- Grimsby knock out United in an epic
- Amorim’s shoulders seem to have dropped
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Burnley clash could decide his fate
Burnley clash could decide his fate
The dramaunfolded at Blundell Park,where Grimsby’s Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren stunned the Red Devils with two quickfire goals inside the opening half hour. Late responses from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire dragged Amorim’s side back into contention, but even that proved a hollow fightback. The game spiralled into an unforgettable penalty shootout, finishing 12-11 in Grimsby’s favour, with Matheus Cunha missing his attempt and Mbeumo striking the woodwork.
In the aftermath, Amorim’s every gesture was dissected. A body language analyst, Darren Stanton, told OLBG: “Usually he’s grinning like a Cheshire cat, even if things haven’t gone so well, but not now. I don’t see the same level of conviction we are used to from Ruben. He looks exhausted, mentally and emotionally. It’s the disbelief really that I think is the most interesting emotion. He was just absolutely gobsmacked to be in this situation against Grimsby. I didn’t think he really ever thought they’d lose this game.”
He added: “His comments about his own players speaking loudly for him was very interesting. He almost seems in a state of shock. He is a deeply disappointed man and I don’t think he fully understands what was going on in that match. We see evidence of pure frustration plus anger and disappointment. He spent most of his post-match interviews with his head dipped down. That’s also a sign of shame. We see the anger in how his eyes come together, pulled down and the furrow lines in his forehead.
“When he says the team has been getting better and improving I feel that he’s suggesting his players have thrown it against Grimsby. You feel he’s not far off claiming his plans are being sabotaged, like his team is throwing him under a bus, even though it means they’re losing these games.”
Despite the turmoil, Amorim is unlikely to abandon his principles. Known for rigid tactical structures and high demands, he has stuck by his philosophy through thick and thin.
“He might have this very specific way he wants his team to play and the structure he wants to stick to but he still expects his players to smash it against Grimsby, and he looks like a man who thinks there’s more going on to explain why they haven’t,” Stanton said.
Perhaps the most damning suggestion was that Amorim suspects his squad are undermining him.
Stanton continued: “Is there some agenda going on against him? He’s come to Manchester United looking like someone who really believed they were getting promoted to the big job but now he has the appearance of the person who ended up overlooked for that position, almost like he’s been cheated out of the real opportunity.
“But I don’t think he’s a man who is going to drop his own beliefs and his own ways of doing things. Obviously he’s had successes in the past otherwise he wouldn’t be so wedded to them. I think the ultimate end point to this would be that he walks rather than changing his approach but I don’t think that is imminent at the moment.
“I think he’s going to try and address whatever issues are going on in the locker room with the team but it could come to a point where he looks at it and goes, you know what, this just isn’t working for me. I’ve tried my best. You’re not prepared to play ball. You’re not prepared to play my way and work with me and my ideas.”
Attention now shifts to Saturday’s clash with Burnley at Old Trafford. On paper, it’s a winnable fixture. In reality, it could define Amorim’s tenure. Failure to deliver a convincing performance before the international break would leave him perilously exposed ahead of the looming Manchester derby on September 14.
