Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim blasted his players after their EFL Cup Second Round exit at the hands of League Two Grimsby Town, insisting his side “were not even here” during a dismal first-half display in Lincolnshire.
United found themselves two goals down at the break after being outfought by their lower league opposition, but the Red Devils mounted a comeback in the second-half to take the game to a penalty shoot-out courtesy of goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire.
But their humiliation was not to be spared as the Premier League side fell 12-11 in the shootout to spark jubilant scenes from the home fans at Blundell Park and compound United’s underwhelming start to the new season.
When asked to identify what went wrong for United, Amorim did not hold back.
“Everything,” the United boss said. “The way we started the game, we were not even here. When everything is so important in our club, everything that happened, it’s a problem in our club, we should do so much better. I just have to say sorry to our fans.
“I felt my players spoke really loud today what they want. I think it’s easy for you [how to interpret it]. Let’s focus on the next game and then we have the stop for the international games. We will think things through.
“[It] doesn’t matter [that we lost on penalties]. In the penalties, the feeling is the same. I think football was really fair today. The best team won.
“I’m the manager. It should be my job to understand what happened. Again, I’m really sorry for our fans. Let’s focus on the next game. That is more than a result. That is the biggest problem in the team. I think it was really clear today.
“I would like to say very smart things and very important things. I have nothing to say.
“I think something has to change. In this moment, we need to focus on the weekend and then we have time to think.”
Goalkeeper Andre Onana did little to sway the opinion of his mounting critics. The Cameroon international failed to cover himself in glory when he got nowhere near a cross which allowed former United academy player Tyrell Warren to double Grimsby’s lead.
However, Amorim stressed the blame should not be directed at one player, adding: “It’s not about Andre. We are here with all due respect. I already said that the best team won. But this is a fourth division team. Andre should play just with his feet during this game? It’s not that that happened.
“It’s not the goalkeeper. It’s more than that. He’s everybody.”
Next up for Manchester United is the visit of newly promoted Burnley to Old Trafford on Saturday.
