More from an interview with United radio:
"We wanted to avoid coming back early for a qualification match in Europe and we've done that.
"There is the World Cup that will take away everyone's attention from club football, but the players must have it in the back of their minds that we have a lot to put right next season.
"However, there is a good feeling about the place that we can do that. We're positive about next season.
"Without doubt that [Europe] was the big disappointment of the season. The game in Benfica was always going to be a difficult match, and I think, really, we'd lost it before that by drawing at home to Villarreal and Lille and then losing away to Lille.
"The Lille results were unforgivable, even though there were reasons for them; we were decimated by injuries to four or five key players.
"I'm not making excuses, that is just the situation we were dealing with at the time. We suffered badly from it; our form and confidence just went.
"We've seen with Liverpool and Arsenal that you don't have to be at the peak of your own league to get to the final. Next year we'll be going for the title because that is the bread and butter of any team, but we need to have a really good shot at Europe."