Ruben Amorim has expressed his apologies to Manchester United supporters following a surprising defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby Town in the League Cup on Wednesday.
United fought back from a 2-0 deficit, with Harry Maguire scoring a late equalizer in the 89th minute after a weak first-half display at Blundell Park.
The match was decided in an extended penalty shootout, which ended 12-11 in Grimsby’s favor, with Bryan Mbeumo hitting the post on United’s final attempt.
Amorim, who has been under scrutiny since taking charge last season, hinted that his team might be struggling with deeper issues after another disappointing performance.
“The players really showed what they wanted today,” he said, implying a lack of motivation within the squad.
When asked about what went wrong, Amorim admitted his side lacked energy and were not mentally prepared for the game.
“Everything went wrong. The way we started, we weren’t present. Every detail matters at this club, and we should have done much better,” he said.
“I just want to apologize to our fans,” the Portuguese manager added.
Amorim also noted that he would take time to reflect during the upcoming international break as pressure on his role continues to rise.
“It doesn’t matter that the game was decided on penalties. Football was fair today. The best team won,” he commented.
With United now out of the League Cup, the FA Cup is now the most realistic chance for the team to win a trophy this season.
“I am the manager. It’s my responsibility to understand what happened. Once again, I am very sorry to our supporters,” Amorim told reporters.
“This is more than just a loss. It shows the biggest issue in the team. It was very clear today.”
“I would like to give smart and important explanations, but I have nothing more to say,” he admitted.
“This is another big problem. Repeating the same mistakes and not knowing how to respond. I am really sorry for our fans,” he added.
Amorim also explained that the expectations at the club are high, and not all problems can be solved in one transfer window.
“You can’t fix everything in just one summer. But you need to win matches,” he said.
“You must avoid performances like this. I think today we reached a small limit,” he concluded.
