Man United fall into the quagmire

Man United fell into a dead end in the League Cup when they were defeated by Grimsby Town - a team playing in the Fourth Division and 56 places below them.

Ruben Amorim's Man United fielded a squad worth nearly £400 million, including a "huge" attack line-up that had just been recruited with Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo... Despite such a superior squad, the "Red Devils" still lost miserably after being overwhelmed by a lower-ranked opponent with a total value of just over £3 million for most of the match.

The most memorable moment was not the penalty shootout, where both Cunha and Mbeumo missed their shots, causing Man United to lose 11-12. The English giants had previously played sluggishly and with a weak spirit for 75 minutes, allowing Grimsby Town to score 4 goals (2 goals were disallowed) before Mbeumo and Maguire managed to equalize.

Man United are the most expensive team ever to be eliminated early in the League Cup. Photo: EFL

Ruben Amorim was expected to bring a lot to Old Trafford and the 3-4-3 formation that helped him succeed at Sporting Lisbon. However, the Premier League and English football are different systems, making it difficult for a Man United that only has a lot of possession but attacks ineffectively and defends loosely.

Seeing the trio Sesko - Cunha - Mbeumo lost and helpless against the Grimsby Town defense, people suddenly realized that it was not Rashford, Garnacho, Sancho, Antony who were losing their form when they were all very young, but Amorim and his football philosophy that had stunted this talented squad. Amorim was conservative, everyone knew, when the Portuguese coach insisted on keeping the 5-defender formation even though the team was increasingly unbalanced. Creative player Bruno Fernandes was constrained in the complicated structure of his compatriot while the Man United midfield always seemed to have to play "handicap" when his teammates in the front line were "thirsty" for the ball.

The patience of Man United fans is running out. After falling to 15th place last season and missing out on European football, the "Red Devils" entered the new season with high expectations but continued to be bogged down. The League Cup is only a secondary tournament but the defeat to Grimsby Town showed that if Ruben Amorim does not change, Man United will continue to slide.

The match against Burnley in the third round of the Premier League this weekend, therefore, has the meaning of an "ultimatum" for Amorim, although the club's leadership has not made any statement. A victory is not enough, because what the fans need and expect to see is a change, a positive sign in the team's playing style.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/man-united-sa-chan-vao-vung-lay-196250828210158893.htm