Flop season, says Ole

GDANSK (Poland) • After a disappointing start to the season, Manchester United ended up an unexpected second in the Premier League and finished runners-up in the Europa League final, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted that only titles matter at Old Trafford.

United lost the Europa League final 11-10 on penalties following a 1-1 draw against Villarreal on Wednesday, leaving the club without a trophy since 2017.

"It's not a successful season of course," Solskjaer said after goalkeeper David de Gea had his spot kick saved by counterpart Geronimo Rulli, who had just scored what was to be the winning penalty. "Sometimes one kick defines a season as a good one and sometimes a kick defines it's not.

"The boys came up just short tonight unfortunately. We didn't turn up. We didn't play as well as we know we can. We were disappointed to concede a goal on a set play. We pushed, we pressed, we got a goal. But after we scored, we didn't control the game or dominate as we wanted.

"Trophies matter at this club so no it's not a successful season. It's the short answer."

On the night, United fell behind after Gerard Moreno steered the ball past de Gea from Dani Parejo's free kick to open the scoring in the 29th minute.

They levelled 10 minutes into the second half when Edinson Cavani poked the ball home after collecting Marcus Rashford's deflected shot, but they did not have the creativity - or the bench - to add another and were left ruing their two runners-up spots this season.

"Second doesn't count for nothing. Manchester City won the league, we finished second. Villarreal won the Europa League, we finished second. For us it's nothing," said Rashford, who was subjected to "at least 70 racial slurs" following a lacklustre display.

Solskjaer, who admitted he had considered replacing de Gea with Dean Henderson for the shoot-out given the Spaniard's terrible record - 36 without a save after Wednesday's game - added that he was hoping the club would recruit in the summer to strengthen his starting 11 for next season.

"We've probably done as well as anyone could imagine, but we need to do better," he said.

"Two or three players to strengthen the starting XI and squad is important for us to go further and improve."

4 Unai Emery is the first coach to win the Europa League four times - thrice with Sevilla (2014, 2015, 2016).

4 Straight seasons Manchester United are without a title. Their longest barren spell in the modern era was from 1978 to 1982.

36 Straight penalties conceded by David de Gea for United. The last time he saved a spot kick was against Romelu Lukaku in the FA Cup semi-final win over Everton in 2016. Since then, fellow United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has saved six penalties.

His remarks echoed the views of former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who said last week that "United need a centreback, a right winger and probably a defensive midfield player".

While the United hierarchy is likely to back Solskjaer, who is out of contract at the end of next season, the defeat exposed the magnitude of the rebuilding task for the 48-year-old. His refusal to make a substitution until the 100th minute suggested little faith in a bench that lacked game changers with the exception of influential injured captain Harry Maguire.

By then, Villarreal had already been playing with five fresh players and, although United did finally make five changes themselves, two - Juan Mata and Alex Telles - were specifically brought on with the penalty shoot-out in mind.

Despite steering United to successive top-three finishes in the Premier League, catching Pep Guardiola's City next season still appears a distant prospect for Solskjaer.

The Red Devils were just the fourth team to go through an English top-flight campaign undefeated away from home. But their tally of 74 points this term would have secured United only third, third, fifth and sixth-placed finishes in the previous four seasons.

"We need to use that disappointment. It is the worst feeling, these are the moments you remember most in your career as a player and a manager," added Solskjaer, whose own big-game credentials have been questioned.

"You can either go on holiday and do nothing about it, or go home and come back and do better, come back hungrier."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS