Dalot: “Man Utd should have shown more” after elimination against Grimsby

Manchester United player Diogo Dalot expressed his disappointment after his team’s defeat to Grimsby Town, a result that marked their elimination from the Carabao Cup.

Dalot Criticizes Manchester United’s Performance

Dalot, visibly affected, stated that the team wasted a crucial opportunity to prove their worth on the field. The right-back, one of the team’s leaders, was the only player who spoke after the match, taking responsibility for the team’s performance. The match at Blundell Park was a tough blow for United, where the League Two team outplayed the Premier League team in the first half. Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren, a product of United’s academy, scored for Grimsby, while United managed to force a penalty shootout thanks to goals from Harry Maguire and Bryan Mbeumo.

Dalot, who scored his penalty in the shootout, admitted that the team’s performance was not enough, especially in the first half. “We were not good enough,” Dalot said. “We gave them the game, exactly what they wanted: winning duels, second plays, set pieces.”

We fought to come back, but I think that was the least we could show to the fans who traveled today, for ourselves, for the club, but it clearly wasn’t good enough.

Diogo Dalot

The defender also acknowledged Grimsby’s merit, but insisted that United should have shown more. “We can’t come here and expect it to be easy, because we already know these competitions, these clubs. Credit is also due to them because they fought very hard to deserve to go through, but it shouldn’t be enough to beat us because we should have shown much more.” United coach Ruben Amorim faced chants of “you’re going to be fired in the morning” from Grimsby fans. The Portuguese coach commented that his “players spoke very loudly today about what they want” after the defeat in the second round, adding that, although “widespread changes” cannot be made, “something has to change”. When asked if United should have had enough quality to overcome a fourth-tier team, Dalot replied: “Exactly. Not just the quality, but obviously the minimum standards you demand in every game, the focus of the game.” Dalot emphasized the need to improve for the future and the importance of showing a better attitude in the next matches. “The best way for us to have respected Grimsby today was to come here and play at 100%. I think that’s what we need to improve for the future. We simply missed an opportunity today to show that we deserve to be here.” The defeat leaves United with the urgent need to secure their first win of the season against Burnley before the international break. Dalot concluded by saying that the best way to reverse the situation is to show a different approach and quality in next Saturday’s match.