‘Baffling’ – Sky Sports pundit blasts Amorim’s crazy decision that cost Man Utd.. and legend Phil Jones agrees

RUBEN AMORIM might be one of the least popular men in Manchester, and “crazy” and “baffling” decisions during Manchester United’s stunning loss to Grimsby did not help.

Amorim was unable to watch on from the dugout as his side – filled with multi-million pound stars and international footballers – went out of the Carabao Cup second round against League Two opposition.

ReutersRuben Amorim was blasted for his ‘crazy’ decision to put round pegs in square holes[/caption]

GettyPhil Jones was baffled by the decision to stick to his formation[/caption]

ReutersMason Mount was subbed on to play as a left wing-back[/caption]

Meanwhile, Jordi McAnuff described it as ‘baffling’

The Red Devils had fallen 2-0 down after just 30 minutes, with Andre Onana having one of his customary stinkers in goal, against a club 58 places LOWER than them in the English football pyramid.

In an effort to change the tide and save some dignity, Amorim rang the halftime changes with Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Matthijs de Ligt all coming on.

Mason Mount was then introduced in place of Ayden Heaven in the 64th minute, leaving United with just two natural centre-backs on the field in De Ligt and Harry Maguire.

But his use of the former Chelsea star as a left wing-back instead of a central midfielder, as well as miraculously sticking to his back five formation even when chasing the game, left many scratching their heads.

That included United icon Phil Jones and former Premier League and EFL icon Jobi McAnuff, who appeared in the Sky Sports studio following the game.

Host Mark Chapman described Amorim sticking to the system regardless of personnel on the pitch as putting “round pegs in square holes”, an assessment Jones concurred with.

The 33-year-old said: “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.”

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Those thoughts were echoed by McAnuff, who highlighted the spare man Jones was referring to ended up being 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.”

Jones nodded in agreement, while Amorim himself also issued a grovelling apology to fans and slammed his team, saying only one side turned up.

The 40-year-old 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.”

Amorim also appeared to indicate he had lost the dressing room, saying the players “spoke really loud” about what they wanted during the game.

He continued: “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…

“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.

“When you lose but see something new, it’s different. When you see something like today, it’s hard to talk about that.

“I just want to say I’m really sorry for the fans. The support they gave me, with all the support they help the team. I have nothing to say. I’m really sorry.”

The giant-killing Marines discovered they will play Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the League Cup.

United will return to action in the Premier League on Saturday to host Burnley, with the result in that game before the international break potentially pivotal to Amorim’s future at Old Trafford.

If you believe in omens, then the last time United lost in the second round of the Carabao Cup was under Louis van Gaal at MK Dons in 2014/15 – an infamous 4-0 drubbing.

United had also lost and drawn their first two league games before playing Burnley in the third Prem game of the season.

They also drew that 0-0 before going on to secure a top-four finish at the end of the season – in part thanks to a lack of European football, which is another identical facet of this season.

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