United View: United exit the Champions League with a whimper.

Manchester United’s season thus far has been a huge disappointment and Tuesday night was another example of that.

Finishing bottom of their Champions League group with four points and conceding 15, their worst campaign in the competition.

Going into the match against Bayern, there was a slim chance of progression into the knockout stages but United had to win their game and hope the other match finished as a draw. Instead, they went out with a whimper and won’t even be playing in the Europa League as a result.

It was always going to be a tall order to beat Bayern, but Erik ten Hag’s men barely laid a glove on their opponents. Luke Shaw’s effort from outside the area in the 23rd minute was United’s only shot on goal, as the German Champions cruised through the match without having to get out of second gear.

Kingsley Coman’s goal after 70 minutes was all they needed to see off United, who once again looked devoid of attacking ideas. Rasmus Hojlund was given little service and was comfortably shepherded by Kim Min Jae and Dayot Upamencano restricting him to 18 touches of the ball.

Even though United needed a minor miracle to progress, to see such a timid display made on Tuesday such a deflating night. Regardless of the other results, it was an unacceptable performance after the disastrous defeat to Bournemouth.

The manager has built up a lot of grace from the fans and while the biggest problem at the club is the Glazers' ownership, the on-field performances have to improve. We’re nearing 2024 but we’re still unaware of a style of play or the best eleven.

Raphael Varane made his first start since October against Bayern and will likely be needed further following injuries to Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw on Tuesday. He’s fallen out of favour in the team as the manager prefers others for build-up play.

United’s build-up play is often non-existent, and the midfield is as disjointed as it was at the start of the season. Scott McTominay has scored some vital goals this season but as a midfielder, he has offered very little, going unseen for large spells of the game.

Ten Hag needs to find a solution to this team's worries otherwise it could be a bleak December for him and Manchester United. Confidence is low but the fixtures are unrelenting. Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham all await the Reds before the end of 2023.

If there is any silver lining, at least United now only have one game a week to focus on until the end of the season. Last season they were playing every three games after Christmas and towards the end of the campaign it showed.

It’s by no means acceptable for United to be solely focused on the league in December but it's the reality right now. United looks so far off it and it’s unsure where they go from here.

I still believe Ten Hag has the backing of the board for now, but some unfortunate results could see this faith pushed to breaking point. Although should United choose to depart from Ten Hag, there are very few options to replace him.

The Reds next travel to Anfield to face Liverpool and I do not feel the slightest bit confident about this match. The number of injuries mixed with the poor form feels like a recipe for disaster against a team in a title race. Hopefully, it won’t be as bad as last season.

Just when the Chelsea win made us all think United had turned a corner this week has been a reminder that this isn’t the case. There are big problems at Old Trafford, but we already knew that.