Ryan Giggs admits Manchester United's title challenge ultimately failed this season because of their over-reliance on Wayne Rooney.
Giggs is the most decorated player in United's history, with 11 Premier League titles to his name over two decades of peerless service. So when he talks, people listen.
He admitted United's players did not want to come out for the second half against Stoke on Sunday, having learned Chelsea were 2-0 up against 10-man Wigan and cruising to the title.
But less than 24 hours after Chelsea had hoisted the Premier League trophy aloft, Giggs provided a frank assessment of where it had all gone wrong for Sir Alex Ferguson's men.
"If you had to say one thing, you'd probably say we can't rely on Wayne next season like we did this one," said Giggs.
"We need to be scoring more goals from different areas and from different players, even though as a team we scored more than we did last season.
"We were also better defensively this season than last, but we can't rely on Wayne as much as we have done this season in terms of goals.
"On Sunday against Stoke we started full of hope, then came in at half-time and found out Chelsea were 2-0 up and Wigan were down to 10 men.
"We knew then it was over and, to be honest, we didn't want to go out for the second half. You just want to go home in that situation."
Rooney's 34-goal heroics only carried United so far, injury in the Champions League quarter-final first leg with Bayern Munich proving the beginning of the end for Fergie's men.
After that, Rooney did not find the back of the net again this season and United lost their way, Giggs admitting it was a fatal blow from which Fergie's men never recovered.
"It was unfortunate for us that Wayne got injured at a really important part of the season, because we'd relied on his goals more or less throughout it," said Giggs.
"So to get to the business part of the season and not have him, then to have him for one game without him having really trained, wasn't ideal.
"But whether the manager does or doesn't bring in any other strikers this summer, the other players know we need to score more.
"Whether that's defenders coming up for corners or midfielders chipping in, we all need to contribute a lot more."
United lost to Burnley, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Everton and Fulham in the Premier League this season, but Giggs identified the two defeats to Chelsea as to where the title was decided.
"You'd have to say it came down to the two Chelsea games," said Giggs. "If we'd even just drawn one of those games we'd have won the title.
"When you lose two two games against your biggest rivals, it's always going to be tough.
"It's not always the case that those head-to-head games decide the title, but this season they probably did.
"And when you look at the fact Chelsea beat us, Arsenal and Liverpool, home and away, then you have to say they deserved it.
"We're disappointed with some of the points we dropped, because we feel we could quite easily have won the it this year.
"But it's a tremendous achievement to come within one point of winning the title four years on the trot.
"No team has ever done that, so the players deserve huge credit for putting in such a massive effort over the past few seasons. But it just wasn't meant to be."
Giggs, 36, who has one year left on his contract before his illustrious career is likely to come to an end, said the pain of losing the title could ultimately benefit United long-term.
He recalled, as a raw 17-year-old, the pain of losing out on the title to Leeds in the 1991-92 season, an experience he claimed was the making of him as a player.
"These young players, who have known nothing else other than winning titles over the last three years, will now be tasting what I had to taste in my first full season," said Giggs.
"We came so close but lost out on the title to Leeds and that disappointment, that feeling of failure, never leaves you over the summer.
"You have to make sure you come back stronger and hungrier the following season, which is the sign of a great team and great players.
"Losing the title to Leeds that season definitely helped me, because I knew I didn't want that feeling again the next year.
"Winning is an unbelievable feeling, but it doesn't last that long. The feeling of losing lasts that much longer - and it hurts.
"You probably handle disappointment better as you get older, but it still hurts. You try and get away from it when you're away on holiday with your family.
"But you always find yourself lying on a beach, going through a game where you think you could have done better or where the team could have done more.
"But you have to try and forget about it and enjoy your holiday, because it's no good torturing yourself.
"Knowing the character of our players and how disappointed they were with the title not being in our hands, they'll come back stronger.
"On Sunday the manager just told us all to enjoy the summer, whether you're on holiday or involved in the World Cup, and come back stronger next season.
"We'll be ready next season. The manager told us to remember the feeling of losing the title - and to make sure we don't have it again this time next year."
