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Wayne Rooney criticises Manchester United after shock cup defeat against Grimsby
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Wayne Rooney criticises Manchester United after shock cup defeat against Grimsby

Originally posted on HITC  |  By Adnan Riaz  |  Last updated Aug 29, 2025 7:21 AM ET

Wayne Rooney has shared his thoughts on Grimsby Town’s shock win over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, speaking after the match.

Ruben Amorim, sitting in the dugout at Blundell Park, was left stunned as United’s 2025-26 Carabao Cup run ended far earlier than anyone expected.

By half-time, United were already facing a two-goal deficit thanks to Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren.

Manchester United had to chase the game from that point and did respond after the break. Bryan Mbeumo scored from off the bench before Harry Maguire headed home late on to send the tie to penalties.

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Grimsby kept their nerve through all 12 rounds of a remarkable shootout, with Abo Eisa sealing an unforgettable win for Paul Hurst’s side when Dean Henderson missed for United. The pressure is only going to rise on Amorim now as he looks for solutions to get United back on track.

Wayne Rooney reacts to Manchester United’s Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town

Ruben Amorim’s side fell short against the League Two club, losing on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time.

United had shown promise in their Premier League opener despite a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford. However, that early form quickly faded with a lacklustre 1-1 draw against Fulham, followed by the Carabao Cup exit.


Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

The following week brought little improvement as United were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham. Speaking on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show, he said: “It was difficult to watch, I think.”

Rooney added: “I did feel there was a lot of positives in the Arsenal game, [the] first game of the season, and then Fulham was a disappointment in the performance and then to go to Grimsby and lose in the cup with a lot of the, you know, starting XI involved in the game. The best players [were] involved in the game.”

Wayne Rooney picks up on one major detail from Man Utd’s Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town

Amorim didn’t hold back in his criticism of the team after the defeat, and questions about his future are already starting to surface.

Rooney pointed out that it’s obvious something is off within the squad after such a poor showing.


Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

“Just the way they lost, it was just disheartening,” he continued. “It’s just… there’s something not right. I think that’s clear.”

“I think the man [Amorim] just said that after the game and I think that’s clear for everyone to see that there’s something not right there.”

United will look to bounce back when they host Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday, with kick-off set for 3pm BST.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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