Michael Carrick accepts blame for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup exit

MICHAEL CARRICK TOOK responsibility for Manchester United’s embarrassing Carabao Cup collapse to Brighton and demanded a reaction after his side were booed off the pitch at Old Trafford.

An evening that began with teenager Shea Lacey marking his first senior start with a dream goal and Mason Mount adding a second in the 10th minute ended in furious fans unloading at full-time.

Brighton became the first side since 1976 to overturn a two-goal deficit and win at Old Trafford as Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper secured a thoroughly deserved 3-2 third round comeback victory.

The humiliating Carabao Cup exit continues the Red Devils’ sloppy start to the season and raises fresh questions over Carrick’s future, as well as his players’ character.

“I mean, a couple of smallish things end up accumulating into… let’s be honest, you know, it feels bigger,” the United boss said. “I understand why you’re asking the question (about bouncing back).

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“I think if you go to the Everton last-minute goal, to the (Manchester) City goal, it creates a bit of a feeling. Then the game today, we fully accept it. I totally take responsibility.

“We can’t put ourselves in that position after being ahead in the game and the game finishing like it did.

“It’s kind of a couple of things have gone, and then all of a sudden it becomes a greater thing from nowhere, really, so we’ve got to react to it.

“We’ve got another game on Sunday (against Fulham). We’ve got to react to it. I think that’s the crucial thing now.

“It’s happened so quickly. To have the feeling that happened quickly tonight in the game, it’s happened over a period of a couple of weeks – maybe two, three weeks – where there’s a lot of frustration and disappointment around and we need to flip that and start winning games again.”

United’s trip to Fulham feels crucial ahead of a three-week international break that will be dominated by questions about Carrick’s future should things go badly in the capital.

“No, I don’t feel under pressure,” he said. “Either way, that doesn’t bother me one bit. It genuinely doesn’t bother me one bit.

“I understand what goes on outside and how the world works, but generally it doesn’t bother me.

“What bothers me is winning games and having a good feeling around the place, and a good feeling around the group, to know we’re moving in a good direction. That’s ultimately what bothers me.”

As United reel from Wednesday’s painful loss, Brighton return to the south coast buoyed by a fifth win in their last six visits to Old Trafford in all competitions.

A trip to Manchester City or Norwich is the reward for the Seagulls, whose head coach Fabian Hurzeler said after Wednesday’s comeback: “I definitely believed.

“I think belief was a big word in the preparation from us because I think when you go to a place like here, to an environment like here, to face a team like United, then you need to have belief.

“You need to have belief in every situation of the game, but then to show the belief when you are 2-0 down that shows real character and we really stick together.”