GRIMSBY, England – Ruben Amorim would surely wish to forget his trip to Grimsby. A 12-11 penalty shootout defeat against an EFL League Two team, after a 2-2 draw in regulation time, represented the lowest point for Manchester United and their coach, and could mark the beginning of the end for Amorim.
Losing to Grimsby Town is a humiliation for Amorim and United. Never before had United fallen to a team from the English fourth division in this competition, having won their previous 11 encounters against teams from that division. However, it was the manner in which the elimination occurred in the second round that could put Amorim in danger.
The United were 2-0 down, and almost 3-0, before a Cameron Gardner goal was disallowed for offside. A late reaction allowed them to draw 2-2 with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire. Before the chaotic penalty shootout, where Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo missed, the £74 million summer signing, Benjamin Sesko, sent the ball over the crossbar from six meters with the last shot of the match. That should have been a sign of things to come.
After witnessing his team’s defeat in the penalty shootout, Amorim made a cryptic assessment by saying that his players “spoke a lot for him.” It didn’t sound like a compliment.
When you play against a fourth division team, it’s not the goalkeeper [that costs you the victory], it’s everything. It’s the atmosphere, it’s the way we approach the competition. We know we are in a moment where people will pay attention to everything. It’s going to be massive, every detail, and we showed that performance today. So my players spoke for me very loudly.
Ruben Amorim
La derrota por penales ante el Grimsby Town, de cuarta división, marcó un nuevo mínimo histórico para Bryan Mbeumo y el Manchester United.The expensive United squad should have overcome Grimsby, despite their slow start to the season in the Premier League, where they have lost and drawn their first two matches.
But a combination of the home team’s spirit and organization, and Amorim’s refusal to accept that his 3-4-3 system doesn’t suit his players, led United to suffer their worst cup defeat in recent memory.
There were many factors in this match: the poor defense of Diogo Dalot and Tyler Fredricson, goalkeeper André Onana’s failed attempt to defend the corner that led to Grimsby’s second goal, the inability of midfielders Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte to control the game and dominate the midfield, and the careless and missed penalty by Cunha that would have won the shootout for United.
All these aspects are part of the United’s gloomy overall picture. They are not isolated incidents from a night in Grimsby. Amorim has had problems with goalkeepers all season, his team’s defense has been poor, United has no functional midfield, and penalties have been a problem. Bruno Fernandes missed one against Fulham at the weekend. The summer transfer market is about to close on September 1st, and time is running out for United to solve its many problems. They need a reliable goalkeeper, but they probably won’t sign one. There is a desperate need for a midfielder with the energy to run from box to box, but also with the ability to create and control the game.
However, the biggest problem has become the elephant in the room: Amorim’s stubborn adherence to his 3-4-3 system. It simply doesn’t work in the Premier League, where United are outnumbered in midfield, but Amorim continues to jeopardize his chances of keeping his job by refusing to change his approach. The midfield problem also means that the forwards are deprived of service, a problem exacerbated by Amorim’s preference for playing inverted wingers who prefer to cut inside rather than cross for the forwards.
It’s a disaster in all departments, but because United has been a disaster for the better part of a decade, changing coaches every two or three years, there is a determination to weather the storm with Amorim until he gets it right. But this is proving to be a long storm, and the clouds are beginning to darken.
Amorim couldn’t escape the chants of “You’ll be sacked in the morning!” from the Grimsby fans. They’re probably wrong for now, but there’s no escaping Amorim’s poor record. He was given time and patience last season because he inherited a dysfunctional team from Erik ten Hag in November, but this is now his team and his win percentage is by far the worst of any United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Grimsby was Amorim’s 45th match in charge and his 19th defeat. He has overseen more defeats than victories (17) in 10 months as a coach. But this is the one that will hurt him the most, and it could also be a turning point.
United and Amorim can’t go on like this. Grimsby has to be the lowest, but with this team, there’s always the possibility that things will get worse.
