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Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has accepted responsibility for his side’s Carabao Cup exit after Brighton overturned a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 at Old Trafford on Wednesday, leaving United with another setback to address ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fulham.
United appeared firmly in control after Shea Lacey and Mason Mount scored within the opening 10 minutes, but Brighton responded through Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper to complete the comeback and reach the fourth round.
Reflecting on the collapse, Carrick admitted the contrast between United’s dominant opening and their eventual defeat was stark.
“Yeah. It’s a good question, to be honest with you. I think the way we started the game, 20 or 25 minutes into the game, we were in such a good position, playing well and doing all the things we wanted to do. It feels like a long time ago now,” he said.
“The feeling at the start of the game and the feeling at the end couldn’t have been further apart. We have to accept that the game can’t go in that direction from where we were.”
The defeat came days after United lost 1-0 to Manchester City, while Carrick acknowledged that recent disappointments had accumulated.
“Yeah. I mean, a couple of smaller things ended up accumulating into something bigger. I understand why you’re asking the question. If you go from the Everton last-minute goal to the City goal, it creates a bit of a feeling. Then there’s the game today,” he said.
“We fully accept it. I’ve told them to take responsibility. We can’t put ourselves in that position after being ahead in the game and have it finish like it did.”
Carrick rejected the suggestion that he had been let down by his players and insisted that United could quickly change their fortunes.
“No. The team’s on me. When we win, people say I’m doing a good job. If we don’t win or don’t get results, then a lot of it is on me. I accept that. I’m not hiding away from any of that. That is what it is,” he said.
“Yeah, of course we can turn it around. We’ve got some really good players. It feels bad at the moment because we haven’t had a great week, or two or three weeks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win another game of football quickly.”
He added: “The players have shown before what they’re capable of doing, and we have as a group. It doesn’t count for much; it’s always about what happens next.
That’s the ultimate challenge. It always has been here and always will be. It’s about dealing with the moments, the ups and the downs. We’ve certainly got to deal with this moment in a good way.”
Carrick said external pressure was not his main concern, insisting that results remained his priority.
“No pressure anyway. Either way, that doesn’t bother me one bit. I understand what goes on outside and how the world works, but it genuinely doesn’t bother me,” he said.
“What bothers me is winning games, having a good feeling around the place and knowing we’re moving in a good direction.”
“If we’re not on a good run, then we’ve got to get back to being on a good run. That’s as simple as it gets. We’ve got to win football matches, and I fully believe we will,” Carrick added. “Obviously, we’ve got to do it pretty quickly, and Sunday is a starting point.”
On the reaction from supporters and the pressure surrounding the team, Carrick said United’s players had to learn to handle difficult moments.
“I think we know it’s there, whether it’s good or not good. It’s pretty obvious. We’ve all got feelings, but how you deal with that is the important thing,” he said. “Being here toughens you up over time. You’ve got to deal with it in a way where you can cope with it and bring out the best in yourself.”
Carrick said the result had been influenced by fine margins rather than a fundamental problem with the team. “It always is fine margins. Even when we were winning, sometimes we won without playing particularly well. We found a way to win,” he explained.
“Some of the games we’ve played this year, we’ve played better and haven’t had the results. I’ve said that before, but results are what you’re judged on. I understand people judge that, not all the details of the performance. That is probably what I’ll look at.”
He also lamented that Lacey’s opening goal had been overshadowed by the defeat, calling it “a shame that Shea’s moment, such a great moment for him, his family, his friends and the whole academy, gets a bit lost.”
United’s immediate task is now the Premier League trip to Fulham on Sunday, which Carrick has identified as the first opportunity to respond to the Brighton defeat and halt a run that has brought mounting frustration around Old Trafford.
