Grimsby boss aims dig at Man Utd as he claims Brentford match will be ‘much more difficult’

Grimsby Town boss David Artell insists the challenge they face from Brentford will be “much more difficult” than the one posed by Man Utd earlier this season.

The Red Devils have turned around the outlook on their season in recent weeks with Ruben Amorim winning three Premier League games in a row for the first time as Man Utd head coach.

Man Utd do not have any European football to worry about this campaign after Amorim could only lead them to a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League last term, while they lost in the Europa League final to Tottenham.

The Red Devils’ chances of silverware is already looking quite bleak this season with the FA Cup representing their only realistic chance of a trophy.

Man Utd were knocked out of the League Cup on penalties by Grimsby Town at the end of August with the Red Devils coming from two goals down to take the match to spot-kicks.

And Artell, who beat Sheffield Wednesday in the last round, is confident Premier League side Brentford will present a tougher challenge than Man Utd did in the earlier rounds.

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Artell told reporters: “I don’t want loads of letters from Manchester United fans from Kenya or Norway – or Stretford – but I think they’re still in that process of finding their way again.

“Brentford are fully in, fully understanding. That makes it so much more difficult.

“I think everyone agrees that Man United are still – maybe not in transition per se – but finding their way under a new manager that needs to be given time.

“I think you can see the fruits of the green shoots of progress from their side, but Brentford are not that team. Brentford are a well-established team.

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“They’ve appointed from within to continue the work that the previous manager [Thomas Frank] did, and I think everyone would suggest that Keith Andrews is doing a brilliant job and he’s taking them on.

“You don’t beat West Ham so comprehensively, you don’t beat the reigning [Premier League] champions [Liverpool] if you haven’t got those principles of play already ingrained.

“Whether it’s set pieces, whether it’s transitions, whether it’s in possession, whether they come and get you out of possession, all that is already really well implemented into the squad.

“I’m not sure that was the case with Manchester United.’

On Grimsby’s game-plan against Brentford, Artell added: “We’re not playing for penalties. We didn’t do that against United. We went and got them and they didn’t expect it.”