The Red Devils played reasonably well during Wednesday night's League Cup loss to Manchester City but they still have so much to prove.
"We're getting closer," Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told Sky Sports. "But we weren't good enough tonight."
He was right on both counts. United are improving under the Norwegian; they proved that again in their Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City on Wednesday evening.
But, for the fourth time in a row, Solskjaer's side came up short in a semi-final.
Guardiola’s side ultimately found a way to win, like all great champions. United, by contrast, just did not look capable of producing a decisive moment in what was an intriguingly balanced contest for long periods.
Progress is clearly being made, as underlined by United's recent Premier League form, but they need to take that next step; they need to prove they can win trophies. They can’t afford to keep falling at the semi-final stage.
City have gone up a gear since that dour draw at Old Trafford at the tail end of last year and if United are going to beat them, and Liverpool, to the title this season, then they’re going to have to respond in kind.
Too many players failed to raise their games here. A quiet night for Bruno Fernandes cannot mean a quiet night all round for United’s forwards.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford showed some nice movement against City but not enough to create clear-cut chances, with Rashford guilty of getting himself caught offside too many times
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