Manchester United brought this most horrendous of seasons to a close as Ruben Amorim’s men met Aston Villa at Old Trafford, amid supporters’ protests against the club’s owners, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family
And just look that, it’s all over. Manchester United’s most horrendous of all seasons, their most dire Premier League campaign since the league’s inception, is complete.
My word how they’ll hope there’s no repeat. However, unless there’s major, major change over the next three months to an unprecedented degree, next season may well be as much of a struggle as this one has been.
In the end they finish 15th in the Premier League table. A final day victory at Old Trafford over Aston Villa that was nothing if not controversial sees them rise a place in the final reckoning, having been 16th before kickoff. Not that it matters, save for a few million quid.
Goals from Amad – one of their stars this season, enjoying a really smart breakthrough campaign – and a penalty from the soon-to-be departed Christian Eriksen, both late in the day, ensured the three points on a day where supporters protested outside the ground against the club’s owners, the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Alejandro Garnacho was dumped from the squad, with his future now almost certainly set to be elsewhere.
Amorim insists the Argentine will be part of the club’s post-season tour and that he’s still a Manchester United player. He may well head on the former, but whether he truly is the latter, we’ll only find out when the August transfer deadline has been and gone.
READ MORE: Aston Villa boss Unai Emery confronts officials in tunnel after huge Man Utd controversyREAD MORE: Premier League Match Centre issue statement as Aston Villa denied crucial goal at Man Utd
As usual, Bruno Fernandes played his part, his lovely chipped ball finding Amad for the opener against 10-men Villa, for whom Emi Martinez was sent off in the first half for what can only be described as a rush of blood to the head.
That looked like being the day’s main talking point in Manchester, the defining moment as the Villans missed out on a spot in the Champions League. But with the scores still goalless, and with less than 20 minutes remaining, it was rendered obsolete by the refereeing error that will leave Aston Villa furious.
Morgan Rogers put the ball into the net but was deemed to have fouled goalkeeper Altay Bayindir in the build up. Referee Thomas Bramall blew his whistle very quickly – but it wasn’t even a foul.
And because Bramall blew his whistle, the decision couldn’t be changed by the Video Assistant Referees.
A statement from the Premier League Match Centre declared: “The referee’s call was a free kick to Manchester United with Bayindir deemed to be in control of the ball before Rogers gained possession. The whistle was blown by the referee before the ball entered the goal, therefore the incident was not reviewable by the VAR.”
Their fury was compounded by Amad and Eriksen’s goals – the penalty decision for the latter leading Unai Emery to applaud sarcastically in his technical area. Emery followed the officials down the tunnel to vent his frustrations, unsurprisingly.
One touching note in the second half came as Jonny Evans was brought on for his 241st and final United appearance. He’s leaving at the end of the season when his contract runs out and looks likely to retire. Still, among many United fans, there remains puzzlement that Louis van Gaal allowed him to leave – for just £6million – to West Bromwich Albion when in his prime 10 years ago.
He won’t be a part of what Amorim hopes will be a new-look United next season. Nor will Eriksen, who confirmed post-match: “I wish Man Utd and the fans all the best. Incredible stadium and club, they will be back at the top at some point I’m sure.”
They won’t be the only ones.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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