Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand criticised some “kamikaze football” after their embarrassing exit from European competition.
A 1-0 defeat at home to Bayern Munich, their 15th goal conceded in six matches, ensured Erik ten Hag’s side finished bottom of Group A even without Copenhagen’s win over Galatasaray.
“To score three goals in each of their away games and not come away with much points it’s criminal. It is kamikaze football almost,” Ferdinand told TNT Sports.
“You get what you deserve. If you are not clinical and you can’t close matches out you don’t deserve to progress to the knockout phase.
“I think it’s the best worst-case scenario. I would rather Man United go out and concentrate on the league than go into the Europa League and exert themselves more.”
Ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes was disappointed with the team’s lack of a goal threat in a match they needed to win after scoring 12 times in their previous five matches.
“In some games they looked very good, they were getting leads in games, but they couldn’t manage to see the games out,” said Scholes.
“Tonight you never really felt Mancester United were going to score goals. It’s all about getting the balance right and it’s been a struggle from the off.”
Ten Hag concedes Man Utd's Premier League finish 'not good enough by far'
Erik ten Hag conceded Manchester United's season was "not good enough by far" after the Red Devils recorded their lowest Premier League finish in eighth place.
United concluded their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion, with second-half goals from Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Hojlund sealing the points at the American Express Stadium.
Nevertheless, Ten Hag's side finished three points behind sixth-placed Chelsea and will subsequently miss out on European football for the first time in 10 years, unless they beat Manchester City in next week's FA Cup final.
And the Dutchman, who insisted his players "will fight for the cup" at Wembley, pulled no punches in his assessment of United's season.
"It is not good enough by far," he told Match of the Day. "Although we had less than 60 points two years ago [58 points in 2021-22], eighth is the worst performance. We should have done better.
"We know the reasons behind it, but it is not the right moment to go into it. It’s not good enough."
On the win over Brighton, he added: "The first half was too static. We changed something at half-time, and after that we had more control.
"We had a lot of problems defending Joao Pedro in the first half, but then we had more control, and we were better on the ball. In the end, the win is OK."
Foden has 'cemented himself as one of Man City's greats', says Ferdinand
Phil Foden "cemented his place as a Manchester City great" after his two goals helped the club to a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title, according to former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
Pep Guardiola's side made history as they maintained their grip on the Premier League trophy following a 3-1 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the season.
Foden - recently named the division's Player of the Year - played another starring role for the Citizens with a brace, including a 25-yard thunderbolt after just 78 seconds, while Rodri's second-half strike completed the victory.
Ferdinand, who won three consecutive Premier League titles with United between 2007 and 2009, believes the attacking midfielder has joined a pantheon of club legends as he saluted City's resilience and determination to keep on winning.
"It's hard to explain how difficult that is - to continually reboot and go again," the former defender told TNT Sports. "The daily pressure to get up and go every day is a relentless pursuit of elite performance.
"You have to respect it - the individuals there are fantastic. The top players have moments where you cement yourself as one of the club's greats - I'm not going to go too early, but Foden has done that today."
Still only 23 years old, Foden is the youngest player in history to win six Premier League titles with his home club.
Gary Neville - an eight-time champion with United who also won three on the bounce between 1999 and 2001 - also paid tribute to the England international.
"Phil Foden is a local hero. What a player!" he told Sky Sports. "Pep Guardiola has designed a style of football that is being copied not just around this country, but all around Europe.
"Most of all, he is a winning machine that instils that in everybody who works with him."
Klopp calls on Liverpool supporters to believe after Anfield farewell
Jurgen Klopp hopes his departure from Liverpool marks the start of something special, rather than an end, after imploring the Reds to keep believing in an emotional farewell.
Liverpool manager Klopp announced back in January he would leave at the end of this campaign, signing off with a 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield on day where the Reds celebrated their much-loved boss.
Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah were both on target in the first half after Nelson Semedo's 28th-minute red card, though the result mattered for little in truth with the focus on Klopp's exit.
The Anfield crowd filled up earlier than normal before kick-off to serenade their German manager, who leaves with a Premier League crown and Champions League glory to his name, and those tributes continued throughout Sunday's victory.
Klopp was emotional on the touchline as Anfield's Kop End raised as one to laud their departing boss, who urged Liverpool to back incoming manager Arne Slot and create further history on Merseyside.
"It doesn't feel like an end," Klopp said on the pitch, microphone in hand and addressing the packed-out Anfield.
"It just feels like a start. Today I saw a football team play full of talent, youth, creativity, desire, and greed. That's one part of development, that's what you need obviously.
"In these few weeks where I have had too much attention, I realised lots of things. People say I turned them from doubters into believers. That's not true, you did it.
"Nobody tells you to stop believing. This club is in a better moment than a long time.
"We have this wonderful stadium, training centre and you – the superpower of world football, wow.
"We decide if we are worried or excited. We decide if we believe. We decide if we trust or don't trust. Today I am one of you and I keep believing. I stay believing 100 per cent.
"Obviously I saw a lot of people crying and I will tonight too because I will miss people but change is good. Everything will be fine because the basics are 100 per cent there."
Klopp brings his nine-year tenure at Liverpool to an end as Feyenoord head coach Slot prepares to move to Anfield next term.
Former Borussia Dortmund head coach Klopp, before starting an impromptu chant to celebrate the incoming Slot, wants Liverpool supporters to welcome their new leader with open arms.
"Thank you," he said, before referencing his own song from the crowd. "If you sing that song next year, that would be funny.
"You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me. You go all in from the first day, you keep believing, you push the team. I'm one of you now, I love you to bits.
"You are the best team in the world!"
Klopp led Liverpool to the club's highest-ever league points tally (99 in 2019-20), best-ever league winning run (18 from October 2019 to February 2020), and most wins and goals in a single season in all competitions (46 wins, 147 goals in 2021-22).
He leaves Liverpool with 209 wins from 334 Premier League games, with his Reds scoring 714 goals and conceding just 331 across his successful period at Anfield.
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