Manchester United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the second round by fourth-division side Grimsby Town.
United conceded two goals in the first half but managed to fight back through Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire, leveling the score and sending the match to penalties. The six-time champions had a chance to seal the shootout when Matheus Cunha stepped up for the fifth penalty following a Grimsby miss earlier. However, he hit it straight into the arms of Christy Pym. The miss proved costly, as United eventually lost the shootout 12-11. It was the first time in the club’s history that they lost to a team from the fourth division.
Following the defeat, manager Ruben Amorim apologized to Manchester United fans:
“I am the manager. It’s up to me to understand what happened. Once again, I am truly sorry for our fans. Let’s focus on the next match. It’s more than a result. I think it was very clear today. I would like to say very intelligent and very important things. I have nothing to say. I am truly sorry for our fans. Sometimes it’s too much.”
He also emphasized that the team performed poorly and the better side won:
“I think the team and the players spoke really loud today. We lost. The best team won.”
Amorim also criticized the players, stating they should have dominated the game and never allowed Grimsby into United’s penalty area:
“With all the respect I have for them [Grimsby], against a fourth-division side, you have to shut down the opponent everywhere. André [Onana] shouldn’t touch the ball with his hands if we were performing at a high level.”
Diogo Dalot also shared his frustration:
“Not good enough, clearly. We gave the game to them. We cannot come here and expect it will be easy. Credit to them—they deserved to go through. We should have shown much more.”
He concluded by questioning the players’ commitment:
“I don’t want to go through the same sentences again and again. We just lost an opportunity today to show that we deserve to be [at this club].”
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