The morning after the night before. The dust has begun to settle on what was a grim night for Manchester United and Ruben Amorim, having come up short against a stubborn Tottenham Hotspur side in Bilbao.
A brilliant defence performance from the north Londoners, which included an acrobatic goalline clearance from Micky van de Ven to deny Rasmus Hojlund, was enough to keep United at bay, with the Old Trafford side again failing to fire in the final third.
Indeed, Wednesday’s 1-0 loss marked the 16th time this season that the Red Devils have failed to score in a game in all competitions, 15 of which have come amid the club’s dour Premier League campaign.
As was evident at San Mames, there really is a lack of cutting edge when it matters most, with Amorim – should he remain at the helm as expected – needing to find a way to revive and reinvigorate his floundering frontline next term.
Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore
How Man Utd's attacking came up short again
The obvious place to start is, of course, with that man Hojlund, with the 22-year-old on the periphery for large spells of the game, aside from that one rare opening following Guglielmo Vicario’s wayward parry.
While the Dane could have done little more to try and convert that chance, there was a sense that it simply wouldn’t be United’s night when Van de Ven heroically sprung into action, having offered little else in the way of creativity or productivity.
Indeed, the usually influential Bruno Fernandes also chose the wrong time to go off the boil, with the 30-year-old notably losing the ball twice in the build-up to Brennan Johnson’s decisive strike, while registering just three key passes in total, as per Sofascore.
There was none of the usual genius from the Portuguese star, while ahead of him, the initially lively Amad Diallo swiftly went off the boil, having at one stage looked like Amorim’s key threat down the right flank.
The Ivorian speedster did produce a fierce effort that fizzed across the box in the first half, although he was unable to conjure much else after the break, notably losing the ball on 19 occasions, while winning just six of his 16 total duels.
In truth, United’s tactic appeared to be to give the ball to Amad and pray, with little other inspiration provided elsewhere, namely from a certain Mason Mount…
The Man Utd star who will be replaced by Cunha
Despite fading late on, Amad showed enough to prove why he will likely be a key figure for Amorim next term, with the 22-year-old no doubt hoping to nail down that right-sided number ten berth for the long term.
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On the opposite side, it would appear that the club are closing in on the capture of Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman, Matheus Cunha, with the Brazilian expected to sign regardless of United’s failure to secure Champions League qualification.
With 15 goals to his name in the top-flight this season, the former Atletico Madrid man has been earmarked to bolster Amorim’s options in those playmaking berths, having already thrived in that role at Molineux.
On the evidence of Wednesday evening, the 25-year-old could well walk into the side next term at Old Trafford, not least with Mount proving unable to warrant the faith placed in him by his manager.
In Amorim’s defence, there was logic in selecting the Englishman for a game of such magnitude, with the 26-year-old having started in that role for both Chelsea and England in the Champions League and European Championship finals in 2021, respectively.
Equally, the £55m playmaker had also scored a stunning brace to “change the game” against Athletic Club in the semi-final, second-leg – as Amorim noted – while the man he had replaced, Alejandro Garnacho, was guilty of missing a “big opportunity” in that last-four clash.
Mount subsequently got the nod at San Mames, although much like his United career as a whole, it was a largely forgettable outing. There were a few nice twists and turns, particularly prior to his withdrawal, although nothing of substance.
2017 vs Ajax
2021 vs Villarreal
2025 vs Spurs
GK – Sergio Romero
GK – David De Gea
GK – Andre Onana
RB – Antonio Valencia
RB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka
RCB – Leny Yoro
CB – Chris Smalling
CB – Eric Bailly
CB – Harry Maguire
CB – Daley Blind
CB – Victor Lindelof
LCB – Luke Shaw
LB – Matteo Darmian
LB – Luke Shaw
RWB – Noussair Mazraoui
CM – Paul Pogba
CM – Paul Pogba
CM – Casemiro
CM – Ander Herrera
CM – Scott McTominay
CM – Bruno Fernandes (C)
CAM – Marouane Fellaini
CAM – Bruno Fernandes (C)
LWB – Patrick Dorgu
LM – Henrikh Mkhitaryan
LW – Marcus Rashford
RAM – Amad Diallo
RM – Juan Mata
RW – Mason Greenwood
LAM – Mason Mount
ST – Marcus Rashford
ST – Edinson Cavani
ST – Rasmus Hojlund
That is best illustrated by the fact that he recorded just 25 touches in total, three fewer than teammate Andre Onana achieved in the sticks, while also registering just eight passes in total as he remained on the fringes.
In truth, those watching on were merely waiting for the moment that Amorim would throw Garnacho into the fray, with Mount unable to repay the public faith shown to him by the former Sporting CP boss of late.
With just four goals to his name in 45 games for United to date, the ex-Blues star is running out of time to turn things around at the Theatre of Dreams.
The problem is, with an in-form figure like Cunha set to enter the building, he seemingly won’t be afforded the time he needs. Football is a ruthless game, if you don’t take your chances – as Mount did not on Wednesday night – there can be few complaints.
Not just Hojlund: 4/10 dud must now never play for Man Utd again
Man Utd’s grim season ended with a whimper in Bilbao on Wednesday evening
1 ByRobbie WallsMay 22, 2025
