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“You’ve just been slapped by the fish” posted Grimsby Town, a club in the fourth tier of English football, on its X account after they dumped out 20-time English champions Manchester United from the second round of the League Cup via a dramatic penalty shootout needing 26 penalties. It was one of the most embarrassing losses ever for Manchester United . A livid United manager Ruben Amorim took a dig at his own players by praising Grimsby for being “the only team that was on the pitch.”
Grimsby won 12-11 on spot-kicks with Bryan Mbeumo missing the decisive penalty. Manchester United were trailing 2-0 at halftime before goals by Mbeumo and Harry Maguire leveled the score at 2-2 and sent the game into penalty shootout at the modest Blundell Park on England’s east coast, a stadium with just a 9,000-seat capacity.
A look at Manchester United’s woes: Why this loss is so painful
Manchester United had new signings worth 200 million pounds ($270 million) just in its attack for the game in the form of Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. Cunha failed in the shootout by having his weak attempt saved and Sesko took United’s 10th penalty — only ahead of goalkeeper Andre Onana.
According to a report on the BBC, Grimsby’s highlights are the Second Division titles the club won in 1901 and 1934. It’s most recent silverware is the 1998 Auto Windscreens Shields Trophy.
BCC quoted Transfermarkt’s report as saying that Grimsby’s squad is worth £3.1m, compared to United’s £765m players.
After finishing 15th last season in their worst league campaign since being relegated in 1974, United had gone on a spending splurge in the transfer window.
United are yet to earn a win in three games this season, after a loss to Arsenal and a draw at Fulham in the league.
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United had never lost to a fourth-tier team in the EFL Cup. The club was playing in the second round for the first time since 2014.
Grimsby Town’s Charles Vernam celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during an English League Cup second round soccer match against Manchester United. (PA via AP)
What Amorim said about the humiliating defeat
“The best players lose because a team can win against any group of players,” an angry Amorim said, “and I think the (United) team and the players spoke really loud today, so that’s it. We lost, the best team won.”
Amorim accused his team of playing “without any intensity.”
“We were completely lost and it’s hard to explain and that’s why I think they spoke really loud,” he said.
Asked what he meant by that specific comment, Amorim said: “I think it was clear for everybody what happened today.”
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