A "sad" David de Gea was forced to admit that Manchester United were "not good enough" after they were dumped out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid.
The Red Devils were once again left to rue a gluttony of missed chances and a lapse of concentration at the back, as Renan Lodi's 42nd-minute header made the difference at Old Trafford. United had a slew of chances throughout, with the best falling to Anthony Elanga and Raphael Varane, but the heroics of Jan Oblak helped Atletico secure safe passage to the quarter-finals.
Tuesday's result means it will be at least five years without a trophy for the 20-time English champions and goalkeeper De Gea told BT Sport post-match: "Of course it's not good enough. It's hard for the club, for us and the fans. It's really hard. This is where we are at the moment. It's a difficult situation. We have to keep fighting. I feel very sad. But we were not good enough."
The goalkeeper, formerly of Atletico, went on to say: "We are really disappointed with the result. It's difficult to put into words how we feel now at the moment. We did not enough in both games to win it. It's a very disappointing day for us. They are a team with a lot of experience. They know how to play those Champions League games.
"They scored a goal then are a tough team so it was hard for us to create chances. We are out of one of the most important competitions so we are very sad. As soon as they scored the goal they put the whole team in front of Jan Oblak. They are a very defensive team and it's difficult to score against them. We tried until the end but it was not enough."
The game was not without controversy, however, as Atletico's goal came after Anthony Elanga was bundled down just 34 seconds before the ball hit the back of the net. De Gea, though, was unwilling to comment on the decision that drew angry reactions from his teammates.
"I do not want to speak about the referee," the 31-year-old responded when asked about a foul not being given on Elanga. "Everyone watching can see and we cannot change it. It was not enough." The Red Devils now only have fourth place in the Premier League to play for but ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand says his former side's season is over.
Join the debate! Where did it go wrong for Man Utd against Atletico? Let us know your verdict below.
"What is there really to achieve? Floundering behind Arsenal if they win their games in hand," Ferdinand lamented. "Tonight was a reflection of what the season has been like. There were moments in the game where United looked good, but far too often, it’s a Jekyll and Hyde performance.
"You’ve got to give credit to this Atletico team. They showed they have a manager that put out a team to do a job. They were so clever, slowing the game down when needed, conning the referee into decisions. They worked so well as a unit. Everything is about doing things as a team. Joao Felix was tremendous."
Fellow pundit Paul Scholes echoed Ferdinand's verdict, adding: "There was a real lack of quality. They couldn't break this [Atletico team down at all. It was like facing a brick wall. I love watching their passion. It was a masterclass in how to go away from home and win a game of football."
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