Latest Manchester United news and rumours as Ruben Amorim hopes to change the club's fortunes following a disappointing 2024/25 season
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim(Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Manchester United are set to play Grimsby in the second round of this season's the Carabao Cup following the draw on Wednesday night.
The last time they featured in round two of the competition was during the 2014/15 season, after finishing seventh in the league the previous campaign and missing out on European qualification. On that occasion, United faced MK Dons away, and were comfortably beaten 4-0 on the night.
The competition was known as the Capital One Cup at the time and the result marked a dismal start to life under Louis van Gaal, who had been appointed earlier that summer to replace David Moyes. United were beginning what would prove to be a difficult period for the club as they tried to fill the void left by Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.
This time, Ruben Amorim is overseeing things and he will be expecting a sharp increase in fortunes from last season's disappointing 15th place finish in the Premier League. The club were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the quarter-finals, falling to a 4-3 defeat to their eventual Europa League final conquerers Tottenham Hotspur.
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United are entering the competition at this early stage due to their poor Premier League campaign, with only Wolves and Tottenham separating them from the relegation places.
It means Amorim faces a huge task to change the club's fortunes, and he will be hoping to avoid a similar embarrassment to the one Van Gaal endured 11 years ago.
Since their last appearance in the second round of the Carabao Cup, United have lifted the trophy twice. First in 2017 under Jose Mourinho, beating Southampton 3-2, and again in 2023 during Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge, with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium.
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