Ruben Amorim's condition to leave Man United, smashing TV in anger, response to Grimsby pain

Ruben Amorim's condition to leave Man United, smashing TV in anger, response to Grimsby pain

Ruben Amorim has been in charge of Manchester United for just nine months, but he has already endured a number of challenging moments during his time at Old Trafford

Ruben Amorim has suffered yet another low as Manchester United boss thanks to Grimsby Town (Image: Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar)

Manchester United's struggles continue to build as head coach Ruben Amorim remains under immense pressure. The latest, and perhaps the worst, setback happened on Wednesday at Blundell Park, where his team were dumped out of the Carabao Cup in the second round by Grimsby Town, marking their earliest departure from the competition in over a decade.

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Amorim, 40, has only been in charge of the Red Devils for nine months, but it's proven to be the most difficult period of his coaching career. The lows have been relentless for him and his beleaguered players, with few highs since he took over from Erik ten Hag.

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The cup exit on penalties against League Two opposition is the latest blow in Amorim's tenure, as we take a deep dive on his most challenging moments at Old Trafford.

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TV screen damage

Despite maintaining a calm and composed demeanour during media engagements, Amorim is known to have a fiery side. This was evident following United's 3-1 home loss to Brighton last season, reports the Mirror.

It marked their sixth home defeat of the Premier League campaign and Amorim's fourth, despite being in post for just over two months. Tensions reached boiling point in the dressing room, with Amorim reportedly smashing a TV screen in a fit of anger directed at his squad.

Ruben Amorim branded his Man United team the worst in the club's history after their 3-1 defeat to Brighton last season (Image: Getty Images)

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The television, which he typically employs to outline tactics before matches and during the interval, became an unfortunate casualty as Amorim lost his composure with his squad, who were said to have remained in their seats throughout his angry outburst.

Worst team in history reveal

The January defeat to the Seagulls certainly affected Amorim, who went beyond destroying a TV to express his frustration with what represented another disappointing performance from his team.

After overseeing 11 league matches at that stage, United had managed only 11 points – and their woeful form prompted Amorim to remarkably label his side as the "worst team in Manchester United history."

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During his post-match press briefing, the Portuguese declared: "In [the past] 10 games in the Premier League, we won two.

"Imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United. Imagine what this is for me. We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United. I know you want headlines but I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go: your headlines."

Nevertheless, he retracted his comments just four days later, attributing his striking comments to his inexperience as a manager. "I'm a young guy and sometimes I make a mistake," Amorim explained during his press conference before the Europa League clash. "That's why I don't talk about it after the game."

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Lowly league finish

When Amorim was appointed in November, he inherited a team languishing in 13th place, with expectations that dismissing Ten Hag four months into the campaign might revitalise what had become a dismal season.

Nevertheless, the 40-year-old proved unable to halt United's dire form, which deteriorated further during his tenure. Amorim secured victory in merely seven of his 27 league matches last term, condemning United to a 15th-place finish with a paltry 42 points.

This represented not only their worst league standing since the 1989/90 campaign, but also the lowest points tally they had amassed in a top-flight season since their previous relegation in 1973/74.

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Offer and condition to leave Man Utd

Despite a dismal inaugural season at Old Trafford, Amorim did guide the club to the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur. Whilst triumph in Bilbao might have partially redeemed a historically dreadful season, it was the north London outfit that prevailed with a 1-0 victory.

The crushing disappointment of their domestic performance combined with European final heartbreak prompted Amorim to concede he would step down, but that was on the condition that the club admitted they lacked the confidence in his capacity to restore United's standing amongst football's elite powers.

The 40-year-old insisted he'd walk away from the club if thee bosses no longer had faith in him (Image: Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images.)

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"If the board and the fans feel I'm not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation," declared Amorim following the final. "But I will not quit again. I am confident in my job.

"As you see, I will not change anything in the way I do things. In this moment, I am not here to defend myself. It's not my style. I have nothing to show to the fans. In this moment [I need] a little bit of faith."

Grimsby defeat

The Red Devils were on the receiving ends of the most shocking upsets in recent times as they crashed out on spot-kicks to League Two outfit Grimsby, who might have secured victory during regular time had they not thrown away their commanding 2-0 advantage in the second half.

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Amorim didn't hesitate to criticise his squad following the loss whilst suggesting his position at Old Trafford might be under threat. He disclosed that discussions would take place following their Premier League encounter with Burnley on Saturday – their final fixture before the international window.

The defeat to Grimsby was a new low for Amorim (Image: 2025 Getty Images)

He told ITV Sport: "I think the players spoke really loudly about what they want today. Something has to change and you're not going to change 22 players again."

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Speaking about possible discussions with United's leadership, Amorim said: "Let's focus on the next game and then we have time to think about things. We have a lot of debts with our fans so let's focus on the game."

Amorim then reinforced his stance, adding: "We have a job to do, a job to prepare and then we'll stop and think things through."

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