Ruben Amorim's Manchester United career is hanging by a thread after Thursday's humiliating EFL Cup loss to Grimsby Town, but the Portuguese coach has been working hard to turn things around
Ruben Amorim at Blundell Park
Ruben Amorim is under intense pressure(Image: Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim could be set to follow Erik ten Hag's doomed footsteps, especially if Thursday morning's events are any indication.
The under-pressure Manchester United manager arrived at Carrington training ground at dawn, just hours after one of the most embarrassing nights in the club's recent history. On Wednesday, United were sensationally knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two outfit Grimsby Town – a stunning upset certain to be remembered as one of the season's biggest shocks.
After finishing 2-2 in normal time, Amorim's men crumbled in a nerve-racking penalty shootout, leaving his future at Old Trafford in serious jeopardy. Intent on showing resilience, the Portuguese coach reached the training ground well before 7am, determined to salvage something from the wreck.
Yet the act carried striking similarities to Ten Hag, who had done the same the previous year following a crushing 3-0 loss to Tottenham – a moment many saw as the beginning of the end for the Dutchman.
Like Amorim now, Ten Hag's final campaign began under heavy scrutiny after a poor finish to the season before. Results never picked up, and his sacking always felt inevitable until it was confirmed in November.
Amorim will be eager to avoid repeating history, but the warning signs are telling. United remain without a win after three fixtures, and his bleak 35 per cent win ratio as manager hints that change is inevitable.
Ruben Amorim crouches down and looks on
Manchester United are winless after three games this season
(Image: Getty Images)
At Blundell Park, Amorim cut a dispirited figure on the sidelines as Grimsby stormed to a 2-0 half-time lead. Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire gave United hope with second-half strikes, but the revival collapsed in the shootout, with summer additions Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha both failing from the spot.
When asked to explain what went wrong, Amorim said: "Everything. 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. 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.
Amorim and Ten Hag in 2021
Ruben Amorim's struggles mirror Erik ten Hag's in his final season at Man United
(Image: Getty Images)
"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. Nothing to say. That is the biggest problem also. To see the same mistakes and nothing to say in this moment. I'm really sorry for our fans. It's too much sometimes.
"You cannot change so much. You cannot change everything in one summer. You need to win games. You need to not show this kind of performance. I think this is a little bit the limit. I think something has to change. In this moment, we need to focus on the weekend and then we have time to think."
Ruben Amorim during an interview
Amorim cut a dejected figure during and after United's clash with Grimsby
(Image: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock)
Following the match, the team bus arrived back at Carrington shortly after 1am. Coaches and players, including Amorim, collected their cars and disappeared into the night. While most sought rest, the United boss returned just hours later to resume work.
He showed up nearly four hours before his players were scheduled for training at 11am, throwing himself into preparation for Saturday's crucial clash with Burnley. That game already feels like a must-win, particularly with United hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone, conjuring troubling parallels with last year's struggles.
Three points would bring a badly needed lift heading into the international break. Anything less, however, could deepen the crisis further - perhaps enough to send Amorim down the same path as Ten Hag.
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