Manchester United are arguably at their lowest ebb after an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to League Two Grimsby Town.
Ruben Amorim’s side were very much second-best against their fourth-tier opponents, falling 2-0 down at half-time. And while Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire rescued a 2-2 draw, they then crashed out after a marathon penalty shoot-out.
After the game Amorim made some concerning comments, insisting his players “spoke really loud to him” and that “something has to change” – but adding he cannot change 22 players again.
So what now for Man Utd? Sky Sports’ Paul Merson gives his verdict on their plight. Read the Magic Man’s comments below…
Half of Man Utd players’ attitudes STINKS!
I watched the whole game and all the way through to the penalties and: hard work. You have to put in the hard work. You could be some of the most talented players in the world but you have to work hard.
No disrespect to Grimsby, they shouldn’t be on the same pitch as Man Utd. If Man Utd turn up with the attitude Grimsby had, there’s only one result and everyone would have been turning over at half-time, looking for something else to watch. That wasn’t the case.
Half of them turned up thinking: ‘I’m only playing because it’s Grimsby. I won’t be playing against Burnley on Saturday’. Instead of: ‘When I walk off that game, those Grimsby fans and players will go: I didn’t know he was that good.’ That’s not the case.
The attitude stinks from half of them. Back in the day, there were shocks, the pitches were a joke. That pitch was immaculate and they should go out and destroy Grimsby.
Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t get to the top by just his talent. And if he has to work hard as one of the greatest players of all-time, why can’t the Manchester United players? It’s arrogance.
Who can knock on the door this weekend and go: why am I not playing? And they all want to leave! Where are they going to go? Who’s going to take them?
‘Man Utd got the wrong man in Amorim’
When he said: my players talk really loud – that means he has seen enough to know that they’re not really playing for him, in my opinion.
Then he turned around and said ‘I can’t change all 22 players’, [meaning] ‘it will have to be me to leave’.
I was a manager at Walsall. You just know, and you get a feeling, when things aren’t right.
When Amorim came in everybody knew he could play three at the back. Everybody knew. Man Utd knew. The owners knew.
He got that job by going the way he played. They never had the players to play that way – ever.
I could have seen him go in at Chelsea with Malo Gusto, Reece James – attacking wing-backs who can make things happen and cross the ball. They’re up and down. Chelsea have three centre-backs who would have suited the way he played.
They got the wrong man for the players they had. He had to change the whole lot. They’re not going to do that and he’s not going to change his system for Man Utd.
He came in from Portugal to one of the biggest jobs in world football playing the way he played. Why would he change?
He didn’t want to come in during the middle of the season because he knew they were not his players. No wing-backs. Then he had to come in, it was a mad struggle and this season he hasn’t got it.
Amorim has probably just gone: ‘I just have to outscore teams’, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko up front. Bruno Fernandes playing as well. And I don’t think he’ll do that.
How long will Amorim last at Man Utd?
I will be shocked if he’s still in charge if Man Utd don’t beat Burnley. But they will beat Burnley! It’s a nice game.
Erik ten Hag had that as well: three or four games without a win and then second-bottom of the league came. They just won that game and then lost three or four games again.
It’s just going to keep on covering the cracks. They will be called Pollyfilla United!
I don’t think Amorim will be shy to go: ‘I’ve had enough. I can’t do anything. I’ve done what I can’.
I don’t think he is one to put himself through pain to get his pay-off. I don’t know the man, but [the way he is] coming across, I think he’s an honest man and will be honest with himself. But I think they will beat Burnley.
Should Man Utd have prioritised a new goalkeeper?
For me, I would have said yes. You don’t win league titles, World Cups or European Championships without good goalkeepers.
Onana doesn’t save points, the goalkeepers lose points at Man Utd. So as soon as you lose points, that’s a worry.
They need a new goalkeeper. I see Gianluigi Donnarumma’s around – why don’t they go for him? But again, they’ve used their money in other positions.
They need legs in midfield. No one has ever won a tournament or league without legs in midfield.
‘Sesko taking tenth penalty? I thought he must be injured’
They bought Sesko for £70m and he’s taking the 10th penalty? I thought he had a broken leg when he stepped up. I thought he must be that injured that he’s taking the 10th penalty.
And then I heard people saying that he didn’t want to miss or take that pressure. He’s a £70m player! He’s coming to score goals for Man Utd to take them back to where they should belong and he’s taking the 10th penalty?
He has to be in the top five. He’s taking a penalty from 12 yards and the goalkeeper can’t come off his line!
I forgot that he was playing and then when he stepped up for the 10th penalty… wow.