Manchester United crashed out of the Carabao Cup against Grimsbyplaceholder image
Manchester United crashed out of the Carabao Cup against Grimsby | Getty Images
The main talking points as Man Utd crashed out of the Carabao Cup against Grimsby Town.
Ruben Amorim challenged Kobbie Mainoo to ‘fight for his place’ at Manchester United. He was the only one who showed any fight in the first half at Blundell Park. United only have four senior central midfielders in their first-team squad, and it doesn’t take a genius to realise Mainoo is the last one they should be looking to sell.
Even if the youngster set the bar extremely high during his breakthrough campaign, there is no excuse for him to be overlooked if he hasn’t hit quite the same heights since. The 20-year-old was one of the few positives for United against Grimsby and reiterated why it would be madness for him to leave the club before any of his midfield teammates.
If you can’t fit Mainoo into your tactical set-up, then your tactical set-up is the problem.
Read More
Keeping up appearances
If you’ve had to wait for your first start of the season, a trip to Grimsby is not as favourable as it might seem at first. Andre Onana was left out of the squad to face Arsenal, on the bench against Fulham, and was back between the posts for the trip to Blundell Park last night. Ruben Amorim might wish he had never given him the chance.
It was the type of night where you’d like to think the United goalkeeper would be a spectator and an occasion where even an impressive performance would be caveated by the fact it was against League 2 opposition. Instead, it showed exactly why United are looking to sign a new goalkeeper before deadline day.
Onana was not only awful for both first-half goals; his distribution was dreadful, and he set the tone for a shaky defensive performance from those in front of him. A move for Senne Lammens is hanging in the balance amid a larger bid from Galatasaray, but the performance of Onana at Grimsby proved why they need to match it.
Attack, attack, attack
It is understandable why Ruben Amorim prioritised attacking reinforcement in the summer transfer window. Manchester United scored just 44 goals in the Premier League last season: Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo managed 35 between them in the same competition.
A lack of goals wasn’t their only issue, though; it was just one of them. Just as costly was their lack of a suitable goalkeeper and their midfield malaise. They all combined into one disgusting cocktail to dump United out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
When all the new signings are settled in, United might well score more goals than they did last season, but those attacking arrivals will do nothing to solve the issues that persist elsewhere on the pitch. It is like buying a new sofa when you still have a leak in the living room roof. No insurance policy for Amorim will protect him against such a reckless transfer strategy.
We don’t (need) to talk about Bruno
Bruno Fernandes was one of the problems against Fulham; he was almost the problem solver against Grimsby. Manchester United were awful for much of their humiliating Carabao Cup exit, but they finally got a grip on the game when the captain was introduced at half-time.
He ensured his side finally took control of the chaotic midfield battle and gave them the platform to push late on for an equaliser that gave them the false dawn of a penalty shootout. Even after his horrific miss at Fulham, he stood up to be counted twice and calmly placed his attempts into the back of the net.
When Bryan Mbeumo cracked his second effort against the bar to condemn them to a humiliating exit, Fernandes walked straight over to protect him from the home fans and escort him off the pitch. On a night when so many lacked courage and conviction, Fernandes once again proved why he has to be part of the United side going forward.
Continue Reading