Manchester United paid the price for a poor performance by going down 1-0 to Feyenoord, the only goal of the game arriving just eleven minutes from time from Tonny Vilhena.
At the final whistle the United manager did not look best pleased especially after he had told his players not to sulk just because they were not playing in the Champions League but had to settle for Europe's secondary competition.
"This is not a competition that Man United wants," United boss Jose Mourinho said. "It is not the competition I want, it is not the competition the players want, but it is a competition where we are and that's the reality."
In other words, don't use the Europa League as an excuse for a lack of motivation particularly as this is one competition United have yet to win, whilst for Feyenoord it was their second season in the competition since it became the Europa League.
United made eight changes from the 2-1 derby defeat by Manchester City, only David de Gea, Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly kept their place. Marcus Rashford made his first start of the season.
Yet, by half-time, even allowing for the changes United had been poor. Paul Pogba was again failing to live up to expectations but then so were many of his colleagues. Mourinho' team looked lethargic in possession, gave the ball away too often and overall lacked any sort of fluency and certainly not creating any chances.
Feyenoord have a poor record against English opposition having won only one of their last seven meetings but they looked the brighter outfit without really ever troubling the visitor's rearguard although they did win a flurry of corners as the half ended.
Mourinho gave his original starting line-up 15 minutes to impress at the beginning of the second half but, with little changing, quickly hooked Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Juan Mata and replaced them with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Memphjs Depay and Ashley Young.
Not that it made much difference and with 11 minutes remaining the home side took a lead they probably just deserved. Nicolai Jorgensen looked marginally offside as he squared the ball for Vilhena to score.
The visitor's finally begin to show some urgency as Young fires wide but even with three minutes of added time its too little, too late as United lose four away games in a row in Europe for the first time and have now lost seven of their last eight matches on their travels in Europe.
Feyenoord had lost their only two previous clashes with United but just about deserved the three points and probably could have made the victory more emphatic such was the miserable display of their opponents.
Full Time
Feyenoord: 1 (Vilhena 79)
Man Utd: 0
