Manchester United's dismal season continued on Sunday lunchtime as Ralf Rangnick's men were beaten 1-0 by relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park.
The result was a further blow to the Red Devils' dwindling hopes of securing Champions League football next season. Already out of contention for any piece of silverware this campaign, United's sole remaining target was to squeeze into a top four spot in the Premier League.
Instead, United could be heading for a scenario where they even miss out on Europa League qualification - a state of affairs that would have been unthinkable back in August.
Club legend Rio Ferdinand recently told a story that illustrates just how badly the Old Trafford outfit has faded in recent years.
During Saturday's loss on Merseyside, United's players largely looked at a loss for both inspiration and focus, something that Ferdinand says would never have been tolerated during the iconic reign of Sir Alex Ferguson.
In fact, under Ferguson's rule, his players didn't like to celebrate success too heavily mid-season out of fear that it would distract them from the team's overall targets for the season.
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 25: Rio Ferdinand of Manchester exchanges angry words with Blackburn's Robbie Savage which sparked a half time incident in the players tunnel during the Carling Cup Semi Final Second Leg between Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford on January 25, 2006 in Manchester England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Ferdinand told William Hill recently:
"If we had celebrated too much and overindulged for too long you forget about the next target. I became obsessed with what was next.
"We would win and even that night sometimes I would be speaking to the CEO asking him who the targets were to get in next season because I was like a fan. He would tell me to enjoy the moment, but I could only enjoy it once I knew that we would go on to win."
CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 26: Ruud Van Nistelrooy of Manchester United watches the action from the bench during the Carling Cup Final match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at the Millennium Stadium on February 26, 2006 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)
This mentality was completely foreign to fresh United recruit Ben Foster in 2006, who couldn't understand why his new teammates didn't seem bothered any winning that year's League Cup trophy.
"I remember Ben Foster came to Man Utd, we won the Carling Cup on the Sunday, we had a Champions League game on the Wednesday, and in the changing room we were sitting there and Ben Foster said, ‘the Carling Cup is just sitting in the corner alone, no one is even looking at it’.
"We decided we were not going to have a crazy one because we had a game on Wednesday. We got straight on the train back up to Manchester, job done. It is hard to understand that when you’re new to that environment but to keep winning you have to be like that," insisted Ferdinand.
CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 26: The Manchester United team celebrate after winning the Carling Cup Final match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at the Millennium Stadium on February 26, 2006 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)
A winning streak, however, is not something that is familiar to today's crop of United players. The 13-time Premier League champions haven't won three consecutive matches all season and, in truth, that is not a statistic that looks set to change in the near future.
Speaking prior to United's latest setback, Ferdinand gave his honest views on his former side's current form.
"You can’t lie, (they are just not good enough at the moment). You can’t try and sugar-coat it and dress it up as something that it isn’t. The league table doesn’t lie. The league table tells you where you’re at and Man United aren’t good enough at the moment, aren’t playing well enough, aren’t consistent enough. That is just a fact.”
Can you name these UEFA Champions League final stadiums?
Everton 1-0 Man Utd (Reaction via The Football Terrace)