Man United have gone backwards under Ruben Amorim and there’s only one way out

The extent of a desperate rebuild was made clear by defeat in the Europa League final

While Ruben Amorim was talking about staying but staring at the floor, Luke Shaw looked like he was going to let it all out. The left-back, who was inadvertently responsible for the Europa League final’s decisive own goal, seemed on the brink of tears. Sir Jim Ratcliffe was understood to be “heartbroken”. There was a “numbness” inside Manchester United.

After all the talk of what the Europa League to the club meant financially, you could now see the true emotional cost. United figures felt humiliated, fully aware this was going to be a fall-out like no other in football.

Amorim, for his part, didn’t want to do the supporters the disservice of defending the season; of going through the motions of insisting it will be better.