Out of sorts and out of Europe

BBC Sport's Mark Lawrenson reflects on a below-par European performance from Manchester United but thinks changes were always inevitable.

Ten minutes of action cost Manchester United this quarter-final tie and their place in the Champions League for another season.

At Old Trafford they conceded a goal five minutes from the end and within five minutes in Munich the net was bulging again.

You cannot concede a goal that early on and, at this level, after that, you have no chance.

Ferguson would have made changes regardless of this result

  Mark Lawrenson

Sir Alex Ferguson would have been fuming.

The last words he gave his players would have been ringing in their ears.

"Start positively... get your passing going... don't give them any encouragement... don't let them create any chances... don't let them get the crowd behind them..."

And then wallop - they could have been three down within the first 10 minutes.

You could tell from Ferguson's expression that he thought it was not going to be their night, and the players hardly altered that mind-set.

They gave the ball away far too often and they never really got any momentum going.

Ryan Giggs was non-existent in the first half

The ball was never threaded through to the front players and there was no width either, no spark or creativity.

On an occasion like this you need your better players to play well but unfortunately for United that did not happen and Ryan Giggs was non-existent in the first half.

When you think of the standards that United have attained, and that they can achieve, it was an extremely below-par performance.

In contrast, whenever Bayern went forward I thought they were going to score.

They made it difficult for United, sat back, picked them off on the break and were very dangerous.

I went on record earlier in the season as saying that this was the worst Premier League season in history and I think United's campaign has borne this out.

They have not been challenged sufficiently by the mediocrity at home and have been let down by that on their European travels.

Ferguson will bring in top quality players and go out with a bang

  Mark Lawrenson

Although they will feel flat after this defeat, they have still had a good season and Ferguson would have made changes regardless of this result.

You always make changes when you're strong.

It's good to have a few fresh faces about and players wondering if someone has come in to take their place.

And this time Ferguson will go big time and bring in top quality players for his final season when he will want to go out with a bang and win the Champions League.

Europe remains his number one priority but, like the rest of us, United will have to sit back and watch someone else take the silverware.

Personally, I can't see beyond Real Madrid.