Sir Alex Ferguson is pondering the most daunting rebuilding task of his 25-year reign at Manchester United after seeing his side destroyed by Barcelona in the Champions League final.
For the second time in three years, Ferguson's men were comprehensively outplayed by Barcelona on the biggest stage of all, losing a one-sided final 3-1 on an electrifying night at Wembley here Saturday.
Majestic goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa emphatically snuffed out United's dreams of a fourth Champions League title - and left Ferguson pondering what he will have to do to conquer Europe once more.
While Ferguson has built a succession of championship-winning sides since joining United in 1986, the scale of the latest construction job - finding a team capable of dethroning Barcelona - must be his biggest challenge.
Ferguson, 69, sounded a defiant note as he spoke to reporters in the bowels of Wembley late on Saturday, comparing the final defeat to the mauling United received against Barcelona in 1994, when they lost 4-0 at the Nou Camp.