The creativity at Manchester United these days is finding ways of sinking to new lows.
However often they change managers, however much they spend, this is a giant of a club unable to escape the doom cycle.
Never before last night had Manchester United lost to a fourth-tier club in the League Cup before Grimsby knocked them out.
A team that has relied on free transfers in the summer beat one that has already benefited from £200m in squad reinforcements in the transfer window. So Ruben Amorim cannot complain that he has not been backed by the ownership.
He's even got his players back in upgraded training facilities. When the refurbishment was unveiled earlier this month, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe talked about the club enjoying a brand that "stands shoulder to shoulder with Coca-Cola and Apple".
But how much can the brand withstand the dominance turning into disarray on the pitch?
'The club has to compete at the highest level'
As Sir Jim said: "The club has to compete at the highest level that is appropriate to the size and history of the club."
Churning through managers has not been working.
They are now on their sixth permanent appointment since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, back when the trophy cabinet was packed.
Can they really contemplate discarding Amorim after less than 10 months?
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Especially after backing him by signing Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
But incredibly for United, it is only August, and the FA Cup might be their only realistic shot at silverware.
Grimsby was preceded by a defeat and a draw to open the Premier League following their lowest-ever finish in the competition last season.
Lose to Burnley on Saturday, and they will head into the international break with growing doubts about the suitability of a 40-year-old manager hired based on his success in Lisbon with Sporting.
Amorim might not have helped his cause by providing a defining image of the night they lost on penalties to Grimsby.
When trailing 2-0 - before hauling the game back to 2-2 - he was seen fiddling with a tactics board with magnetic players in the dugout.
He looked befuddled. And if things get any worse, United could wonder if he has run out of ideas.
(c) Sky News 2025: Grimsby humiliation may leave Man Utd asking if boss Ruben Amorim is out of ideas
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