Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has explained why he failed to watch his side’s penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby Town saying by that time in the game ‘it was not important’.
Despite heading into the game as favorite, United had to fight back from two nil down to secure a 2-2 draw in normal time against the League Two side.
Matheus Cunha failed in his chance to win the shootout after Andre Onana had denied Clarke Oduor, before Bryan Mbeumo sent his second effort onto the crossbar in a 12-11 loss that will see Amorim face a new criticism.
“The penalty shootout was not important,” Amorim replied when asked by ITV why he didn’t watch it. He went on to explain: “If I’m there trying to see if we win the game, it doesn’t matter. The beginning of the game, during the game that’s what mattered.
“If we win this game, it’s so unfair on these guys, the opponents. So today, the football was fair, congratulations to them. We move on to the next game and then we have time to decide things.”
Grimsby Town players celebrates victory over Manchester United during the Carabao Cup Second Round match at Blundell Park. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Amorim also mentioned needing ‘time to think’ and ‘decide things’ about where he can take the team from this low point and hinted that the international break cannot come soon enough for his players.
“In the penalties, I was not thinking about the penalties, to go to the next stage,” Amorim said, “I think the players spoke really loud about what they want today. It’s really clear, I think it’s really clear to everybody what happened today.
“I just want to apologise to our fans, we’ll have a game now [against Burnley in the Premier League] and then time to think.”
Amorim also defended Andre Onana who was at fault for Grimsby’s second goal and could have done better to keep out the first on a terrible night for the under-fire goalkeeper.
Amorim added: “With all respect when you play against a fourth division team, it’s not the goalkeeper, it’s everything. It’s the environment, the way we face the competition.
“We know that we are in a moment that people will pay attention to everything, it’s going to be massive, every detail. And we showed that performance today so my players spoke for me, really loud.”
