Manchester United were two goals up at home on Wednesday night and still went out of the Carabao Cup. Brighton won 3-2 at Old Trafford. The last time United threw away a two-goal lead in front of their own crowd, Sir Alex Ferguson was managing St Mirren and John Pratt scored the Tottenham winner. That was 4 September 1976.
Fifty years is a long record to break in one evening, and the supporters made their feelings plain in three separate ways. Most of them simply walked out while the players did a lap of appreciation. Some stayed and booed. A group near the singing section waited by the tunnel to ask Michael Carrick what exactly they had just watched, in language rather stronger than that.
Carrick says the pressure does not reach him
United have won twice all season. One was against newly promoted Ipswich at home, after going behind. The other was against Sabah FK of Azerbaijan in the Champions League. They have already lost three times, which is more defeats than Carrick suffered in his first 17 games after replacing Ruben Amorim in January.
He was asked the obvious question afterwards.
"I don't feel under pressure," Carrick said. "Either way, that doesn't bother me one bit. I understand what goes on outside and how the world works, but it doesn't bother me. What bothers me is winning games, having a good feeling around the place."
He also said United can turn it around because the squad has good players in it. The trouble is that the evidence keeps pointing the other way.
Shea Lacey deserved a better night
There was one genuinely good thing about the match. Shea Lacey scored in the eighth minute on his first senior start, which made him the first teenager to score on a full United debut since Marcus Rashford in February 2016. By full time nobody was talking about him.
"It is a shame that Shea's moment, such a great moment for him, for his family, his friends and the whole academy, gets a bit lost," Carrick said. "It won't for him when things settle down."
Lacey was one of eight changes. Defensively those changes did not work. Diogo Dalot kept his place and his form has gone. Noussair Mazraoui was at left-back, which brings the summer window straight back into the conversation, because United never did sign a proper one. Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven looked exactly as inexperienced as they are, and the midfield was overrun for long stretches.
Rashford threatened again without producing a goal or an assist. His clearest chance came when he burst clear of the Brighton back line and Jason Steele saved it.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler kept his verdict short. The longer the game went, he said, the more control his side had, and he thought they deserved to win. Carrick did not argue.
The 15-year-old watching all this
Somewhere in the background sits the JJ Gabriel situation. The 15-year-old forward has turned his back on the club and Real Madrid are now interested. A senior debut had been promised. Given how the night unfolded, it probably would have been shelved anyway, since Bruno Fernandes was among the experienced players thrown on late.
"He's a young boy, he's 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, looking after our younger players, their welfare, their wellbeing, their exposure, we've got to be really conscious of that," Carrick said.
Fulham away is now enormous
United travel to Craven Cottage on Sunday, the last match before the international break. Jamie Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports, was not hopeful. He said United are miles off it at the moment, that it does not matter how good the manager is if the players are not right, and that another poor result sends everyone into the break talking about Carrick.
Carrick's own line was that being at Manchester United toughens you up over time. It will need to.
Source: BBC Sport
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