After failing to deliver in the Europa League final, it’s time to dissect the many reasons it went so wrong for Manchester United in Bilbao.
Manchester United were unbeaten in the Europa League until the final.
The Red Devils suffered a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur and missed out on a chance to secure Champions League qualification.
Brennan Johnson scored the only goal before half-time as United failed to respond.
The defeat adds pressure on Ruben Amorim ahead of next season, when there will be expectations to improve on this season’s finish, with the team positioned 16th in the table with one match remaining.
It doesn’t help that United’s first team performed poorly against Tottenham in the final, missing a golden opportunity to win a trophy and give something back to the fans that followed them far and wide throughout such a difficult season.
Many questions are being asked about some of the decisions made by Amorim, which is inevitable when United lose a final following an abysmal performance.
Ruben Amorim overlooked Manuel Ugarte
One of the big decisions Amorim made for the final was to leave Manuel Ugarte out of the starting line-up.
The Uruguayan partnered with Casemiro in midfield during the previous rounds of the Europa League, but this time Amorim decided to drop a player he had trusted during their time together at Sporting CP.
Ugarte’s omission from the line-up meant Bruno Fernandes was asked to play in a deeper role, which backfired, and Mason Mount was kept on the pitch for far too long in one of the number 10 roles.
While Ugarte’s combativeness may not have made enough of a difference to turn the tie around, the changes led to United’s Player of the Year being shoehorned into a different position.
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 45 | 2 | 6 |
The latest reports suggest Amorim wants United to target players with three key traits for his midfield: pace, power and athleticism.
Amorim’s decision to bench Ugarte could say a lot about what he thinks of United’s £42 million signing, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
The United head coach may have trusted him before, but signs for change exist, and his exclusion from the XI raises questions about Ugarte’s adaptation to playing against Premier League opposition.
Amorim stuck to his Ugarte promise
Shortly after becoming United head coach in November, Amorim issued a warning to Ugarte and he has stuck to his word.
Amorim warned the 24-year-old that he wouldn’t receive preferential treatment because of their history together.
It may seem harsh, but that is exactly what happened. Ugarte has performed well under Amorim, but his levels dipped in recent weeks.
Amorim told TNT Sports (via The Mirror) at the time: “First of all, all the Uruguayans I’ve managed are incredible and that’s why I love all Uruguayans. Ugarte is a very talented kid, he has a lot of room to grow, and he was one of the funniest players I’ve ever coached.
He added: “I was very happy to know I would find him back at Manchester United, but he knows better than anyone that for me all players are equal, so I was very happy, but he is still going to have to work hard.”
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