The Red Devils capped off a terrible season with a loss in the Europa League final
Manchester United closed the season in a terrible fashion. The signs had been there for weeks: a team without clear ideas, with constant ups and downs and a lost identity. The appointment of Ruben Amorim raised expectations, but those illusions faded with each matchday. The Europa League offered a lifeline. A European title, a place in the Champions League, something to rescue a disappointing season. But at the crucial moment, they failed again. The mood at Old Trafford has been charged for some time, and this defeat to a Tottenham side that didn’t shine either has only intensified the feeling that everything is out of control.
The game against Spurs was not worthy of a European final. Little football, few ideas and a total lack of courage. Tottenham’s goal served more as a punishment than a reward. Manchester United had barren possession, failed to break lines, failed to find space. Amorim took too long to make changes, his decisions seemed disconnected from the rhythm of the game. Some players disappeared from the game and no one took leadership. In a final, that kind of attitude is costly, and it wasn’t enough to get there; you had to want to win it. United didn’t want it enough.
Rio Ferdinand calls out Ruben Amorim for playing 26-year-old flop in the final of the Europa League
Rio Ferdinand made key points after the game. His frustration showed, and rightly so. He criticised the manager’s passivity, the under-performance of key players and the team’s lack of ability to generate real danger. The former United player is right that there was no aggression. In a final, if the opposing goalkeeper only makes one save, that speaks more about your inefficiency than his talent. It is valid to demand more. However, you have to go further. This was not just a bad night; it was a reflection of a structure that long ago stopped working. Amorim arrived late and found a soulless dressing room.
Why did Rio Ferdinand criticize Ruben Amorim's tactics and late substitutions in the Europa League final?
Why did Rio Ferdinand criticize Ruben Amorim’s tactics and late substitutions in the Europa League final?
“I was sitting with Gareth Bale, Glen Hoddle, Scholes and all of us sitting there were wondering when he (Amorim) is going to make a change. I just thought the game needed a spark and a different reference point. Rasmus was not getting any ball, Mason Mount was not getting high enough to really affect the game. Amad in the second half wasn’t really doing what he was doing in the first half. We had no cutting edge, no cutthroat football at all and again no ability to just play the ball, a direct ball behind the team and say right, run on to it. We just looked flat. We started putting them on the back foot, putting balls into areas. The keeper has made one save today. He has made just one save, a good save, but just one save. You are going to the final with the opposition keeper just making one save, you don’t deserve to win the football match.”
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For Manchester United to dig itself out of this hole, transfers or a new manager are not enough. The club need an internal redesign, a return to footballing values and, above all, collective commitment. Tottenham’s model in this final was simple but effective: order, concentration and hunger. United showed none of those qualities. There is individual talent, but no one seems willing to suffer for the shield. The team plays without connection between the lines, and that, in part, falls on Amorim. But it also points to flawed planning from the top.
Now, an alternative view might put the spotlight on the players. It is not all the coach’s fault. On the pitch, there were experienced stars who failed to make a difference. Some youngsters deflated, maybe Amorim waited because he looked at the bench and didn’t see anything better. That is also a structural problem. In short, Ferdinand is right, but it is not enough to point the finger at one. The Manchester United of today is a reflection of years of failed decisions. If not acted upon intelligently, the future will not bring finals, only more bitter failures.