Michael Carrick has accepted responsibility for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup exit after his side surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
United appeared to be cruising into the fourth round after taking control of the game inside the opening 10 minutes, but Brighton produced a remarkable comeback to turn the match around and send the hosts out of the competition.
The defeat added to what has been a frustrating period for Carrick and his players, coming just days after United suffered a 1-0 Premier League defeat against Manchester City. The latest result means United have now endured another difficult spell and must quickly turn their attention towards Sunday’s league trip to Fulham.
The evening initially looked as though it would belong to United’s young academy players.
Shea Lacey gave the home supporters something to celebrate when he opened the scoring in the eighth minute. The teenager marked his first senior start with an important goal, putting United in front and giving Old Trafford an early lift.
Only two minutes later, United doubled their advantage through Mason Mount.
With a 2-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes, the hosts looked firmly in control. United continued to create opportunities and appeared to have put themselves in an excellent position to progress to the next round.
However, Brighton refused to allow the early setback to determine the outcome.
The visitors gradually found their way back into the contest and were rewarded in first-half stoppage time when Charalampos Kostoulas pulled a goal back for Brighton.
The goal changed the mood going into the second half, with Brighton now sensing that United’s early advantage could be overturned.
That is exactly what happened.
Brighton continued to apply pressure after the restart, and Pascal Gross brought the visitors level in the 65th minute. United’s two-goal advantage had disappeared, and the momentum had completely shifted towards the visitors.
Four minutes later, Brighton completed the turnaround.
Maxim De Cuyper scored in the 69th minute to put Brighton 3-2 ahead and complete a stunning comeback at Old Trafford.
United were unable to find a response during the remaining stages of the match, leaving the home supporters frustrated at the final whistle.
The defeat also carried a significant historical statistic. According to match reports, it was the first time in 50 years that Manchester United had lost at Old Trafford after taking a two-goal lead. The last occasion came in September 1976, when Tottenham Hotspur recovered from 2-0 down to beat United 3-2.
For Carrick, there was no attempt to shift responsibility onto his players.
The United manager admitted that the team had allowed a game that was firmly under their control to slip away and said he accepted responsibility for the way the second half unfolded.
“The team’s on me,” Carrick said after the match, explaining that when United win, praise comes his way, and when results go against them, he must also accept the criticism.
He also acknowledged how dramatically the match had changed.
United had been in an excellent position during the opening stages, but by the final whistle the atmosphere inside Old Trafford was completely different.
Carrick said the team could not allow a match in which they had established such a strong advantage to finish in that manner.
The manager also pointed to a series of disappointing results that had contributed to the growing frustration around the club. United had conceded a late goal against Everton, lost to Manchester City and then suffered the collapse against Brighton.
Rather than allowing those setbacks to build into a bigger problem, Carrick called on his players to respond immediately.
He insisted that the squad had enough quality to change the situation and argued that one victory could quickly alter the mood surrounding the team.
Carrick’s next opportunity to deliver that response will come on Sunday when United travel to Fulham in the Premier League.
The manager said the priority was straightforward: United must return to winning football as quickly as possible.
The Brighton defeat also ended United’s hopes of winning the Carabao Cup this season and extended a difficult recent record in domestic cup competitions. Brighton, meanwhile, advance to the fourth round after completing one of the most dramatic comebacks of the third-round stage.
Carrick also addressed the situation surrounding highly rated academy youngster JJ Gabriel, urging everyone connected with the club to be careful with the attention being placed on the teenager.
The United manager stressed that Gabriel is still very young and that his welfare and wellbeing must remain the priority.
For now, however, the focus at Old Trafford will be on the first team and their response to another disappointing result.
United had the perfect start against Brighton, leading 2-0 after just 10 minutes, but three unanswered goals turned the game completely on its head.
Carrick has accepted his share of the responsibility.
The challenge now is for Manchester United to respond on the pitch.
Sunday’s meeting with Fulham will provide their next opportunity to do exactly that.
