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Manchester United’s manager Michael Carrick has taken responsibility for his side’s Carabao Cup exit after they surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Brighton at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
United raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes through Shea Lacey and Mason Mount, but Brighton fought back with goals from Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper to reach the fourth round.
The defeat came days after United lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League, extending a difficult spell for Carrick’s side.
Carrick accepted responsibility for the latest setback and said United must respond quickly when they travel to Fulham on Sunday.
“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,” Carrick said.
The former England international admitted the contrast between United’s start and finish against Brighton was difficult to explain.
“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.”
Carrick said recent disappointments, including a late Everton goal and the defeat to City, had compounded the team’s frustration.
“A couple of smaller things ended up accumulating into something bigger. 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 backed his players to recover, saying their ability to respond would be tested by what happens next.
“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 said.
“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.”
He dismissed concerns about external pressure, saying his priority was simply to return United to winning ways.
“What bothers me is winning games, having a good feeling around the place and knowing we’re moving in a good direction,” Carrick said.
“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.”
“Obviously, we’ve got to do it pretty quickly, and Sunday is a starting point,” he added.
Carrick also said players had to learn to handle supporters’ frustration and the pressure that comes with playing for Manchester United.
“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,” he said.
The manager also expressed disappointment that Lacey’s goal had been overshadowed by the defeat.
“It’s a shame that Shea’s moment, such a great moment for him, his family, his friends and the whole academy, gets a bit lost,” Carrick said.
On academy teenager JJ Gabriel, whose situation had attracted significant attention before the match, Carrick urged caution and said the club’s priority was the youngster’s welfare.
“He’s a young boy, and the biggest thing for me, and for the club, is his welfare, wellbeing and exposure. I think all of us have to be really conscious of that in this situation,” he said.
Carrick said discussions about Gabriel involved the club as a whole.
United will now turn their attention to Fulham, with Carrick identifying Sunday’s Premier League fixture as their first opportunity to respond and begin changing the mood around the club.
