Three things Manchester United need to do next after Europa League let-down

Chris Hatherall on three areas United need to improve in after their Europa League exit to Sevilla

Sevilla's Luuk de Jong celebrates after scoring the winner in Cologne. (Ina Fassbender/Pool Via AP)

Strengthen in several key areas

Manchester United, despite their wonderful attacking talent, are still short of the greatest teams in Europe and defeat against Sevilla reminded us that even the club’s much-vaunted front three of Rashford, Greenwood and Martial lack ruthlessness in key moments and need competition if they are to drag United on to greater things.

So, although the priority is to strengthen in defensive areas — a world class centre-half to push Victor Lindelof and a defensive midfielder to challenge Nemanja Matic for a start — serious money also has to be spent up front. United cannot allow the race for Jadon Sancho or Jack Grealish to peter out — and a central striker with a ruthless streak such as Wolverhampton’s Raul Jimenez — wouldn’t go amiss either given the chances missed in Cologne on what should have been a glory night but ended in frustration. Gary Neville believes United need to spend €200m to even start closing the 37-point gap on Premier League winners Liverpool, and he may be right.

Strip away some of old guard

There are players Old Trafford who have been around too long without contributing and who need to move on. Jones, Dalot, Bailly, Rojo, Pereira, Lingard — and maybe even the popular Juan Mata who has given great service but seems to be out of favour. Some of those were on the bench in Cologne but when United needed inspiration to save the game – as Solskajer so famously did as a player in Munich in 1999– the bench looked thin and lacking in options.

With Chris Smalling and Alexis Sanchez currently out on loan and not keen to return to Old Trafford, either, it is clear there’s work to do if Solskjaer is to have a bench to compete with Europe’s best next season.

This squad has looked tired for several weeks now and it needs a refresh.

Continue developing their young players

The performance of young players such as Mason Greenwood (18), Marcus Rashford (22), Aaron Wan Bissaka (22), Dan James (22), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (22), Scott McTominay (23) and Brandon Williams (19) has been important in United’s season, especially after a period under Jose Mourinho when he shied away from backing the club’s historic faith in youth. 

Solskjaer has improved the performance of all those players as well as revitalising Anthony Martial, who is still only 24, and he further underlined his philosophy by including teenage centre-back Teden Mengi on the bench in Germany plus Northern Ireland youngster Ethan Galbraith in the squad. Removing some of the deadwood could help him give those players more time next season. There are still signs of real development in this United side despite Europa League disappointment.