Barca beating gives United sobering reality check
The last time Manchester United exited the Uefa Champions League at the quarter final stage in April 2014, they travelled to Everton on the following Sunday.
At Goodison Park, a grim reaper appeared behind then manager David Moyes.
It was a bizarre signal that his time was up and he was duly dismissed the following day following a defeat which left it mathematically impossible for United to reach the following season’s Champions League.
United are at Everton again this Sunday. There will be no grim reaper. Security has been tightened up at Premier League grounds and an adult holding a large scythe would not get into the stadium. That and the job of the current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not under pressure. The Norwegian has a huge task ahead and his side are still in contention for a top four finish, though you wonder whether United would be better not being in the Champions League next season.
A run in the Europa League might cost the club financially, but that is a more realistic level for where United are at the moment.
They are sixth in the Premier League, out of the FA Cup and the Champions League at the quarter-final stage for a reason.
Solskjaer started so well, but his side have lost five of their seven games. Losing twice in a few weeks to Wolverhampton Wanderers is a truer marker of where United are, rather than losing 3-0 at Barcelona.
Being outclassed by the Catalans is nothing new, nor to be ashamed of. United had lost two and drawn two of their previous four visits to Barca, but there was a gulf in class in front of that vast 96,708 crowd on Tuesday.
That had been the same in 1994 when United lost 4-0 having had to rest several of their best players because of a restrictive three foreign players rule .
Then, Hrsito Stoichkov and Romario destroyed United. On Tuesday, Lionel Messi showed why he is arguably the greatest player of all time, with a consistency that few players anywhere in the world can match.
The Catalans have superior players to United, a clearer philosophy and recruitment strategy.
They have been watching Marcus Rashford closely for two years and think he will fit in with their style, but they know United are unlikely to sell a homegrown player who is central to their rebuilding process.
Instead, Barca have a plan B,C,D and E. United are looking at appointing a sporting director; Barcelona have three in senior positions.
Solskjaer deserved the job after 15 wins in his first 19 games after taking over in December, including an incredible victory over Paris Saint-Germain. The games against Barcelona were a bonus, but they also were a sobering reminder of reality.
There is the inevitable demand for a clear-out from some United supporters, but that is not going to happen.
United will likely move three or four players on when the season ends and bring in three or four new ones, but there is a sense that it’s not just about who they sign which will determine future successes.
The recovery operation starts at Everton at the weekend as United aim to get that top four finish, but that cannot mask the fact that this has been another season which has ended in disappointment.
And one most United fans would rather see the end of, especially with arch-rivals Liverpool and Manchester City battling for the title.
With four managerial changes, a clear long-term strategy has not emerged in the post-Ferguson era.
The fans are patient, but some kind of signal that a sustained recovery is on the way would be welcomed. It is easier said than done. Instead, there have been several false dawns for a good side, but never a great team.