do enough to help his side when they were struggling. The Spanish team came with a clear plan and wanted to take the game to penalties.
Unfortunately, Manchester United allowed them to have it their way. The lack of game management from Solskjaer and delayed substitutions pointed to a manager who still has a lot to learn.
In the end, United have once again fallen short after coming so close to winning a trophy, and the 11-10 penalty shootout defeat will certainly play on the minds of their players and manager for years to come.
Manchester United’s trophy drought continues
It is now four years since Manchester United won any major piece of silverware after Jose Mourinho led them to win the Carabao Cup and Europa League in 2017.
Since then, it’s been one disappointment after another. Solskjaer has done well to make the team competitive again but the lack of trophies has become very concerning.
"We need to get better, simple as. We've done really well this season coming through. The start was difficult. We had no pre-season and lost three of the first six,” Solskjaer said after the game, as quoted by the BBC.
"We pushed in the league, maybe got closer to the top than we thought and we got to a final. But you need to win the finals to make it a good season."
It is a great achievement for Manchester United to finish second in the Premier League, but a trophy would have made the season perfect.
Unfortunately, though, Solskjaer and his charges couldn’t make it happen after failing to turn up in a major European final.
