A new low point? Possible. Reports against the fourth Tier opposition for the first time in the long and legendary history of the club, to use a Ruben Amorim sentence, speaks loudly. Manchester United is only three Winless matches in the new season on another crisis point.
Those at the top had hoped that the Nadir was behind them. Omar Berrada, Chief Executive of United, had said so much. “From this summer the worst will be behind us.” He had praised the “very clear identity” of Amorim, talked about a long -term vision.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe had stated that the Portuguese were doing 'a great work' in March and complained that everyone was expecting miracles. United supporters would settle for avoiding humiliation at Grimsby. The FA Cup is now the only hope. And this is August.
There will be much convinced by the argument that Amorim needs more time, that part of the problem at United during the dozen year of dissatisfaction, because the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson is that the club has not been able to view a plan to see an idea.
There is logic in that thinking, especially when the club has sufficiently committed itself to this course to refrain from home -grown talents that do not fit in with the Amorim system. What feeling in reforming the formation and club only to leave the project so quickly?
The last remains of the previous regime are only swept away. Do you remember that image of Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho settled on the treasure? The poster boys of the FA Cup victory appear on the way out last year.
The dangers to flash from one idea to the other have often been discussed. Marcus Rashford is perhaps the best or worst placed to comment, depending on your opinion, but he expressed the problem well in a recent interview. “You end up in the land of no-man,” he said.
The uncomfortable issue for United's decision makers is that the argument for continuity is only useful if the man in whom this belief is placed still believes. The most worrying aspect of events in Blundell Park was the behavior of the coach on whom this is based.
There was the sight of him who shuffled his tactic board with his team two to Grimsby. There was the spectacle of his own players before the penalty shoot-out and then sinking into the dugout that refused to look as soon as it started.
The memes are one thing, but more important were the words that followed. “Something has to change,” Amorim said in the aftermath of the defeat. “And you are not going to change 22 players anymore.” This from a coach who has offered to leave earlier.
“I have nothing to say. That's the biggest problem.” Indeed. Because there has been sufficient change of staff on the field for Amorim to take control of this situation now. He ended the game with his new £ 200 million forward trio that is there.
But Matheus Cunha was the first player of Manchester United Die Miss Miss, Bryan Mbeumo was the last. In between, there was the strange sight of Benjamin Sesko, the new £ 74 million striker from the club, the very last outfield player on the field to make one to take one.
Both Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu, the last and a specialized wing-back that was designed to fit his system, have arrived since Amorim's appointment. Manuel Ugarte has previously worked with him. More players are needed, but it should function better than this.
The tactical inflexibility that Mason Mount has deployed on the left wing-back will be the focus of a lot of noise externally. But internally the most important concern of both Amorim and those above him will be that the acclaimed spirit and harmony have disappeared.
That was the message of the summer that came from the club, that there had been a change in the vote to go with the new stadium plans and the makeover of the training. Luke Shaw spoke about the poisonous environment of the past. This was a new start at United.
“Now I am excited,” Amorim recently told Sky Sports.
“It's completely different.”
Its vulnerability has already been exposed. It survived the defeat against Arsenal during the opening weekend because there were some positive signs, but a stuttering draw in Fulham was less convincing and this performance was just as miserable as it becomes.
Optimism has already been undermined and United is being redesigned. In the hope that they can navigate with a house against Burnley, weak to that international break and make the balance once the summer transfer window is closed.
Time. That is the core of this. “We have a game at the weekend, then we have two weeks and we will solve things.” But that was what the preseason, the first of Amorim, should do. Manchester City and Chelsea are waiting for them on their return.
And yet there is still an appetite for all this to work, for a talented young coach who has lost more games than he has won in Manchester United to eventually become good, for an exciting new team to get stronger from this chestnut experience.
Those at the top have certainly been invested. The men who saw themselves as part of the clean -up surgery risk being seen as an addition to the mess. The “in the short term pain” that Barkrada had referred last season may have been for nothing.
But if Amorim himself has lost faith, it is already over.