Calciomercato 17 September 2026 Updated: 2 November 2026

Michael Carrick comments on Manchester's shock defeat

Michael Carrick admits Manchester United fans' disappointment after their shock 3-2 defeat to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, despite an early 2-0 lead. He accepts responsibility for the team's performance and highlights the need for improvements ahead of the next match against Fulham.

Why it matters

Manchester United's defeat against Brighton highlights the current difficulties of the team, which is unable to maintain control of matches despite promising starts. This result not only disappoints the fans, but raises questions about the preparation and resilience of the team ahead of the upcoming matches in the Premier League championship. The players' reaction and Carrick's ability to handle pressure will be crucial for the future of the season.

Context

Michael Carrick, current manager of Manchester United, took responsibility for the defeat against Brighton, underlining the need for improvement. His team management and tactical choices will be under scrutiny as the club tries to move up the Premier League table.

Key points

Michael Carrick comments on Manchester's shock defeat.
Michael Carrick admits Manchester United fans' disappointment after their shock 3-2 defeat to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, despite an early 2-0 lead.
Michael Carrick reacts to Manchester United's shock defeat to Brighton - Yahoo Sports.

Manchester United continues to experience a difficult moment and manager Michael Carrick is well aware of the situation. After taking a 2-0 lead at home to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, the Red Devils suffered a shock 3-2 defeat, sparking protests from fans. The match turned into a nightmare for the hosts, who started well but then gave up control, leaving room for their opponents to get back into the game.

At first, Manchester United seemed to have the situation under control; however, after the second goal, the team began to lose intensity, with careless defending allowing Brighton to take advantage. Carrick recognized that once the momentum changed, his players showed vulnerability in all areas of the pitch, being weak without the ball and distracted with it. "I completely understand the feelings of the fans. We have to accept it. I fully accept responsibility," Carrick said.

The coach did not try to justify his team's performance, admitting that what happened after a promising start was unacceptable. He underlined: "It's all my fault: as a team, how we present ourselves, how we play and what results we get. I take both the compliments and the criticism and the disappointment upon myself." This is a correct approach, as coaches receive credit when everything goes well, but also have to deal with the consequences when the team loses a home game after having a two-goal lead.

The most critical point of the match was how avoidable the defeat was. Brighton certainly didn't need any gifts, but Manchester United gave them confidence through careless defending and half-hearted work when the pressure mounted. This was the first time since 1976 that Manchester United lost at home after having a two-goal lead, a fact that speaks for itself.

Carrick called the performance "unacceptable", adding: "We cannot accept this as a group. I take responsibility for it. The performance late in the second half is all on me." The pressure now mounts ahead of the trip to Fulham, with Manchester United currently sitting in 13th place in the Premier League after four games and already out of the Carabao Cup. Such a start is disappointing in every way. "We have to improve. It will be important to make up for it immediately", concluded Carrick, who now must find a concrete answer to revive his team's fortunes.

What happens now

With the next match against Fulham on the horizon, Manchester United face a critical situation to improve their position in the Premier League. Carrick has already recognized the need to make changes and improvements, and fans expect a strong reaction from the team. The ability to recover from this defeat will be crucial to the team's morale and their outlook on the season.