Manchester United suffered a new humiliation, losing away at Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.
2025/26 is already off to a horrific start for Manchester United. In fact, it feels like a re-tread of 2014.
Back then, Louis van Gaal’s side tore it up in pre-season in the USA, before losing at home in the Premier League opener, and then being knocked out of the League Cup by MK Dons.
United were playing in the competition’s second round for the first time since 2014 last night, and suffered fresh humiliation, losing to Grimsby on penalties.
It followed quite a positive pre-season campaign, but it has all begun to fall apart since. United lost to Arsenal on the opening day, then drew at Fulham, before this awful result at Grimsby.
United drew the game 2-2 after trailing for most of it, and lost a lengthy shootout 12-11.
This one felt worse than 2014, because current boss Ruben Amorim already has a season of woeful results behind him.
Ruben Amorim sits back on Manchester United's bench
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim has no confidence
Manchester United fought back into the game late with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire.
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Then it was down to the lottery of penalty-kicks, where new signing Matheus Cunha missed a chance to win it, before Bryan Mbeumo hit the bar with his second attempt.
What was striking was that during the shootout, Ruben Amorim was hidden away, sat on his bench, unable to look.
On Sky Sports, the commentary team remarked that Amorim did not ‘transmit confidence’ to his players with his actions.
That was one interpretation. The other is that it said far more about Amorim’s own status and concerns – he is panicked, and quite clearly has no confidence himself.
His body language and actions show a man under pressure, and this has intensified after being knocked out of arguably the easiest cup to win.
There were calls on social media for Amorim to be fired, even at half-time, when United were trailing 2-0.
This reflects a growing lack of faith with Amorim’s project, and his tactics, with League Two side Grimsby able to go toe-for-toe and look like the better team.
Manchester United loss could have been worse
Manchester United can say they drew the game and lost the coin-toss of a penalty shootout, rather than losing it outright. But it quite easily could have been a loss.
Grimsby had the ball in the net four times, with two goals disallowed, and there was a very strong case that one of them should have stood.
This would have put Grimsby 3-0 up at the time, into an unassailable lead.
Amorim was not unlucky to lose the shootout. He was lucky Manchester United even made it to one.