Solskjaer's Man Utd rebuild mission laid bare by Europa League agony

GDANSK: Manchester United's gut-wrenching defeat on penalties by Villarreal in the Europa League final re-emphasised the magnitude of the rebuilding task for coach and club hero Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

Exactly 22 years to the day since the Norwegian struck his famous winner for United in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, he was made to swallow a bitter pill after watching his side lose a match they largely controlled while, crucially, lacking bite.

David de Gea bowed his head after missing the decisive spot-kick, having seen the first 21 successfully converted, but Solskjaer's refusal to make a change until the 100th minute suggested little faith in a bench that included his injured captain Harry Maguire.

After steering United to successive top-three finishes in the Premier League for the first time since Alex Ferguson retired as champion in 2013, Solskjaer had earmarked the final in Gdansk as the "stepping stone for something better to come".

Despite clearing the semi-final hurdle at the fifth attempt with a high-scoring win over Roma, Solskjaer's side mustered just two attempts on target against Villarreal, organised superbly by Europa League maestro Unai Emery.

While United have move forward each year under Solskjaer, at least in terms of league position, since his appointment in December 2018, catching Pep Guardiola's Manchester City next season still appears a distant prospect.

"It's not a successful season and those are the fine margins in football. Sometimes one kick can define a season as successful or a good one, and it can define it as not one," said Solskjaer. "Trophies matter and that's what matters at this club."

The 11-10 loss on penalties came after a 1-1 draw following extra time and extended United's four-year run without a trophy -- the club's longest since the 1980s in the early days of the Ferguson era.