Limp Champions League exit rounds off miserable Man United season

"We are not good enough," admitted Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea when faced with the fact the Red Devils will now go five years without winning a trophy.

A limp 1-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday saw United bow out of the Champions League at the last 16 and the final chance of silverware from a miserable season slip away.

The despondent reaction to the full-time whistle as Atletico boss Diego Simeone sprinted down the Old Trafford touchline in celebration was in stark contrast to the jubilation that greeted Cristiano Ronaldo's homecoming for a 4-1 win over Newcastle in September.

Ronaldo's return to the club where he first made his name as a global superstar was supposed to be the difference maker in the bid to challenge again for major trophies.

After finishing second to Manchester City in the Premier League last season, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane had already been signed for in excess of £100 million by the time Ronaldo snubbed the advances of City in the final days of August.

Rather than a return of the glory days Ronaldo experienced under Alex Ferguson prior to his then world record move to Real Madrid in 2009, he has succumbed to the slide United have been on ever since Ferguson departed as manager in 2013.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick is United's fifth manager since the legendary Scot stepped aside with the club that used to boast about being the best in the world, now being left behind by local rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.

Since Ferguson led United to a third Champions League final in four years in 2011, they have spent £1.2 billion on players for a return of winning just two knockout ties in European club football's top competition.

For the fifth consecutive year, United's European