When the dust settles on Manchester United's latest failed trophy bid, the inquest will be long and painful for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
After a season of progress, which saw United finish second in the Premier League, Solskjaer gave his critics fresh ammunition with Wednesday's abject Europa League final defeat.
All of Solskjaer's perceived failings came back to haunt him with the penalty shoot-out loss to Villarreal, not least his game management and failure to react quickly enough with decisions.
While opposite number Unai Emery reacted to the way the game was unfolding by making a series of changes, Solskjaer waited until the 100 th minute to introduce his first substitution.
Even then it was an uninspired switch, bringing defensive midfielder Fred on for Mason Greenwood, who had been arguably United's best performer but was hooked with 20 minutes left.
Why Solskjaer did not pull Marcus Rashford, who had endured a torrid night, only he knows, while it was telling that £45million signing Donny van de Beek was not even trusted to play a part.
It was patently clear Solskjaer did not have faith in the players on the bench to change the game, the likes of van de Beek, Juan Mata and Dan James, the latter two coming on deep into extra-time.
The lack of game-changing options at Solskjaer's disposal underlined the need for United to spend big this summer on the signings required to make the squad fit for purpose.
Solskajer wants a world-class striker, in Harry Kane or Erling Haaland, a centre-half to partner skipper Harry Maguire and a right-sided midfielder, with Jadon Sancho the target to fill that role.
The reality, in the post-Covid transfer market, is that the Glazers are unlikely to sanction multiple big spends, in keeping with their recruitment policy when United have made the Champions League.
But the brutal truth is that United are at least three major signings short of being able to compete for the title with Manchester City, and even then they may struggle to bridge the gulf in class.
Having steered United to third last season, second place this year represented further progress, but in many ways it is a false position, given Liverpool's dramatic drop-off, against a backdrop of chronic injuries, and Chelsea's change of manager midway through the season.
Both will strengthen this summer and come back stronger next season, while City remain the team to catch. Against that backdrop, United could regress next season if they are not decisive in the transfer market this summer and make the requisite signings.
While Solskjaer's position is safe, with a new contract set to be signed in the coming weeks, the defeat to Villarreal showed he is still blighted by a worrying tactical and game management naivety.
By the time Solskajer made his first change, Emery had already made five, the United manager's switches lacking any coherent strategy, until Mata and Alex Telles were introduced at the end of extra-time for the sole purpose of taking penalties in the shoot-out.
Defending his decision to stick with his personnel for so long, despite their failure to break down Villarreal, Solskjaer said: “You know you've got players with high quality there.
“We started with loads of goalscorers, match-winners, and felt that was going to give us the upper hand, but we just couldn't get the first goal.
“After we equalised, we pushed on for about five to 10 minutes and it looked like the game was there for us but we just couldn't kick on.
“We felt the players out there – Mason and Marcus, who are match-winners in their own right – Bruno and Edi, they can create anything. Paul Pogba as well, so it's difficult to make that change and we just couldn't create enough chances to win the game.
“That disappointment is the worst feeling. There are two ways - you can feel sorry for yourself, go on holiday and not do anything about it, or you can go home and do something about it and come back better and stronger.”
It is four years since United's last trophy and Solskjaer cannot allow that run to extend to five years next season if he is to keep his job, despite his perceived safe status under the Glazers
A trophy is the minimum requirement next season and a slow start will see him come under pressure, which is why this summer is shaping up to be the biggest since he took charge, one United cannot afford to get wrong.
