Where should Manchester United go? Analysis of the six major consequences of the UEFA Cup defeat

' Losing to Tottenham in the Europa League final confirmed Manchester United's worst season since relegation in 1974 - a season that is still not over. Even after playing Aston Villa at home this Sunday, everything will not be settled. By then, they may even be overtaken by Tottenham and end the season with 17th place (the last position above the relegation zone).

A few days after this destined to be a funeral-like occasion in Old Trafford, Manchester United will be on the playoff tour with the only goal of barely making some money back. Manchester United does need additional income after losing Champions League qualification and the accompanying £100 million check, but it is undoubtedly a slight injury for Amorin and his players to fly around the world after such a frustrating defeat.

During the 14-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur, the atmosphere in the cabin was doomed to be tense - especially between Amorin and Garnacho, who publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the appearance of the substitute in the Bilbao final and hinted that he might leave the team; Menu may also have the intention to leave, and he only got the opportunity to play in stoppage time; and B Fee will have plenty of time to consider the generous offer from Saudi Arabia.

Amorin himself is likely to have a frank dialogue with Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada, and will also discuss with Sir Ratcliff in the future - as the consequences of the defeat at the St. Mames Stadium gradually emerge.

Ganacho's future is pending

Some players are reluctant to talk about the future immediately after the final, regardless of the outcome. Rooney refused to confirm his departure after winning the UEFA Cup in 2017, although his intention to leave the team was clearly revealed at that time. But others couldn’t remain silent after a roller coaster of the finals – all the depression poured out when the microphone hit her face, which was exactly what Garnacho played in the mixed interview area of ​​San Mames.

Garnacho started all six knockout matches in Manchester United's UEFA Europa League this season, feeling extremely (and reasonable) anger at the abandonment of the final. Mount only made a substitute against Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of the semi-finals and scored twice, but failed to create a substantial threat to Tottenham's defense in the final and was eventually replaced by Garnacho in the 71st minute. Garnacho's appearance immediately brought hope, first forcing Gullermo Vicario to make a key save, and then continued to attack made the right side guarded by Polo.

Garnacho's younger brother Roberto, known for his boldness, posted an angry long article on Ins: "Train hard like a madman, giving all his all in each round of knockout matches, and contributing two goals in the past two finals, but he only gave 19 minutes to take the blame? "Garnacho himself expressed his thoughts when facing reporters in the mixed interview area: "When the team cannot score, there are always more offensive choices, but until before the final, I started every round of knockout matches, but today I can only suffer for 20 minutes on the bench. Now I will try to enjoy the summer vacation and wait and see. "

These remarks completely throw Garnacho's future into fog. Since the Manchester Evening News revealed in December last year that Manchester United is willing to listen to the offer in the January transfer window, its long-term prospects have been full of variables. Naples and Chelsea showed the strongest interest, but neither met Manchester United's £40m valuation. Garnacho and Amorin's tactical system have always been out of place - the Portuguese coach prefers a narrow offensive midfield configuration in the 3-4-2-1 formation rather than a traditional winger tactic. When reporters asked about the decision to abandon Garnacho in the final, Amorin even responded with a sharp rebuttal question: "Who remembers missing a single opportunity against Bilbao in the first leg of the semi-finals? Yes, it is our Mr. Garnacho. "

In the context of Manchester United urgently needing to raise funds through player sales and obvious cracks in the relationship between generals, Garnacho's summer departure seems to be a foregone conclusion.

B fee problem to be solved

Although B fee performed poorly in the finals (only completed one key pass and lost 17 ball rights), it is undeniable that he is still the absolute leader of Manchester United's locker room and an indispensable core on Amorin's tactical board. However, rumors that Saudi giant Riyadh's new moon continues to increase its investment (according to the Daily Mail, a weekly salary of £650,000 for a two-year contract) are forming huge gravity. B Fee rarely lets go at a post-match press conference, suggesting that if the club decides to cash out, he will not set up obstacles.

B Fei rubbed the captain's armband and said: "If the club's senior management thinks it's time to obtain funds by selling players, this is the realistic law of the football world. I always want to create more glory for Manchester United, but if the management evaluates my existence, it has become a financial burden... " He paused for three seconds and added: "We all know that there is no eternity in the football world, just like when I left Sampdoria in 2017. "

This statement has caused Manchester United fans to fall into collective anxiety. Although most diehards still want him to stay in the team, considering that the player will be 31 years old in September and only two years left in the existing contract (including one-year priority renewal clause), if Riyadh New Moon really offers a £80 million offer as the Team News said, it will be difficult for the Glazer family to resist this transaction that is equivalent to three times the introduction price that year.

Menu is inevitable that it will be escaping from the transfer storm. Although the Daily Telegraph revealed in January that Manchester United was considering selling the England international, the developments are quietly changing the direction of the wind in the past three months. Since returning from a medial collateral ligament injury in April, Maynu has only won the starter against Sheffield United, Burnley and Brighton in the Premier League - all three games were scheduled after the Europa League, and he has not entered the starting lineup in any European knockout rounds..

The continuous cold encounter in key battles reached absurd culmination: at night on Saint-Mames, when Manchester United fell behind 0-1 and urgently needed midfield creativity, Amorin did not replace the physically overdrawn Casemiro with Maynu until the 93rd minute - this is not only a blatant contempt for the 2023 Jimmy Murphy Youth Training Award winner, but also violates the logic of competitive: it was the 19-year-old who tied the arc ball in the 87th minute of the second leg of the quarter-finals, saving Manchester United from Lyon's home court hell.

Professional scout report shows that Menu's progressive pass data of 7.3 times per 90 minutes ranks among the top 5% of the players in the same position in the Premier League, and his ability to get rid of it in a small space is even more reminiscent of Modric at his peak. But these traits are hard to find in Amorin's system of emphasis on rapid vertical transmission. As Athletics analyst Michael Cox said: "Watching Maynu wasted his time on the bench is like witnessing Picasso being hired to paint a wall." Less than two years after the night of stunning people in Goodison Park, the Manchester-born genius seemed destined to leave his hometown.

Where does Amorin go?

As the golden ticket to the Champions League was torn apart in Bilbao, the situation of the Portuguese young coach quickly heated up to a core issue in the British football world. After 38 rounds of the league, the bleak record of only 41 points (setting the lowest record in the Premier League era) and only winning one victory in the past 11 rounds, instantly traveling back to the eve of Moyes' dismissal in 2014 - the Scots took over with the halo of "the selected genius" but was fired by lightning because they lost the qualification for the seventh place in the league. Van Gaal (fifth in the league in 2016) and Mourinho (sixth in the league in 2018) also followed this example.

What is more lethal is the internal news disclosed by the Times: Amorin issued a shocking declaration in the locker room "If the club fires me, I will never ask for compensation." Although this double-edged sword shows responsibility, it also reveals its precarious situation. But Sir Ratcliff became a key variable. Not only did Latcliff pay 11 million pounds of liquidated damages from Portugal Sports, but he also paid 14 million pounds of breakup fees for fired Tenhager. If Amorin is fired at this moment, it will mean spending £25 million on the coaching position within three months, which is tantamount to financial suicide for Manchester United, which is fighting for exemptions from the Premier League profit compliance review.

Although La Jue praised in an interview in March: "Amorin is the most tactical and innovative young coach I have ever seen", Manchester United's average score per game has since dropped to 0.8 points (previously 1.5 points). Now B Fee's statement has become a life-saving straw: "It is always easy to change coaches when the performance is not good, but our locker room firmly believes that the coach is creating something special. " Although the "Manwan" poll showed that 72% of fans support changing coaches immediately, all signs indicate that Amorin will stay until at least until the Christmas schedule.

The shrinking recruitment wave and layoffs

The most direct wound to the loss of the UEFA Cup is the black hole in the financial report: the absence of the Champions League means losing at least 80 million pounds of broadcasting share plus 20 million pounds of match-day income. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire estimates that this may cause Manchester United's summer transfer budget to halves from the expected 120 million pounds to 60 million pounds.

Although Wolves midfielder Cunha's £55 million transfer has reached a principled agreement (the installment structure is not affected by Champions League qualification), negotiations on other targets such as Everton central defender Branswaite (priced £70 million) have reached a deadlock. What is even more serious is the landslide of attraction: The Guardian disclosed that in the A-level signing list compiled by Manchester United scouting department, six people have clearly stated that "the Champions League platform is needed".

This dilemma is particularly obvious in Drapp's battle. Although Manchester United scouts followed the Ipswich striker for 18 months, his agent revealed: "Drapp has noticed that Manchester United has missed the Champions League more times in the past five years (3 times) than Chelsea (2 times). " As Newcastle locks in European qualifications and Chelsea can counterattack the top six in the last round, Old Trafford's bargaining chips are continuing to lose.

Manchester United is also overcast: the "Omaha Plan" implemented by Ratcliff after taking office has cut 450 positions (including legendary doctor Robert Sville), and internal emails obtained by the Financial Times showed that football director John Mertaff warned that "there is no rule out further layoffs of 20%". What is even more disturbing is the news circulating at the Carrington base: in order to reduce expenses, the overseas training plan for the youth team below the U18 echelon has been cancelled. The only comfort in the haze comes from the schedule: the absence of European games next season means the luxury of a weekly single game, which is like a cycle of fate - in the 2020/21 season, he used the single-line battle after being eliminated from the qualifying round of the UEFA Cup in Portugal, to lead the team to end the 19-year league championship drought with a terrifying record of 26 wins, 7 draws and 1 loss.

Tactical level, Manchester United coaching staff has begun planning pre-season special training: including a three-week trip to the United States, which will conduct 90 minutes of tactical drills every morning (last season due to commercial activities to 45 minutes). The medical department is preparing to implement the "Muscle Activation Plan" to help Varane, Lima and others restore their physical functions by reducing their flight mileage.

Historical cases provide some hope: Leicester City in the 2015/16 season and Chelsea in the 2020/21 season both took advantage of single-line combat to win the Premier League. As 442 magazine pointed out: "When Manchester United fans wailed for the Europa League defeat, they may have forgotten that Sir Ferguson's first Premier League championship in 1993 was achieved without the ties to the European war. "This cruel May may be breeding strange seeds of the Red Devils' revival.