Man United fell apart on the pitch in Bilbao - and then they fell apart off it
Man Utd turned in a woeful performance in the Europa League final and then contrived to sound like a team falling apart after the game.
The appointment of Ruben Amorim was supposed to be the start of a new era at Manchester United, but as Amorim and his players trudged out of the San Mames stadium in the early hours of Thursday morning, it felt more like the end.
For months, this team had survived an ordeal of Thursday night highwire acts, but they could never escape their reality. One false step in the Europa League would transform them from a team chasing glory to one stripped of its protective layer.
So when they were finally exposed in Bilbao, they looked more vulnerable than at any point this season. Within seconds of full-time, the United end had virtually emptied, furious at the meekness of the performance they had just seen in a European final.
By the time those supporters were back in the bars around Plaza Nueva or in buses and taxis back to Santander, San Sebastian, or Vitoria, they would have been reading about Amorim's offer to walk away without a penny in compensation if United decide he isn't the man for the job.
The majority of these supporters still back the 40-year-old - although some are now harbouring doubts - and he will get support at Old Trafford on Sunday, but Ineos will surely give that offer at least some consideration. Sir Jim Ratcliffe likes the way Amorim shoots from the hip, but words will only get you so far.
It is deeds that will keep Amorim in a job. He has now lost 16 of his 41 games in charge and is primarily the head coach associated with the club's worst season in 51 years. The players will carry that stain with them as well.
By my reckoning, it's been three years since a United player last spoke to the written media in a mixed zone after a Premier League defeat, when David de Gea volunteered for a mea culpa after the 4-0 loss at Brentford. As part of their UEFA obligations, three players had to stand on a podium and talk into a microphone in the bowels of San Mames.
Luke Shaw was up first, and the emotion was writ large on his face. One colleague remarked afterwards that he thought Shaw might actually burst into tears. He wore a haunted, pained expression and struggled to find the right words. Anyone who says these players donât care enough should have taken one look at Shaw and realised that is the wrong diagnosis.
His introspective assessment that every player in that dressing room should be assessing whether they are good enough to remain at Old Trafford drew headlines and respect. He has been here 11 years and has seen the club's decline first-hand. This, now, is surely rock bottom, so how did we get to this point?
Shaw stared back, gave the question plenty of thought, and then began, "Honestly, I don't know." It was honest and raw. Like Diogo Dalot, who would follow, he pinned the blame on the players rather than the manager.
But after Amorim had offered to quit, captain Bruno Fernandes made it clear that he would be willing to leave if United decided the time was right to cash in on him. It's impossible not to feel for Fernandes in these situations.
He has carried this team on his back for five-and-a-half years, and his general excellence has delivered him a League Cup and an FA Cup medal. He turns 31 in four months and will spend next season without any European football and must surely realise that trying to drive this club back to the top will now take the rest of his career. He can't be blamed for at least leaving the door ajar to a departure.
Six months after Amorim's appointment, this night felt like the end of something. Shaw, Fernandes, and Dalot backed their manager, at least, but it's clear they feel standards aren't being met. Their demands on each other aren't high enough.
On the opposite side of the room, Alejandro Garnacho opted to speak to the Spanish press, and it was clear the 20-year-old had a lot to get off his chest. Garnacho was livid not to start, having begun all six knockout ties to this point. He was even angrier to only get 19 minutes off the bench.
As he walked past the bank of cameras, his brother had already accused Amorim of throwing him "under the bus," and Garnacho pulled no punches either.
"Our season was s---,â he said. "We didnât beat anyone in the league."
When he was asked about not starting, his facial expression and a deep sigh during his answer betrayed his emotions even more than his words did.
"Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today⌠I donât know. Iâm going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next," he said.
It's no secret that United are also tempted to cash in on Garnacho. After Wednesday evening, he could be tempted to look for an exit.
So there will be no silverware to save a dreadful season. No ticket to the Champions League and no ÂŁ100m boost to the revenues at Old Trafford.
It didn't take long for the regret and recriminations to kick in in Bilbao, and at the end of the night, so many questions remained: Will Sir Jim Ratcliffe take Amorim up on his offer? Is there any way back for Garnacho? Is this the end of the road for Fernandes?
And if the players are blaming each other, how does Amorim, or whoever the manager is, rekindle a fractured team spirit?
A night that could have helped kickstart the Amorim era ended up feeling like it might already be close to the end.
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