Amorim has a huge job on his hands.(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim stood with his hands on his hips as Blundell Park erupted into celebration.
[Manchester United’s](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/all-about/manchester-united-fc) players trudged back to the halfway line for the restart. Then Grimsby extended their advantage just eight minutes later after a calamity from a corner.
The worst results were supposed to be behind United after a shocking 2024/25 season, but they somehow reached a new low during an embarrassing 90 minutes.
Fans were starting to question Amorim after learning Kobbie Mainoo's future is uncertain. Some argued there is no long-term future for Amorim at Old Trafford if he cannot accommodate such a talent.
The performance against Grimsby will put more pressure on Amorim at a time of the season that was supposed to be full of optimism. The morale in the dressing room significantly improved throughout the summer, Amorim was backed with big-money signings and pre-season was positive.
But results dictate the narrative. There were positives to take from Arsenal, United went backwards against Fulham, which was followed by League Two opposition completing a giant-killing.
Rightly or wrongly, the conversation about how long Amorim lasts has already started. Fans on the train back to Manchester from Craven Cottage were overheard talking about it last weekend.
United had £401million worth of talent in the starting team against Grimsby and they looked second best in most departments.
Amorim made three changes at the break, introducing Matthijs de Ligt, Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo, meaning there were essentially five attacking players on the pitch (Fernandes, Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Amad and Benjamin Sesko).
There were a few promising attacks, but United struggled to threaten for large parts of the game, which must concern club chiefs after spending close to £200m to overhaul the front line.
Shortly after the hour mark, Amorim made another attacking change by replacing Ayden Heaven with Mason Mount. Mount was introduced at left wing-back, which confirmed United were in panic mode.
Amorim looked like a manager who was close to the edge on the touchline. He started the game by man-managing each red shirt and that should not be the case after 10 months in charge of the club.
The players should know their roles without Amorim encouraging them into certain areas of the pitch. There were teething problems with the system last season and they don't seem to be over.
Amorim could not believe what he was watching from the touchline and, as the rain hammered down, he probably wondered why he swapped a successful life in Portgual for a seemingly impossible job.
United's head coach will be scrutinised after crashing out of the Carabao Cup. It was Mbeumo who scored to make it 2-1 and Mount who delivered the corner into the box for the equaliser, so his changes worked, but United faltered in the penalty shootout.
"You're getting sacked in the morning, sacked in the morning," taunted the Grimsby fans at one stage. Amorim knows his side must do better to prevent the pressure from increasing.
United's head coach will take responsibility for one of the biggest shocks in the club's history. When comparing the two United teams, this result is worse than the defeat to MK Dons with Louis van Gaal in charge in 2014.
Van Gaal named a makeshift starting team for that game, while Amorim had £401m worth of talent on the pitch.
It simply isn't acceptable, and Amorim knows it.