Three days after Grimsby Town’s historic 12-11 penalty shootout victory over Manchester United in the League Cup, the fourth-tier club (EFL League Two) poked fun at manager Ruben Amorim. A video clip of Amorim frequently consulting his tactics board and moving magnets around in the 62nd minute of the match had circulated online, leading to fan ridicule. Many suggested he was engaging in “meaningless gestures” while his team struggled.

Grimsby Town's video mocking manager Ruben Amorim (right). Photo: Daily Mail

Capitalizing on the viral moment, Grimsby Town released a video announcing their lineup for the August 30th match against Bristol Rovers. Instead of the usual player photos, the club’s media team mimicked Amorim’s actions with a tactics board and magnets.

In the video, a staff member manipulates magnets on the board, saying, "Ah, hello, we're just setting up the team for today's match. Four changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Man Utd and then won on penalties on that historic night at Blundell Park".

The post quickly gained traction, amassing over 5 million views on X (formerly Twitter), despite the club's account having only 90,000 followers. One commenter, @WelBeast, encouraged Grimsby to continue ribbing Man Utd: "Don't give them a break".

Grimsby Town's video from August 30th.

Some Man Utd fans criticized Grimsby Town’s actions as unprofessional. User @perezreturns commented, "A top club acting so unprofessionally".

At the time of Grimsby’s post, both Amorim and Man Utd were under pressure, having not yet secured a win in an official match. However, the "Red Devils" subsequently defeated Burnley 3-2 in the third round of the Premier League for their first victory.

Meanwhile, Grimsby Town lost 0-1 to Bristol Rovers at home in the sixth round of the EFL League Two.

Compiled by Hoang An