Manchester United players offer the right kind of response to Grimsby humiliation

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If, as Ruben Amorim said, Manchester United’s players “spoke loudly” during their unprecedented defeat to Grimsby Town, then their subsequent win over Burnley was at least a vocal response.

Yes, it took a penalty by Bruno Fernandes, eventually converted in the 97th minute, to earn United three points, but the tenor of the performance from kick-off told of a team determined to claw back credibility.

People at United were surprised that Amorim implied the players had voiced an issue with his approach through their display at Blundell Park, having seen a good connection in pre-season, and the aggression with which United began the game against Burnley, and the resilience they found to finish it victorious, suggested the majority of the group is still with him.

Inevitably, there is talk among players about what went wrong last season and now into this campaign, and tactics, coaching, and preparation have come up as points for debate. But players are also looking at themselves, as they should do, and that professional pride — which was lacking at Grimsby until late in the game – was clearer against Scott Parker’s team.

United’s fast start came after Burnley switched ends, doubtless unaware that Fernandes himself chose to break with tradition by shooting towards the Stretford End when he won the toss last season. The idea back then was to use Old Trafford’s iconic stand as energy for first halves, which United had struggled to make an impact in.

Here, United started with aggression and purpose. Mason Mount won the ball off Hannibal Mejbri, the former United academy player, to give to Fernandes, who found Bryan Mbeumo with a beautiful pass. Mbeumo’s touch was artful and his curling shot required a good save by Martin Dubravka. Up front, Mattheus Cunha hared around applying pressure to Dubravka.

“When they put the effort, I will always love them,” said Amorim, when asked to reflect on the love/hate relationship with his players he had shared at Friday’s press conference. “Even when Amad is missing that kind of goal, I love Amad if he’s giving everything.”

Amorim was referencing Amad blazing over at an open net from Mbeumo’s cross. But Amad had started that thrilling counter-attack by charging down Jaidon Anthony’s attempted ball into United’s box. Amad was a player who had a particularly bad night on Wednesday, so this display, with him winning the crucial penalty, was some way to redemption.

Mbeumo celebrates scoring United’s second goal of the game (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

For Cunha, however, those sprints, on the back of 90 minutes in midweek, saw him suffer what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Joshua Zirkzee went on and picked up the high press on Dubravka, too. Mount was taken off at half-time after he felt something — the risks of playing at such a tempo — and Amorim made plain his bond is strong with those two. “We need those guys really bad to be competitive,” he said.

Kobbie Mainoo has found opportunities harder to come by under Amorim, hence his request to leave on loan made this week. He would also like more communication from Amorim over the reasons he has moved down the pecking order. But Mainoo played 45 minutes against Burnley due to the injuries and did the kind of things that should encourage Amorim to consider him more frequently. He won the ball once high up and another time after tracking back.

It was also Mainoo’s precise crossfield pass that found Diogo Dalot on the left. Dalot set up Benjamin Sesko for a header that was glanced wide. United insist Mainoo will stay at the club beyond the transfer deadline.

Dalot provided the assist for Mbeumo, coming straight from kick-off after Lyle Foster had equalised. Altay Bayindir kicked long for a flick-on to Zirkzee, and Dalot’s cutback met Mbeumo holding his run. It looked like a clear, rehearsed goal, with Dalot instinctively knowing where to put the ball. Amorim shook his head in a way that suggested he was caught between loving his players for scoring and hating them for not executing this simple team goal sooner.

“So some of the things that we worked on during the week and spoke about, they were doing that,” said Amorim.

Having practised at Carrington, United were also a threat at corners. Mount took the first few deep, causing issues, and that had the benefit of Burnley focusing their attention there, and so later, when Fernandes stood a corner up, the visitors were neglecting Amad in the middle of the box. Amad’s volley needed sharp reactions from Dubravka.

United repeated the trick in the second half when Mbeumo found Fernandes, who struck wide.

The defensive lapses that allowed Burnley into the game were concerning, however. Jacob Bruun Larsen had space to cross the ball despite a five-man back line, and Foster moved into the gap between three central defenders to tap in. Luke Shaw was coming back from having moved up the pitch, prompting Matthijs de Ligt to push out, but when Burnley recycled the ball, De Ligt wanted to rotate with Dalot, the left wing-back. Dalot stayed put, and this mix-up was crucial, with no player within 10 yards of Bruun Larsen and De Light out of position in the middle. “How?” Shaw screamed.

For Burnley’s second, Bayindir palmed Loum Tchaouna’s shot to the feet of Anthony, adding another exhibit to the file on United’s suspect goalkeepers.

The win over Burnley was not always an easy watch for Amorim (Martin Rickett/Getty Images)

Andre Onana being on the bench again was a clear sign of his new standing. He was ready to reclaim the No 1 spot as early as the Arsenal game, but Amorim picked Bayindir and is continuing to go with him. Bayindir at least showed decent distribution again.

Amorim’s judgment has been made in the context of Onana missing all of pre-season. It can be revealed that people at United had questions over the goalkeeper’s physical shape to pick up a hamstring injury so early after reporting back from summer holiday. Onana informed staff he felt a tweak on the first day, then a full problem on day two.

United made a loan bid for Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez while the squad were on pre-season tour in the United States. They have since held talks on Antwerp’s 23-year-old goalkeeper Senne Lammens, but at this stage, personal terms and a transfer fee have yet to be agreed.

The late penalty by Fernandes alleviated the immediate scrutiny on United, allowing relief into the international break, and several hundred fans waited behind to get a glimpse of Amorim afterwards. Fans had sung his name in the 34th minute, and again in the 101st minute, after failing to do so at Grimsby.

Amorim has been slightly embarrassed when fans have asked for selfies after a defeat, but this is a man who used to manage Sporting CP of Lisbon, a club whose fans attacked players and trashed the training ground in 2018 over results. That kind of temperament fuels Amorim, who has strong emotions and openly admits to fluctuating feelings about his future.

One reason Amorim is unlikely to walk away is his staff. He might be able to afford to quit, but his circle are not paid anywhere near as much, and he would want to protect them.

Still, his words do have currency. When he called United the “worst team in history”, several players felt he went too far. On this occasion, the provocation of Wednesday appears to have had a positive effect.

(Top photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

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