Erik ten Hag admitted his side were 'broken' after their FA Cup final defeat. The one crumb of comfort is that he has proven he can be the man to fix them again after a gruelling debut season came to an end.
The Manchester United manager stood on the pitch and fixed a glare at the royal box late on Saturday afternoon as he watched Man City hoist the silver trophy up into the air.
He made a point of demanding the same respect from his players and staff, asking them to bottle that moment of pain and use it as motivation to make sure they never had to experience it again.
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Ten Hag has asked for accountability throughout his first year at the club, and this was no different as he demanded his players face reality head-on and accept that the better team won on the day.
"Show respect, always," Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference. "But of course, it’s a motivation. You have to feel it in your stomach. It hurts. It has to be fuel. Our team, my players, deserved it, but you have to grab it and that is the next step we have to make."
It is also perhaps a timely reminder that United's season was still a relative success. The main ambition was to qualify for the Champions League and win a trophy if possible. They had effectively done both by March and only fell flat compared with the increased expectations they warranted as a result.
United want to move on quickly from the disappointing grand finale of their campaign, and that was evident from the mood inside Wembley in the hour after the full-time whistle.
As the first dozen reporters made their way into the Wembley mixed zone, hoping to get the thoughts of a United player, the first club figure they saw was Avram Glazer making his escape.
"Why are you not speaking to the fans? Don't the fans deserve to know what is happening with the takeover?" He was asked as he made his way through. He wasn't in the mood to talk to the press either.
The uncertain future of United's ownership is still the elephant in the room that needs clarity. The club had hoped to have a new owner in place before the end of the season, but now that that has been signaled, it is still unclear what will happen next.
Antony was one of the next to leave Wembley and was seen wearing a protective boot on his right leg for the injury that brought his season to a premature end.
He might not have been able to inspire United to a famous FA Cup win even if he had been fit, but the pain of defeat hurt him even more, knowing he had no chance to influence it himself.
United's other unused players on the day were the next to make their way out of Old Trafford. A teenage group, including Zidane Iqbal and Isak Hansen-Aarøen trudged past, hoping that the next time they make it to Wembley they will be involved rather than onlookers.
When the first-team stars made their way through, it was clear they weren't in any mood to talk. Some gave little nods of appreciation to the reporters asking for a chat, making it clear they had no interest in opening their mouths, while others walked straight through without breaking stride.
It was a stark contrast with the triumphant quartet of Man City players who happily stopped to speak with reporters with their winners' medals wrapped around their necks.
Wout Weghorst walked through alone for what looked to be his last time as a United player. As of 11 pm on Saturday night, United's season officially came to an end; his time at the club is now effectively over.
The Dutch forward did not say a word but turned and just gave a wink and a smile to the reporters eager for his take on his half-season at the club.
In the end, only one United player stopped to chat, doing so briefly with their native broadcasters before they joined their teammates on the bus.
Ten Hag was the last to follow, and the United club coach pulled away from Wembley while the Man City players were still celebrating their double delight.
"This team showed resilience, character and personality," the United manager said after the match. "We know we have a way to go, but this will make us better. It was a test for us, we didn't succeed, but we can take a lot of positives into next season."
United might feel broken, but they can still be fixed.
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