We have seen it enough times from a press box to have an inkling when a Man United manager has passed the point of no return.
Samuel joined the Manchester Evening News in 2014 and is the Chief Manchester United writer. He has broken exclusives on Jose Mourinho’s appointment, the re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, the club’s interest in Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, as well as numerous other transfers and team news. He has represented the MEN on the BBC, Sky News, Sky Sports News, TalkSport, Radio 5 Live, CNN and various other media outlets worldwide.
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United players assemble for the penalty shootout
A parting shot via email from Marcus Rashford’s cousin, Lois, last month read, verbatim: “get 4th round carabao, out to norwich in the p****n rain looooooooooll.” Manchester United did not even get that far.
There was biblical rain in Grimsby, another storm that has gathered overhead for Ruben Amorim. Amorim conducted his post-match press conference in a huddle on the pitch. He appeared to be agitating to get on it all night.
Amorim looked remarkably well when he re-emerged. Freshly showered and changed, he had four separate media obligations (Sky Sports, ITV, radio and MUTV) before he was ushered towards us. He was generous with his time and as polite as ever.
When Amorim was about to start his first chat with Natalie Gedra, the Grimsby fans broke into another rendition of “Sacked in the morning”. They had the courtesy to stop when Amorim started speaking.
Amorim’s equanimity was striking. He had gone through the ringer and was cowering in the dugout during the penalty shootout. They say a manager loosens up when he has entered the end game.
Amorim is not there yet. He retains the backing of the United hierarchy, though that is always worthless. Omar Berrada assured us on September 1 last year that Erik ten Hag had “full backing”. Ten Hag was sacked in October.
There was no rendition of the Amorim chant from the 1,200 United supporters at Blundell Park. They were strikingly subdued at 0-0. One season-ticket holder of more than 30 years messaged: “I feel like the countdown has begun.” That was after the draw at Fulham.
Amorim’s body language has never been as defeatist as it was at fourth-tier Grimsby. His head dropped repeatedly, he had to stop himself from stepping onto the pitch and several players were berated. Amorim was on his haunches so frequently he might as well have been on his knees.
After Bryan Mbeumo pinged the crossbar, the United players could not get off the pitch quickly enough. Harry Maguire pointed towards the tunnel and security personnel urgently ordered them in that direction.
The mass pitch invasion spared them. Friends in the away end confirmed mutiny was simmering, with Andre Onana and Diogo Dalot the two whipping boys. Onana could not have been further away from them when the contest ended and it is just as well. He was booed.
Onana had another night to forget
After the 90 minutes, Onana rushed down the tunnel, followed by the goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital. The referee tossed the coin for the shootout with Onana still indoors.
Altay Bayindir looked anxiously down the tunnel. Reading between the lines, Onana and Vital must have headed out of sight to do some last-minute analysis on Grimsby’s penalty takers.
The logical assumption is they were unprepared. Watching the shootout, it looked that way. Onana made one genuinely superb save yet gloved five other kicks that beat him. He dived the wrong way at least as many times. Where was the water bottle with guidance on which way Grimsby’s players place their penalties?
United lost on penalties
Bruno Fernandes had urged Onana to remain calm when he re-emerged yet he snapped after the first few kicks and vented at Bayindir. Fernandes was unhappy that Onana was not handing the ball to United’s next taker to ensure their routine was uninterrupted.
Fans may now wonder whether Bayindir, in goal for United’s only shootout win since the start of last season, ought to have replaced Onana, a la Tim Krul. That would have crushed the Cameroonian’s already fragile confidence into dust.
Amorim cannot legislate for Onana being beaten at his near post and misreading a cross but he has to shoulder some responsibility. He has mismanaged the goalkeeper situation, starting Bayindir when Onana was available not once but twice, all while United are in discussions to sign Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp and bristling at a question about Tom Heaton.
United players and Amorim react to going 2-0 down
He has also erred at the other end, where Benjamin Sesko has had a worse start to his United career than Rasmus Hojlund. United confirmed cramp meant Sesko was down as the tenth outfield penalty taker but it was still an odd look for a £73.66million striker.
We would have doubtless seen a more bullish Sesko had he started against Arsenal on the opening weekend. He had been training with his new teammates for a week. By delaying a start, Sesko’s confidence has subsided and his fitness is not as robust.
Sesko was always going to be compared with other strikers involved in big-money transfers. Hugo Ekitike has three in three and Viktor Gyokeres two in two. Already it is three games and no goals for Sesko.
Sesko misfired at Grimsby
United have unravelled through the manager mismanaging the two most important positions in the team and the absence of a single sale. That is about to change with Alejandro Garnacho, flogged on the cheap to Chelsea for £40m.
In the United players’ family section for the Europa League semi-final first leg at Athletic Bilbao, the only players whose agents were visible were Garnacho’s and Kobbie Mainoo’s. On the same day that United agreed to sell one, the other requested to leave.
The continued presence of bomb squad members is undoubtedly affecting what else United can do to strengthen. Casemiro is bed-blocking a midfield reinforcement (and Mainoo), yet his probable stay was practically celebrated by tone-deaf members of club media last week.
United are so bad Casemiro is a certain starter
United could have easily shifted Bayindir, a £4.3m signing two years ago, early in the summer to make room for a new goalkeeper. Instead, they regarded a new goalkeeper as a non-priority and United’s two main ‘keepers have become worse.
Amorim’s bold calls with individuals used to be for the betterment of the club but it has been to United’s detriment over the last month. Removing Hojlund from the squad, playing without a striker and then delaying Sesko’s first start were costly. His choices in goal have caused indecision and directly led to three goals.
We have seen it enough times from a press box to have an inkling when a manager has passed the point of no return. That already appears to be the case with Amorim. He is a good guy and a good coach but his record is indefensible
For a manager to be considered a success at United, they have to win the title. When Amorim was hired, you could imagine him ending United’s championship drought. Now? He’s drowning in a downpour.