Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set up this Europa League meeting with Sevilla by insisting "semi-finals are not good enough for Manchester United". They are certainly not good enough when you keep losing them.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set up this Europa League meeting with Sevilla by insisting "semi-finals are not good enough for Manchester United". They are certainly not good enough when you keep losing them.
It sums up this United side who have been exposed as nearly men - Solskjaer's first full campaign as Manchester United manager given respectability by finishing third in the Premier League with a recovery built on the signing of the outstanding Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January.
In reality, a top-four place with its reward of a spot in next season's Champions League must be the minimum requirement for a club of Manchester United's status and ambition. Solskjaer will understand that as well as anyone.
United have now gone three seasons without a trophy for the first time in more than 30 years. As United let the pain of defeat sink in, several clues emerged as to their weaknesses and how they must be addressed.
It was easy to see why Solskjaer craves the added pace and creativity of Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, as superiority and chances were wasted in a siege at the start of the second half when he would have backed Anthony Martial to beat Sevilla's excellent keeper Yassine Bounou with at least one of the opportunities he had.
United's lack of ruthlessness always risked haunting them against Sevilla, the Europa League specialists who won the tournament three times in succession not so long ago, and they paid the heaviest price when former Newcastle United forward Luuk de Jong swept in a cross from Jesus Navas, once of Manchester City with 12 minutes remaining.
Line ID @ufa98v2