Ashley Young admits Manchester United will need to return stronger in 2018-19 if they are to right the wrongs of a trophyless campaign and challenge “on all fronts”.
Jose Mourinho has been quick to talk up the success of his side in 2017-18, with a runner-up finish in the Premier League not to be sniffed at given how dominant title-winning Manchester City have been.
The Red Devils also made their way through to the FA Cup final, only to come up short against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
It has been a campaign of frustration and near misses for those at Old Trafford, with disappointing exits also endured in Champions League and Carabao Cup competition, but Young is looking for everyone connected with the club to come out fighting next term following a summer of reflection and rebuilding.
The England international told MUTV: "I think we have to come back stronger: stronger in the league, stronger in the FA Cup, stronger in the League Cup, stronger in the Champions League. We want to be fighting on all fronts.
"We have the summer now to look forward and come back and prepare in pre-season. We wanted to win things, win titles, but it wasn’t meant to be.
"We finished second with the points we did; in a different season we would have won the league, but it wasn’t meant to be and today is a disappointing one. It will take a while to settle in and we now have the summer to prepare for next season."
United’s season end on a low note at Wembley on Saturday, with a first-half penalty from Eden Hazard – following a clumsy challenge from Phil Jones – edging them out in the FA Cup final.
Young said of that contest: "It’s disappointing starting the game like we did and coming away with nothing. You can see how the players reacted after the game; we didn’t feel like we should have lost the game today.
"We didn’t have clear-cut chances, but on a different day there were chances we could have taken and we could have gone on and won the game.
"In the second half they were on the back foot, it was all us, but we couldn’t get the goal and we are disappointed with that."
While domestic endeavours have now come to a close for those at Old Trafford, many members of Mourinho’s squad are about to switch their focus to international matters at World Cup 2018.
Young forms part of that group, with the 32-year-old back in favour with England after reinventing himself in a left-back berth.
He added on the challenges to come in Russia this summer: "There is excitement that is to come, but right now I am disappointed and it's going to be hard to shake off."