“Six Months ago I told you a storm was coming. After this disaster season, I want to tell you the good days are coming.” - Ruben Amorim in his Post-Season speech.
As it looks the storm is still here as Manchester United have started off the new campaign without a win in the first 3 games of the season which included a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, a 1-1 draw with Fulham and astonishingly being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by 4th division English side Grimsby Town in a 2-2 draw that ended with United going out on penalties.
A Summer of Change, Same Old Problems
It is absolutely incredible to see where Man Utd are at in this point in time after the changes they have made under INEOS’ ownership, from changes in the upper management side, changes in their transfer dealings, changes to the stadium and Carrington training ground, etc. And yet Man Utd, who have spent over £200m in the summer transfer window so far, cannot seem to win any games and it is quite incredible when you look at it.
Arsenal Opener – Positives and Set‑Piece Concerns
Man Utd’s opening game of the season against Arsenal, United looked like a much better team than the one everyone witnessed last season, both performance wise and stats wise United were the better team however the only thing they were missing were the all-important goals which are key to winning any football game. The only other real setback the Red Devils had that game was their weakness at defending set pieces which is proving to be a consistent issue for Man Utd.
The question is, is it the lack of physicality/strength from the goalkeepers or is it a lack of defensive discipline/setup during opposition corners? Most fans pinned the blame on the referee as they deemed that Man Utd’s goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was fouled during the corner which lead to the goal as well as a later incident occurred where United forward Mattheus Cunha seemingly was fouled in the box by Arsenal defender William Saliba however neither the referee nor VAR deemed either situation were fouls. Regardless there were plenty of positives to take away from that opening day fixture and United fans were looking forward to the next game against Fulham.
Fulham Frustrations and Tactical Worries
This game is where all the positives from the first game seemingly flew out the window as Man Utd, who were huge favourites in this game, looked 2nd best game for the majority of the match. United looked positive, creative and had 2-3 big opportunities to put themselves ahead within the first 10-15 minutes of the game but afterwards Fulham began to take full control of the game and United looked disorganised.
United did receive a penalty from the referee after reviewing the VAR footage showing Fulham defender Calvin Bassey pulling United midfielder Mason Mount to the ground. In the end, Man Utd Captain Bruno Fernandes missed the penalty and claimed the referee disrupted his penalty routine after the referee accidentally bumped into the Portuguese international and did not apologise.
United did eventually get the opener through a set piece own goal by Fulham forward Rodrigo Muniz however that lead only lasted about 15 minutes as Fulham’s Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith-Rowe combined to score the equaliser. It is also noteworthy that Smith-Rowe scored 94 seconds after being subbed on and his goal was his first touch of the game.
In the post interview Alex Iwobi had claimed that in training leading up to the United game that Fulham knew that they could get behind United’s midfield 2 and were confident that United’s back 3 would not push up which gave them the space to attack. That statement is rather concerning because that means that clubs have already figured out Ruben Amorim’s system or at least the way it is being played at Man Utd.
Grimsby Town Shock – Carabao Cup Exit
Finally the game against English Football League 2 club Grimsby Town. A 4th division English club is a team that Manchester United should not even consider a threat in their first Carabao Cup game and on pedigree alone fans expected Man Utd to have an easy game where their top players were expected to score goals for fun however shockingly were 2nd best for most of the game and were 2-0 down before half-time thanks to the shambolic goalkeeping of one Andre Onana and of course as mentioned previously Man Utd’s weakness at defending against set pieces.
Man Utd did manage to equalise the score thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire, and the game went straight into a penalty shootout where Man Utd lost 12-11 to Grimsby Town. The interesting part about the penalty shootout is that Onana did manage to save a penalty and it was down to Mattheus Cunha to put the game to bed however the Brazilian had his shot saved by Grimsby goalkeeper Christy Pym which sent the shootout into sudden death. Bryan Mbuemo was the unfortunate player to hit the crossbar and sent Grimsby fans into hysteria as for the first time ever in their history Grimsby Town had beaten Manchester United.
What Needs to Change?
The question everybody needs the answer to is what is actually the problem at Man Utd? Is it still the players? Is it the manager and his reluctance to not deviate from his system? Is it the way that Manchester United as whole is run? According to Ruben Amorim “Something has to change” in Man Utd and the million dollar question is, what is it that needs to change?
Latest Developments – August 31, 2025
Following the shock Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town, pressure is mounting on Ruben Amorim. INEOS executives are understood to be reviewing the team’s early‑season performances, with concerns over defensive organisation and set‑piece vulnerability. Sources suggest at least two senior players could be dropped for the next league match, while talks are ongoing about bringing in a free‑agent goalkeeper before the transfer deadline. Amorim has publicly insisted he will not abandon his tactical system, but privately, staff are exploring minor adjustments to stem the winless run.
