LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Ruben Amorim admitted he has thought about quitting Manchester United as the under-fire boss revealed he sometimes “hates” his players.

Amorim sparked speculation he is considering leaving Old Trafford with a cryptic interview after United’s humiliating League Cup second-round defeat against fourth-tier Grimsby on Wednesday.

United’s penalty shoot-out loss to the Mariners prompted Amorim to say “something has to change” following their slow start to the season.

Amorim’s side were beaten by Arsenal and drew with Fulham in their opening two Premier League games before the Grimsby debacle.

The 40-year-old former Sporting Lisbon coach has only been in charge of United since November, but he is already in deep trouble after the club’s worst top-flight finish since 1973-74 last term.

Another bad result against promoted Burnley on Saturday would pile further pressure on Amorim, who reportedly retains the support of United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe at present.

“Every time in the future we have one defeat like that I’m going to be like that, I’m going to say sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players, sometimes I defend my players and sometimes I think I cannot,” Amorim told reporters on Friday.

“This is my way of doing things and I’m going to be like that. I felt that in that moment, I was so frustrated, I was so annoyed.

“Sometimes I want to quit, sometimes I want to be here for 20 years.

“Sometimes I love to be with my players, sometimes I don’t want to be with them. I need to improve on that, it’s going to be hard but now I’m focused on the next game.”

Amorim said he felt like walking away from United after the Grimsby embarrassment, but he is now focused on dragging his team out of their latest slump.

“I felt that after the game. I don’t feel that now. So it’s a little bit like that. I think that is the hardest part of the defeat,” he said.

“Sometimes it’s not the result, it’s the way we lost that game or draw that game. That is the thing that is hard to accept.

“Because we can do better. In this moment, we cover positions, fight for the ball, running, all these small things, sometimes we drop a little bit the level.

“The good thing is that we now have the next game to put that level up.

“I know, again, that you have a lot of experienced people talking about the way I should perform with the media, to be more constant, to be more calm. I’m not going to be like that.”

United’s loss to Grimsby was a huge blow to Amorim after a £200-million ($269-million) spending spree on forwards Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha during the close-season.

Amorim’s overhaul came after United were beaten by fellow strugglers Tottenham in the Europa League final — a dismal defeat that cost them a place in the Champions League.

The Portuguese coach, highly rated prior to his move to England, conceded he was surprised by United’s failure to improve on last season.

“I felt we had a very good pre-season, we were playing better, we were being consistent in the way we played,” Amorim said.

“We played badly for 30 minutes against Fulham and that kind of performance [against Grimsby] I was really disappointed with everything, but now it’s a new game and we focus on that.”