Manchester United fell short in Bilbao and ended up on the losing side of the Europa League final.
After a hugely disappointing Premier League campaign, Manchester United had one chance to salvage their season by winning the Europa League final.
In what was a scrappy final, an own-goal from Luke Shaw at the end of the first half gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over United in the San Mames stadium.
United went into the final with a terrible record against Tottenham and the North London side recorded their fourth victory over the Red Devils this season.
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Winners
Lisandro Martinez
Amorim received plenty of positive injury news ahead of the final but one major absentee was Lisandro Martinez.
Martinez suffered an ACL injury that ruled him out for the season, and along with Matthijs de Ligt, Amorim headed to Bilbao with a weakened defence.
Unfortunately, United’s back-line was disappointing and the Argentine World Cup winner was a big miss.
If anyone doubted his importance in this United side, it was just shown in that final.
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Losers
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Luke Shaw
After his long-awaited return from injury, Luke Shaw worked his way back into Ruben Amorim’s side and earned a starting spot in the final.
However, things turned disastrous when Shaw turned the ball into the back of his own net for Tottenham’s opener.
Shaw still has a future at United, but whether that lies as a centre-back has to be up for debate.
Andre Onana
In January, Amorim wanted two new goalkeepers and in the months since it has been clear why.
Onana was in goal when United won the Europa League in 2017 and he was unable to get his hands on the trophy once again here.
A summer exit is still possible for Onana, and his disappointing display in Bilbao certainly won’t help secure his future as a United player.
Manchester United’s summer transfer plans
Winning the Europa League was hugely important for United’s finances given that Sir Jim Ratcliffe said United were going bust.
Victory in Bilbao would have meant a £100m-plus payday and qualification to the Champions League.
Missing out on both will damage United’s transfer business this summer. United will still overhaul the squad, but without the money from Champions League qualification it will be a much more difficult task.
Bruno Fernandes
After losing the Europa League final in 2021, this was a perfect chance for Bruno Fernandes to redeem himself and get his hands on the trophy.
United’s captain has been superb in Europe this season, but he struggled to make his usual impact in the final.
Amorim started him in central midfield, meaning Bruno Fernandes was unable to threaten going forward as much as usual.
His wait to lift a European cup as a United player continues…
Casemiro
Casemiro was tipped to shine in the final given his experience as a five-time Champions League winner.
The Brazilian midfielder headed to Bilbao boasting an unbeaten record in European finals but it all came to an end here.
Casemiro is one of several United stars who head into the summer with an uncertain future, and while he enjoyed a strong second half to the season, United will need to look beyond him sooner rather than later.