COMMENT: Villarreal in Gdansk. It was upsetting for Manchester United fans. But was it such an upset? The Yellow Submarine boasting everything on the night United are now shopping for...
On the surface, it'd be written up as a shock. And even those in Villarreal's corner played up the underdog status - before, during and after last week's Europa League final. And of course, in terms of resources, the size of the respective clubs, that all rings true.
But inside the respective locker rooms. On their individual team sheets. Villarreal went into the game possessing the key - and necessary - elements this United team are still lacking.
At the back, Pau Torres is a player coveted by some of Europe's biggest clubs - including United. Talk of an audition in front of United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his sounding board Sir Alex Ferguson certainly didn't rattle the 24 year-old. He was one - on this night - who didn't fluff his lines.
Gerard Moreno, who put Villarreal ahead in the early stages, was another in a Yellow shirt to expose what United are missing. A goal poacher if ever there was one. Moreno has just won back-to-back Zarra Trophies as the leading Spanish goalscorer in LaLiga. He also finished this Europa League campaign equal top scorer. Not a pretty player. Not always a headline grabber. But the type to get those "scruffy goals" that Solskjaer has long discussed in his search for a long-term United No9.
So centre-half. Striker. Sound familiar? And there was also a start in a European final for 18 year-old Yeremy Pino. A natural winger. Homespun. Quick feet. Capable of going past a fullback... possessing all the qualities Solskjaer has been shopping for. Jadon Sancho? Kingsley Coman? Take your pick. But United's manager had nothing like that available to him on the night.
And then there was the manager in the opposing dugout. Unai Emery. Now a four-time Europa League winner. A veteran of five finals in total. Experience. Know-how. Everything Solskjaer is still striving to garner himself. Tactically. At the selection table. Game management. Emery, leaning on all his years of cut-throat European experience, made the right decisions when needed. It wasn't a classic performance. Nor a classic game. But does anyone in Villarreal care about that today? Indeed, if you really want to know the difference between the two teams - and the two managers - it was Emery's assessment of their 100 per cent penalty shootout. The Basque dismissing Solskjaer's description of penalties as a "lottery".
Solskjaer and Emery together in Gdansk
"We knew how to compete, suffer and score, and we finished stronger than them," Emery declared.
"Penalty kicks are not a lottery. You have to have a strong mind to be able to shoot in that situation with maximum pressure, and the players were up to it."
Nothing left to chance. No match detail ignored. On Wednesday night in Gdansk, the result truly hinged on the tiniest of margins. Emery, still not 50, has been coaching senior football for 17 years. He's been involved in Primera and European football for 14 of those 17 years. When it came to knowing when and where changes were needed, Villarreal had a coach who'd seen it all before.
So centre-half. Striker. Winger. And a coach with years of winning experience. Erm, was Gdansk really such an upset?
In the aftermath, Solskjaer conceded his team was short. He didn't go into detail. It wasn't the time. But the Norwegian left no doubt that United needed to be active in this summer market if they were to make that final jump from contender to winner.
And - if things roll out as expected - it'll be an opportunity for the new man in charge to set out his stall. To begin as he means to go on.
It wasn't quite his first transfer window, but seven years ago Ed Woodward, the now departing United vice-chairman, set the tone for his reign in charge. With Louis van Gaal installed as new manager, Woodward spent over £150m to make his mark - and introduce himself to the United support. At the time the fans embraced it - Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw... problem was, none of these arrivals were approved by the manager. Van Gaal wanted the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, James Milner and Mats Hummels. None of his shopping list arrived. And that friction between Woodward and Van Gaal carried over to Jose Mourinho.
But the new man. With a clean slate. He can set a new tone between board and manager this summer. If managing director Richard Arnold is installed in the coming weeks, his best first step would be to approach this summer market as Solskjaer's supporter, not boss. To give the football men the room and responsibility to bring in the players they've identified for this team to make the final step. The David Gill of the 2020's, if you like.
Centre-half. Striker. Winger. We know what the manager wants. We even know the personalities. The holes in Solskjaer's squad exposed by a ruthless Emery and his Villarreal team midweek in Gdansk.
A result that was upsetting for United's support. But one itself that was no upset. If United are to make that final step, Arnold needs to back his manager to fill the positions Emery and his Yellow Submarine exposed on Wednesday night.
