THEY WINK IT'S ALL OVER

Beleaguered boss must wait on Jim and could live to regret his Champions League wish as club must plug £100m cash hole and A-list stars will snub Old Trafford circus

- BY DAVID MCDONNELL

SO Ruben Amorim got his wish for Manchester United to not be involved in the Champions League next season after all.

But at what cost?

United’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final means there will be no European football for United for only the second time in 35 years.

Given the shambolic season they have endured since his arrival, Amorim has long felt United would be better off without the added burden of Europe next season.

Amorim believed the best scenario would be no Euro-pean commitments next season, giving him more time to work with his squad without the burden of addi-tional games the players are clearly not equipped for.

Such a view is a damning indictment of where United now find themselves - a club that once ruled at home and abroad, but one whose manager feels is better off not embarrassing itself on Europe’s biggest stage.