The Portuguese had been relying on winning the competition to make amends for his torrid time in charge, but now he has serious questions to answer
On the eve of the Europa League final, Ruben Amorim was asked whether it was strange that his opposite number Ange Postecoglou was under huge pressure at Tottenham while the Manchester United manager was not. Before he could answer, Bruno Fernandes hilariously interjected: "Who told you he's not? He is!" Well, he certainly is now, after United bungled their one shot at redemption by losing 1-0 to Spurs in Bilbao.
United were not just left with the pain of watching Tottenham lift the trophy in front of them, as they also had to contemplate the fact they had wasted a golden chance to return to the Champions League. And for only the second time in the last 36 years, they will have to make do without European football altogether next season.
The plus side for Amorim is that he will have more time to work on the training ground, which will be crucial for the players to properly understand his methods and master his 3-4-2-1 formation. The negative, however, is that he has no riposte and no excuse for overseeing the club's worst domestic season in half a century, and will have to explain to Sir Jim Ratcliffe why the club will not be getting the £100 million ($134m) pay day the part-owner had hoped for.
But while United were counting the cost of their defeat, Tottenham were savouring their first piece of silverware in 17 years and shedding the 'Spursy' tag that has dogged them for so long. They are, though, now left with a huge dilemma: move on from Ange Postecoglou or give the Australian another chance as a reward for ending their trophy drought?
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from San Mames…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Ange Postecoglou
Very few managers spend their press conference before a major final discussing their imminent sacking, and even fewer end up insisting that they are not "a clown". But Postecoglou has had the last laugh, whatever happens this summer.
The Australian may have presided over Tottenham's worst-ever Premier League season, but he is also the club's first coach to win a major trophy since Juande Ramos in 2008, and the first to deliver a European trophy in 41 years. It is a legacy he will be very happy with, and so too will Tottenham fans, who have long lived by the words of their legendary coach Bill Nicholson, who famously declared "the game is all about glory".
Postecoglou fiercely defended himself the day before the game, showing that he is above all a human being with emotions and feelings and that he does not take kindly to being put down constantly. On the pitch on Wednesday, his side showed how to fight.
The coach made some bold decisions, above all benching his captain Son Heung-min, and in doing so he showed the courage Mauricio Pochettino had lacked with Harry Kane in the 2019 Champions League final when the striker had just returned from injury. Sure, the performance was anything but the buccaneering football Postecoglou is known for, but he got the job done while keeping his promise to win a trophy in his second season, as he has done throughout his long career in dugouts around the world.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Ruben Amorim
Amorim gave mixed messaging before the final about whether or not Champions League football would be beneficial to United or not, while he also considered the consequences of losing when he admitted: "It is going to be really bad, I don’t want to use that as an excuse and the patience of the fans and you guys next year if we don’t win. It is going to be on the limit."
Well, he better get used to it. Amorim will now face the same scrutiny Postecoglou endured all season and the questions about whether or not he should remain in charge will ramp up. The Europa League campaign was the only thing keeping United's season interesting, and now that Harry Maguire's heroics against Lyon and Mason Mount's Federico Macheda moment against Athletic Club were all for nothing, Amorim's Premier League record will be pored over – and there is nowhere to hide.
He has won just six of 26 Premier League games in charge, has not tasted victory since beating Leicester City in March and has only beaten teams that ended up relegated since January. Amorim has a lower points-per-game ratio in the English top-flight than Paul Jewell, the man who presided over the league's worst ever campaign at Derby County. When Amorim took charge United were seven points from the top four; now they are 27 points adrift.
The former Sporting CP coach would rather have taken the job this summer than be parachuted into the middle of the season, but he ultimately chose to accept the role and has to live with the consequences. It is hard not to contrast his miserable job with that of Oliver Glasner, who took over at Crystal Palace midway through last season, changed the style of play while adopting a 3-4-2-1 formation and got almost instant results before winning the FA Cup just a year later.
Amorim did at least front up and admit after the game that he had "nothing to show to the fans." He also made a striking promise, saying: "If the board and fans decide I'm not the right guy, then I will leave tomorrow without any compensation." He might end up regretting that pledge…
Getty Images SportWINNER: Brennan Johnson
In the aftermath of the most important goal of his career, it should not be forgotten that earlier this season Brennan Johnson deactivated his Instagram account amid a torrent of online abuse following Tottenham's defeat by Arsenal in September. The north London derby was the lowest point of a difficult start to the season for a player who had never really justified his £48m ($64m) million transfer fee from Nottingham Forest the previous year. But now he has more than paid it off.
Spurs' return to the Champions League is worth roughly £100m, more than double Johnson's transfer fee, but it is worth far more than that to Tottenham's long-suffering fanbase. The Wales international will be remembered as the man who scored the goal that ended their 17-wait for silverware, and will also go down as their top scorer this season, his match-winner being his 18th goal in all competitions.
Johnson's father, David, began his career at United, but his son has been the scourge of the Red Devils this season. He scored the first goal in September's thumping 3-0 win at Old Trafford when Erik ten Hag was still in charge, and now he has made Amorim's job a whole lot harder. But his place in Tottenham's history is far more significant, and it is assured forever.
Getty Images SportLOSER: Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has had the thankless task of trying to carry this dysfunctional United team on his back this season, but on Wednesday he couldn't find the strength to go one more time. His flat performance was arguably the most disappointing aspect of this lacklustre United display, and while fans have come to expect little from other members of the squad, they have continued to see their captain as a superhero, the man who always saves the day. Here, though, his powers were faulty.
His only notable effort on goal was his effort which Guglielmo Vicario saved comfortably in the first half, and he was unable to supply his team-mates with chances, save for a few promising passes to Amad Diallo. Fernandes has now lost two European finals with United after the 2021 Europa League defeat to Villarreal on penalties, and in five-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford he has just two trophies to show for his efforts, the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Before the game, Fernandes had spoken of his natural desire to win the trophy, but he also made a statement which has extra significance in light of the defeat: "It won't change the past for us but it can affect the future." The captain was talking about the impact of United getting back into the Champions League and the players they would be able to attract, but it also is worth reflecting on the impact the defeat could have on him.
There have been growing reports of his agent meeting with representatives from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, and a defeat of this magnitude and the reality that he will not be involved in the Champions League (or indeed any European football) might well make Fernandes take those offers more seriously.
