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Manchester United's woes continue to mount as manager Ruben Amorim faces increasing scrutiny. The latest setback occurred on Wednesday at Blundell Park, where the Red Devils were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town in a penalty shootout, marking their earliest departure from the tournament in over ten years.

Amorim, 40, has only been in charge at Old Trafford for nine months, but it's proven to be the most testing time in his career and indeed for many of his players. His tenure has been marked by a series of disappointments, with few high points since he took over from Erik ten Hag. The cup exit at the hands of a League Two side is just the latest blow in Amorim's troubled reign, as we reflect on his most difficult moments at the helm of Manchester United.

TV screen incident

Despite maintaining a calm exterior during media engagements, Amorim is known to have a fiery temper. This was evident following United's 3-1 home defeat to Brighton last season, reports the Mirror. This loss marked their sixth home defeat of the Premier League campaign and Amorim's fourth, despite having been in the job for just over two months.

Reports suggest that tensions reached boiling point in the dressing room, with Amorim reportedly smashing a TV screen in a fit of anger directed at his team. The television, which he typically employs to demonstrate tactics before kick-off and during the interval, became the unfortunate casualty of Amorim's outburst at his squad, who reportedly remained in their seats throughout his angry tirade.

Worst team in history admission

The January defeat to Brighton certainly left its mark on Amorim, who didn't limit himself to destroying a television when expressing his exasperation with what represented another woeful display from his team. After overseeing 11 league matches at that stage, United had managed to secure merely 11 points - and their appalling run prompted Amorim to astoundingly describe his squad as the "worst team in Manchester United history."

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During his post-match press briefing, the Portuguese manager 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 remarks just days afterwards, attributing his striking statements to his inexperience as a manager. "I'm a young guy and sometimes I make a mistake," Amorim admitted during his press conference before a Europa League clash against Rangers. "That's why I don't talk about it after the game."

15th-placed league finish

Upon taking the reins at Manchester United in November, Amorim inherited a team languishing in 13th place, with the club's hierarchy hoping that parting ways with Ten Hag just four months into the campaign would spark a turnaround. Despite high hopes, Amorim, 40, struggled to halt the Red Devils' slide, managing only seven wins out of 27 league matches, culminating in a dismal 15th place finish and a meagre 42 points tally.

Not since the 1989-90 season had United found themselves so low in the league standings, and the points total was their worst in the top flight since the relegation days of 1973-74. Despite a nightmarish first season at Old Trafford, Amorim did guide the squad to the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur. The showdown in Bilbao offered a chance for redemption, but it was Spurs who triumphed with a narrow 1-0 victory.

The sting of domestic failure combined with European heartbreak led Amorim to concede he'd step down if there was any doubt about his capacity to restore United to its former glory. "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," Amorim declared post-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 humiliation

The Red Devils suffered one of the most shocking upsets in recent years as they were dumped out on penalties by League Two outfit Grimsby, who could have sealed victory in regular time had they not thrown away their 2-0 advantage. Amorim didn't hold back in criticising his players following the loss whilst suggesting his position at Old Trafford could be under threat.

He disclosed that discussions will take place after their Premier League encounter against Burnley on Saturday - their final fixture before the international break. 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."

Speaking about potential discussions with United's hierarchy, 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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