Pressure is mounting on Michael Carrick at Manchester United after a painful start to the season was made worse by a dramatic Carabao Cup exit against Brighton.
United threw away a two goal lead at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, eventually losing 3 2 to Brighton and crashing out of the competition in the third round.
The result left supporters furious, with boos heard around Old Trafford at full time as frustration with the team’s recent performances continued to grow.
Manchester United throw away two goal lead
United appeared to be in complete control during the opening stages of the match.
Teenager Shea Lacey opened the scoring with his first start for the club before Mason Mount quickly doubled the advantage, putting Carrick’s side 2 0 ahead inside the opening 10 minutes.
However, the game completely changed before half time.
Charalampos Kostoulas pulled one back for Brighton in first half stoppage time, giving the visitors belief heading into the break.
Brighton then completed the comeback after the interval, with Pascal Gross equalising before Maxim De Cuyper scored the winning goal to send United out of the Carabao Cup.
The defeat was particularly damaging because Manchester United had not previously lost at Old Trafford after taking a two goal lead since 1976.
Carrick accepts responsibility
Carrick did not try to avoid responsibility after the collapse.
The Manchester United manager admitted that the performance, particularly towards the end of the second half, was unacceptable and said he understood the frustration from the supporters.
The boos from the Old Trafford crowd underlined the growing dissatisfaction around the team, with Carrick acknowledging that the players and coaching staff have to respond quickly.
For Carrick, the challenge now is to ensure the Carabao Cup disappointment does not derail the rest of the season.
A difficult start for Manchester United
The cup defeat came just days after another disappointing result against Manchester City.
United lost 1 0 to their local rivals in the Premier League before suffering another setback against Brighton, leaving Carrick facing increasing questions over the team’s form.
United have managed only one Premier League win from their opening four league matches and are currently sitting 13th in the table.
The early Carabao Cup exit also means United have already lost an opportunity to compete for domestic silverware.
That makes the response in the Premier League even more important, particularly with Fulham next on the schedule.
Carrick needs a response
Manchester United now need to put the Brighton defeat behind them and find some consistency.
Carrick has already experienced the pressure that comes with managing one of the biggest clubs in world football, but the latest results have intensified the scrutiny around his position.
The manager has accepted responsibility for the Brighton collapse. The next step will be turning that acknowledgement into a reaction on the pitch.
With supporters demanding better performances and results, Manchester United’s next few matches could play an important role in determining the mood around Old Trafford.