Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick lamented "curious refereeing decisions" but stopped short of claiming they were decisive in his team's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid in Old Trafford tonight.
Renan Lodi's headed goal shortly before half-time condemned Manchester United to a 2-1 aggregate defeat and a fifth successive season without a trophy.
The Old Trafford club has reached the Champions League quarter-final phase just twice since their last final appearance in 2011.
United manager Rangnick told BT Sport: "I think we played a very good first half, exactly the way we wanted to play. A high energy level, most of the game in the first half took place in their half, but unfortunately we couldn't convert that energy into one or two goals.
"We had one or two good moments where we should have scored, but we didn't. Then conceding that one counter-attacking goal shortly before half-time didn't make life any easier for us.
"The second half was difficult. I don't think the game went for more than three minutes, it was always interrupted, there was always somebody lying on the floor.
"There were also some curious refereeing decisions. I wouldn't say they were decisive, but at least he fell too often for those time-wasting antics and, in the end, four minutes extra time was a joke for me.
"We know that they're good at defending leads when they're 1-0 up. We were fully aware that it's important against this team that you score the first goal yourself.
"For me, there was a foul, for sure, on Anthony Elanga (in the lead-up to the goal) but the referee and the linesman didn't see it that way. That was the only really dangerous moment apart from the offside goal.
"Apart from that, we defended well. We were compact, we were energetic. In the first half, there's nothing I can blame the players for."
With silverware out of reach, Manchester United face a stiff task to book their Champions League spot for 2022-23, currently sitting fifth, one point behind Arsenal who have three games in hand.
Despite the current shortcomings of his side, Rangnick is not about to throw in the towel on the season.
"We still have another nine games to play in the Premier League. We will try everything to finish off this season in the highest possible level.
"We want to qualify for the Champions League again. We are fully aware that to achieve that we have to win most of those nine games.
"But right now to think about how can we close the gap to the top teams is, for me, too early.
"My focus is on finishing the highest possible level with this team and then there is enough time to speak about other things."
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, meanwhile, reflected on "another bad year" as the players got to grips with their latest Champions League flop.
Asked if it was the most upset he felt after a European elimination, De Gea said: "Yeah, it's always tough when you go out of the Champions League, especially the way we did. We got a good draw in Madrid and then we play here with the fans.
"I don't know if we should win this game, to be honest, but we don't win the game and we're out again, another bad year for us, so it's very, very tough."
Not only are United without a trophy in five years but they have failed to launch a sustained Premier League title charge since Alex Ferguson retired as champion in 2013.
"There are too many years without any trophies, even without fighting for trophies," De Gea said.
"So I think we need to be clear we want to achieve good things, fight for trophies, we don't just want to play for the top four and be there, get out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals. Something like this.
we need much more from everyone because this club is too big for where we are now
"So we need much more from everyone because this club is too big for where we are now. We are far from the fighting places for the Premier League, for the Champions League, so we need much more from everyone."
De Gea did not want to talk about the officiating at Old Trafford, where there is a huge amount of work to do to get back to challenging for silverware.
"Of course we all want the best for the club, especially myself," he added. "I've been here many, many years.
"I love the club. You saw the fans today, they have been amazing in a difficult season again, so I really believe - I don't know when - this club is going be back at the top and we are going to be fighting for big things.
