Alejandro Garnacho wandered onto the pitch almost unnoticed just in time to hear head coach Ruben Amorim give a speech in the centre-circle apologising for a ‘disaster season’.
Among the Manchester United players gathered there after a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, Kobbie Mainoo stood with his teammates waiting for a lap of appreciation at the end of the club’s worst-ever Premier League campaign.
It seemed a world away from the same day last year, May 25, 2024, when United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.