Amorim apologises after Manchester United’s shock exit to Grimsby

GRIMSBY, England: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim issued a public apology to fans after his side’s embarrassing League Cup elimination at the hands of fourth-tier Grimsby Town on Wednesday night.

United looked to have rescued themselves at Blundell Park when Harry Maguire’s late header forced a 2-2 draw, cancelling out a disastrous first-half performance that saw them trail 2-0. Bryan Mbeumo, who sparked the comeback, struck the crossbar in the ensuing marathon penalty shootout, which ended 12-11 in Grimsby’s favour.

The upset capped a humiliating evening for Amorim, whose side were second-best for large spells. “Everything went wrong. The way we started the game, we were not even here,” the Portuguese admitted. “When everything is so important in our club, everything that happened is a problem. We should do so much better. I just have to say sorry to our fans.”

Adding intrigue, Amorim suggested his players lacked desire, remarking that “they spoke really loud today what they want,” hinting at discontent within the squad.

For United, the defeat represents a new low under Amorim, while for Grimsby, it was a historic night as they dumped one of English football’s giants out of the competition.