On Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur were crowned Europa League champions at the expense of a woeful Manchester United, resulting in them having no European football next season.
Poor League Form
It’s no secret that both clubs have been below par this campaign, and their league position is nowhere near good enough. The managers have been open and honest in assessing their teams’ performances. We’ve heard Ruben Amorim come out countless times and say that United will suffer and that a cultural change is required at the club.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the start of the season, Ange stated that he always wins a trophy in his second year. There was huge pressure riding on this game, with victory saving the season for one of these teams.
Spurs Triumph
The Australian was true to his word as Spurs lifted the Europa League trophy, their first European trophy since 1984 and first of any silverware for 17 years. A huge moment in Tottenham’s history as they can now move away from the ‘Spursy’ label they were once branded with.
Whilst the game was of very poor quality, Tottenham broke the deadlock just before half time, thanks to a scrappy Brennan Johnson goal who converted Pape Sarr’s cross from the left flank, after the ball ricocheted off Luke Shaw’s arm. The second half was a mature performance from Spurs all around.
For almost the entirety of the half, Spurs sat back, inviting pressure from a Manchester United team that has scored just 42 goals in the league this season. Albeit this was in a different competition, it was all too easy to deal with despite Man United’s possession, other than an acrobatic clearance off the line from Micky Van Der Ven to deny a Rasmus Højlund header.
Even with injuries to key players like Maddison, Kulusevski, and Bergvall, the Spurs won the title.
Where It Went Wrong for United
Man United were not good enough to win the final. Some of the big players did not turn up. Bruno Fernandes struggled to get into the game, giving the ball away in the build-up to Tottenham’s goal. Amorim chose to start Mason Mount after his recent star performance in the second leg of the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao.
He barely touched the ball, particularly in the first half, and when he did, little came from it. Man United lacked real creativity, and for most of the second half, they were forced by a compact Spurs defence to play it out wide and whip balls into the box, which Tottenham were comfortable dealing with.
Poor Team Selection
Questions were asked about Amorim’s team selection and whether changing the pivot in midfield from Ugarte to Bruno was the right move. Ugarte and Casemiro had started both legs of the quarter-finals and semi-finals together, and United were undefeated in the competition going into the match.
The Man United manager didn’t make a substitution until the 70th minute, which many believed was too late. The lack of urgency was clearly visible on the pitch. There was also no space for Garnacho in the team.
He had started every knockout game leading up to the final and was quick to voice his opinion on the managers’ selection after the game, highlighting that he played just 20 minutes. This has left his future with the club in doubt after links surfaced in January that the Argentine was going to part ways with United.
Is Amorim the Right Fit?
Amorim was believed to be one of the best up-and-coming managers in world football before his appointment to the Red Devils in November of last year, but winning just 6 of his 25 league matches in charge is not the new manager bounce the club had desired. Always as open and honest as ever in interviews, Amorim insists he is the right man for the job, and he is confident in the way that he wants to play football.
His 3-4-2-1 system has been complicated for current players to adapt to. He demands high press from his players, with wing-backs who like to get forward and deliver balls into the box. The biggest issue he has had this season is United’s clear lack of goal threat.
Højlund has scored six goals in the Europa League, more than he’s managed in the Premier League, where he has only found the net 4 times in 31 league matches. Meanwhile, his Counterpart Joshua Zirkzee has scored just three after making 32 appearances this term.
It’s likely Amorim will stay and have a chance of rebuilding with a full preseason, but it will now be difficult to attract a certain calibre of player because there will be no Champions League football next season. Eyes will be firmly on the Portuguese from the ownership this August, as the manager will be walking a thin line if results don’t improve.
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