Grimsby humiliation: Manchester United are lost and Amorim's frantic diagrams won't save them

For the first time in Manchester United’s entire history, they’ve been knocked out of the EFL Cup by a fourth tier team. Let that sink in. Grimsby Town, a team three divisions below them, just sent the Red Devils packing while the rest of the “Big Six” haven’t even started playing yet. The club once thrived on never giving up, on finding ways to win when it mattered most are getting embarrassed by a fourth-tier side.

When money can’t buy heart

The numbers tell their own story. United came back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2, only to crumble in the penalty shootout. Mbuemo sparked the comeback after coming off the bench, but his crucial penalty miss handed Grimsby the victory. Summer signing Cunha also saw his spot kick saved by goalkeeper Pym, leaving Amorim’s expensive squad looking utterly deflated.

What’s most telling isn’t the missed penalties or tactical errors, it’s the complete absence of fight when it mattered most. Grimsby’s players, earning in a week what United’s substitutes make in an hour, showed more desire and professional pride than millionaire internationals. And they looked more like a team than United.

Amorim’s stubborn system

Ruben Amorim’s post-match comments about players “speaking louder” felt like desperate deflection from a manager already out of ideas. His rigid insistence on his tactical system, regardless of personnel or opposition, is becoming a major concern. You can argue he was hired to implement his philosophy, but when that philosophy can’t overcome weaker opposition, serious questions must be asked.

You know it’s bad when Amorim is flicking through his tactical notes trying to work out how to beat a team three divisions below them. The sight of United’s manager frantically scribbling diagrams like a student who was anxious before an exam was almost as embarrassing as the performance itself. This was not a world cup final. It’s a game against the league two opposition.

Historical context makes it worse

This marks only the third time in 30 years United have exited at the second round stage, joining defeats to York City in 1996 and MK Dons in 2015. The loss means they can play a maximum of 45 games this season, their fewest since 1959 if they fail to reach the FA Cup final.

Starting the season winless after three games, with “sacked in the morning” chants ringing around Blundell Park, this feels like the lowest point since relegation in 1974. Back then, they lacked resources. Now they have money but no identity, no cohesion, no soul.

The cultural rot

United’s problems run deeper than tactics or transfers. There’s a bomb squad of players desperate to leave, a manager clinging to failed ideas, and a fanbase watching their club become a laughing stock.

This isn’t just about one bad night in Grimsby. It’s about a club that’s forgotten how to win, how to fight, how to be the mighty Manchester United. This cannot go on like this forever.