GRIMSBY, England — Ruben Amorim apologised to Manchester United supporters after his reign hit a new low with a humiliating League Cup exit to fourth-tier Grimsby Town yesterday.

United looked to have salvaged the tie when Harry Maguire’s 89th-minute header made it 2-2 after they trailed 2-0 from a dismal first half. But a marathon penalty shootout ended 12-11 in Grimsby’s favour after new signing Bryan Mbeumo, who had sparked the fightback, struck the crossbar.

“Everything. The way we started the game, we were not even here,” Amorim told reporters. “When everything is so important in our club, everything that happened, it’s a problem in our club, we should do so much better. I just have to say sorry to our fans.”

Amorim suggested his players lacked the desire to compete, adding: “I felt my players spoke really loud today what they want. I think it’s easy for you (how to interpret it).”

The Portuguese manager, who has overseen only one point from United’s first two Premier League matches, admitted: “It’s too much sometimes. You cannot change everything in one summer. You need to win games. You need to not show this kind of performance. I think this is a little bit the limit.”

United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana endured a nightmare return, beaten at his near post for Grimsby’s opener and then failing to claim a cross converted by former United academy player Tyrell Warren.

“It’s not about Andre. With all due respect … this is a fourth-division team. It’s not the goalkeeper. It’s more than that,” Amorim said.

The League Cup defeat leaves United with only the FA Cup as a realistic hope of silverware this season.