Manchester United confirm unstoppable new after tough reality check – Richard Fay

There has been a tough reality check for Manchester United after being kicked out of Europe by Sevilla on Sunday night.

The loss of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad doomed them to another trophy-less season, but there are still promises in how they have progressed over the past eight months.

While many fans were disappointed with their extended season’s anti-climactic final, it is in itself United’s credit for even giving fans the right to dream of European triumph again.

United’s failure was as much a lost opportunity in front of goal as it was a lack of focus at the back, and it would be unfair to place the defeat solely on one individual.

Solskjaer will have learned a lot about his squad over the past few weeks as different players have risen to be counted and shown their immense value to the first team. But the cliché suggests absence makes the heart fonder, and Luke Shaw is proof of that.

It’s no surprise to see United’s defensive standards drop once Shaw was out of the first-team frame, after his injury they immediately wasted points against Southampton last month and tasted defeat in the semi FA Cup final as well as other points lost at home in West Ham.

Brandon Williams started the away victory at Leicester on the last day of the season which saw a return to the Champions League but even that was a bit of a misrepresentation given the opponent’s abysmal form after locking.

The Academy sensation Williams has had a remarkable campaign at Old Trafford and deserves immense credit for the way he has remained balanced following his rise to under-18 football just a year ago.

Less than eleven months after making his debut, the 19-year-old signed two new long-term professional contracts with United and even led the club to abandon their search for a new left-back late last year. . The key now is for him to prove why this research does not need to be rejuvenated anytime soon.

However, the harsh reality for United is that Williams is not yet set to be seen as a top option at left-back, and once fully fit, Shaw will surely find his place in the starting lineup.

Of the 13 clean sheets United kept in the Premier League last season, eight of them came with Shaw in the roster, while there were only two when Williams replaced him.

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The teenager excelled as a fallback in his breakthrough season and it was his emergence that rekindled the flames within Shaw, but now he has to do it again if he is to become the top pick on merit.

Sunday night’s loss in Cologne caused many to re-evaluate their take on the current squad under Solskjaer, and for Williams it was a ruthless education of what it really feels like to play against a quality team in Champions League.

Next season is a test United will have to get used to on a much more regular basis and as it stands it is quite obvious that Shaw deserves to regain his place in the starting lineup.