With the disappointment of Wednesday night still lingering, the post-mortem can continue for those of a Manchester United persuasion, with the focus now on what lies ahead for the INEOS regime, and for Ruben Amorim.
For a manager who has lost 14 of his 26 Premier League games since arriving in November, the Portuguese coach has largely managed to retain the goodwill of supporters until now, although even he can not be free of responsibility for the dour display in Bilbao.
This may not be his squad, although the 40-year-old’s decision to remain wedded to his 3-4-3 system has thus far backfired, with the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur marking the 16th time this season that United have failed to score in all competitions.
That has come amid an at-times pragmatic approach from the Sporting CP boss, a fact perhaps outlined best with the decision to select Mason Mount ahead of Alejandro Garnacho against Spurs. A man who boasts just four goals and one assist in 45 games for the club got the nod over a player who has 21 goal involvements this season alone.
Such a decision made the headlines both pre and post-match, not least with Amorim pointing out that it was Garnacho who missed a “big opportunity” in the semi-final second-leg against Athletic Club, while Mount subsequently “changed the game”.
With the ex-Chelsea man proceeding to play on the periphery last night, Amorim’s choice not to make a change until the closing stages requires scrutiny, with the manager’s substitutions – or lack of – perhaps showcasing some worrying signs for sections of his squad.
Amorim's substitutions under the microscope
Whether Erik ten Hag’s successor got his starting lineup right or wrong is up for debate, although a more pressing issue is quite why he took so long to alter proceedings, not least with his side continuing to toil in the second half.
It wasn’t until the 70-minute mark that Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee were finally introduced, with the pair hardly afforded much time to make an impact up against a retreating and stubborn Spurs backline.
Even fewer minutes were granted to Kobbie Mainoo at the death – prior to the introduction of Diogo Dalot minutes earlier – with that lack of involvement marking the playmaker’s slide down the pecking order following last year’s FA Cup final heroics.
Like Garnacho, Mainoo’s future has already been in doubt heading into the summer window, with his inability to force his way into Amorim’s starting lineup only set to further heighten that uncertainty.
Of greater concern may be among those who failed to even make it off the bench at all, however, with it difficult to understand why the struggling Luke Shaw was not replaced, particularly with the exciting Ayden Heaven waiting in the wings.
Equally, the man who had started in all four games in the quarter-final and semi-final, Manuel Ugarte, was also an unused option on the night, with the Uruguayan in danger of drifting into Donny van de Beek territory under Amorim’s watch.
Man Utd's new Donny van de Beek
Failed signings have been the theme of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, none more so than that of Van de Beek, with the Dutchman signed on a £40m deal in the summer of 2020, despite suggestions that then-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen on alternative targets.
The former Ajax man – who had reached the Champions League semi-final under Ten Hag in 2019 – went on to start just four league games in his debut campaign under Solskjaer, prior to not making a single start in the opening of the following season.
Following a loan switch to Everton, the hope was that the arrival of his compatriot in the dugout would alter proceedings, albeit with the playmaker unable to force his way into Ten Hag’s plans. Indeed, just eight league appearances came his way under the Dutch coach, prior to being sold to Girona for just £500k last summer.
Erik ten Hag
12
0
0
Michael Carrick
3
0
0
Ralf Rangnick
5
0
0
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
42
2
2
Total
62
2
2
In many ways, Ugarte’s tale looks to be following a similar path, with reports indicating that Ten Hag wasn’t wholly in favour of the £42m move last year, particularly with Scott McTominay’s exit sanctioned to fund the move.
The ex-Paris Saint-Germain man made just seven appearances under the 55-year-old before he was sacked, with the appointment of Amorim looking like the perfect fit amid their prior Sporting relationship. Indeed, Ugarte had played 85 games under the Portuguese in Lisbon.
While the midfield “monster” – as described by Statman Dave – has since made 34 appearances following Amorim’s appointment, chipping in with two goals and six assists, it hasn’t all been plain sailing.
Indeed, against Athletic Club, the defensive-minded asset was particularly poor, despite racking up two assists in the first leg, having lost the ball on 27 occasions across the two legs combined.
That erratic nature on the ball perhaps resulted in Amorim’s decision to leave Ugarte out of Wednesday’s showpiece, instead favouring the experienced pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as part of the midfield two.
For the all-action Uruguay international to not be able to get the nod in such an important fixture, particularly considering he has thrived in Amorim’s 3-4-3 before, should have alarm bells ringing.
If he can’t earn the trust of a manager he is familiar with – much like Van de Beek and Ten Hag – then there should certainly be reason for concern.
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ByRobbie WallsMay 22, 2025
