Yardbarker
x
Manchester United keep finding new ways to disappoint
A general view of a game ball. Mark Smith-Imagn Images

Manchester United keep finding new ways to disappoint

This season was supposed to be different. Over $270 million spent on attacking talent. A full preseason learning Ruben Amorim's system. A team full of players all pulling in the same direction. Manchester United were meant to use this year, with no European football, as a launching pad.

Instead, they're continuing their free fall into obscurity. United have started the season with a loss to Arsenal and a draw with Fulham. However, it was on Wednesday night that things took another turn for the worse. United crashed out of the Carabao Cup following a 12-11 loss to Grimsby Town on penalties after a 2-2 scoreline at full time. 

Grimsby Town is a League Two outfit. They had no place being tied up with a United team that had given Benjamin Sesko his first start in a United shirt. However, this isn't the United some of us remember. It's a shadow of the team that dominated English and European football. It's a giant on its knees. 

Amorim will come under intense pressure following this latest humbling. The problem is, United's willingness to succumb to that pressure is a huge part of the problem. Every time they back a manager with new signings only to fire him months later, the process starts anew. Progress isn't pretty. Losses like these can happen. 

But the team must remain loyal to Amorim and trust in his methods. 

Of course, loyalty is a two-way street. Amorim must find ways to embolden his team to play the type of attacking football United fans crave. After all, even with all the new additions, the team has only scored three goals in three full games. 

Things have to improve. 

It's far too early to throw around ideas of relegation. United could click at any moment and quickly emerge as a fun and exciting young team. However, if they continue on their current path, where even a League Two team can best them, relegation chatter will start to heat up. And when that happens, Amorim's chances of rebuilding United in his image will rapidly fade. 

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!