Ole: You’ve seen the last of certain players

SO Manchester United now know where they will be next season. The Europa League. Thursday night football. The backwaters of Europe, out of the glare of the Champions League.

If United finish sixth, as expected, and Watford upset Manchester City to lift the FA Cup later this month, they could have the added pleasure of a qualifying campaign starting in July.

For the flops who have landed United in this mess, the future seems far less certain.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warned as much after seeing any remaining hopes of a top-four finish disappear with a limp 1- 1 draw at relegated Huddersfield.

The subject of the question put to Solskjaer was Alexis Sanchez, who surely tops the list of overpaid stars in dire need of being offloaded this summer.

‘I can’t talk about individuals now but there’s a chance you’ve seen the last of players,’ replied the United manager.

‘There’s always a chance but I would not say that about any individual.’

Others will go for a variety of reasons. Ander Herrera, Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian are on their way. Juan Mata, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo could follow. There are question marks over Paul Pogba, David de Gea and Romelu Lukaku to name a few.

‘We haven’t taken enough points, won enough games, scored enough goals,’ said Solskjaer. ‘ItIt’ss always difficult when you y lose a manager halfway w through the season.

‘It shows us where we are. ar We’re not living in fantasy fa land thinking we can ca catch the top two. We’re W many levels behind.

‘ We’re far away but we shouldn’t sh be speaking about ab being far off the top four fou at this club.

‘It’sI a fair reflection being sixth. six That was always a possibility, po of course, it’s been bee in our minds.

‘ WWe gave ourselves a chance cha to be in the Champions pio League, which was something som we didn’t think was possible. We’re all disappointed app we’re not in it, but that’s a true reflection and the table seldom lies at the end.

‘We had so many opportunities to grab third or fourth and weren’t able to. It’s probably the right place to be for us, the Europa League next year.

‘If City don’t win the FA Cup, we’ll have a bright and early start for the qualifiers and that will make it more difficult.

‘It’s not what we want. Let’s see what happens but that’s the reality.’ The optimist in Solskjaer still sees opportunities amid the gloom. ‘The kids will get chances to play games,’ he added.

‘Sometimes you can use the Europa League as something positive, as Chelsea and Arsenal have done and we did a couple of years ago. You make the most of it.’

Former captain Gary Neville suspects the players have clocked off since the Norwegian was handed the job on a permanent basis.

‘They’ve just switched off, there can be no other explanation,’ he said on Sky Sports. ‘ There is nothing about this United team I like at all. They’re just awful.’