Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea said after defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night that his side were ‘not good enough’ having gone five years without a trophy.
United’s last success came under Jose Mourinho when he won the League Cup and Europa League back in 2017, and the club then finished second in the following season. However a disappointing transfer window saw the Portuguese manager leave the club to be replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with inconsistent performances ever since.
Ralf Rangnick is the club’s interim boss and will leave the position at the end of the season, with defeat to Atletico in the Champions League likely ending any chances of him being retained for next season as head coach.
Speaking to BT Sport after the defeat, former Atletico goalkeeper De Gea did not hold back.
“We are really disappointed with the result,” he began. “It’s difficult to put into words how we feel now at the moment. We did not do enough in both games to win it. It’s a very disappointing day for us.
“They are a team with a lot of experience. They know how to play those Champions League games. They scored a goal and are a tough team so it was hard for us to create chances. We are out of one of the most important competitions so we are very sad.
“Of course. As soon as they scored the goal they put the whole team in front of Jan Oblak. They are a very defensive team and it’s difficult to score against them. We tried until the end but it was not enough.”
When asked about the club’s lack of trophies, which has seen him come close to joining Real Madrid in the past, the Spanish international acknowledged the team had underperformed.
He said: “Of course it’s not good enough. It’s hard for the club, for us and the fans. It’s really hard. This is where we are at the moment. It’s a difficult.”
