Furious Man Utd fans demand Ruben Amorim is SACKED for Grimsby cup humiliation

RUBEN AMORIM was labelled a "coward" as fans demanded he is sacked following Manchester United's humiliating Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby.

Man Utd had to fight back from 2-0 down against the League Two club just to force penalties - only to exit after an 18-minute shootout .

8 Ruben Amorim has been labelled as a 'coward' after Man Utd's Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Credit: Getty

8 Amorim's Man Utd are on a turgid run of form Credit: Shutterstock Editorial

8 Amorim was berated for his use of tactics board during the second half Credit: Sky Sports

Amorim's underachieving flops were second best throughout the game and not even Harry Maguire 's late equalising header could spare their blushes.

But despite the dismal display on the pitch, it was Amorim's actions off it that had Red Devils supporters reeling from their seats in front of the telly.

It's also led to speculation he will be axed and who might replace him - with ex-England boss Gareth Southgate in the frame.

Portuguese gaffer Amorim - who is now under immense pressure after yet another defeat - was first ridiculed for seemingly experimenting with new tactics on his tactics board when his team were trailing 2-0.

TV cameras caught Amorim tinkering with pieces on his board over an hour into the match with United looking lifeless on the pitch.

Furious fans reacted online, with one writing: "He should be sacked before the bus even leaves the ground. That's unforgivable".

A second fumed: "He's playing tic-tac-toe mid game!"

And a third claimed that Amorim was "pretending to look busy at work".

8 Grimsby pulled off one of the biggest cup upsets in the history of the English game with their 12-11 penalty victory Credit: Getty

Even when United had clawed their way back into the game, thanks to a tidy Bryan Mbeumo finish and a Maguire header, fans found another reason to be angry with their manager.

During the penalty shootout, fans spotted that Amorim was "hiding" in the dugout as he appeared to slump back into his seat and avoid watching the 18-minute slugfest.

8 Amorim appeared to hide in the dugout during the penalty shootout Credit: ITV SPORT

8 The Man Utd manager couldn't watch the spot kicks Credit: ITV SPORT

One livid supporter wrote: "Sorry, but I don’t want a manager who’s too scared to watch a penalty shootout against a League Two team. Sort it out or f*** off".

While another posted: "Amorim hiding during this penalty shootout against a fourth division team is an embarrassment".

A third posted: "A manager that can't even watch his own team against a League Two opponent. Get Ruben Amorim out of my club."

And a fourth even wrote: "Amorim can pack his bag. Couldn’t even watch the penalties, coward."

There's no doubt that the microscope on Amorim just got even more intense after a defeat like this.

The 40-year-old appears to be running out of time and will surely need to get a result on Saturday when United host newly promoted Burnley at Old Trafford .

He has won just one of his last seven games in all competitions and currently has a win percentage of just over 37 per cent during his time in charge of United.

Speaking after the defeat to Grimsby, Amorim hinted that his squad aren't playing for him .

He said: "In the end, it doesn't matter if we recover or not, it's the signs the team gave during the game, the beginning of the game.

"I think the best team won, the only team that was on the pitch.

"The best players lose because one team can win against any group of players, and I think the team and the players spoke really loud today, so that's it. We lost, the best team won."

Adding: "I think it's really clear what they spoke, so let's move on from this day and I think it was clear for everybody what happened today."

"The way we start the game without any intensity, all the idea of the pressure, we were completely lost and that's why I think they spoke really loud."

There is already speculation over who might replace him if Manchester United wield the axe.

Former England boss Gareth Southgate is one of the favourites to replace Ruben Amorim if the Man Utd manager gets the sack.

Southgate, 54, has been out of work since he resigned as England head coach in the aftermath of losing the final of Euro 2024 to Spain.

And he is now joint favourite at 5/1 to be the next man in the Man Utd hotseat.

8 Gareth Southgate is leading contender to replace Amorim Credit: PA

8 Former Manchester United player Michael Carrick will also be in the frame Credit: PA

Less than a year ago, former England boss Southgate was the red-hot favourite to be the Red Devils' next permanent manager at odds of 2/1.

But he distanced himself from United and instead the Ratcliffe’s new regime went for a younger candidate in Amorim.

Southgate is joint favourite with former Man Utd star Michael Carrick , according to TalkSPORT bet .

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is 8/1 for the job, along with ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino , who is currently head coach at the USA mens national team.

Bookies rate Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna , who is another former assistant manager at United, at 10/1.

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane , Fulham boss Marco Silva , Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and former Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez are all at 12/1.

As well as Amorim's strange actions on the touchline, his decision making has also been questioned.

Former Manchester United player Phil Jones said of his decision to bring substitute Mason Mount on in a wing-back position: "When he changed and put Mason Mount in that position, they still went with a back five, but they were building with a back five against Grimsby, who were sitting on the edge of the box.

"Your spare man was almost in build-up when you needed that spare man sort of further higher up the pitch to make an overload out wide or through the middle."

Those thoughts were echoed by pundit Jobi McAnuff, who highlighted the spare man Jones was referring to ended up being Matthijs De Ligt, when it needed to be another attacker.

McAnuff, 43, said: "How many times was that spare man De Ligt, for example, in that build-up?

"He’d be the one joining in, and with the greatest respect to him, he should have an attacking player getting into the box, where a lot of the time it was a defender, an extra man.

"It just seems crazy that he’s so wedded to this formation, at all costs and at any circumstance in a match.

"He’s almost forcing people into positions, whatever the state of the game is, it just seems absolutely baffling to me, that there’s just no flex at all, and I just feel that that is definitely something.

"Yes, application, understanding of what the game was about.

“I thought they were miles off it in that first half in particular, as if they rolled up today and just had no idea of what’s going to be expected at Grimsby Town away on a wet Wednesday night.”