Michael Carrick is convinced Manchester United can turn things around after a crushing Carabao Cup collapse to Brighton increased questions over his future and led to fan fury at the final whistle.
“What the f****** hell was that?” bellowed those remaining in the Stretford End as the head coach and his players trudged towards the tunnel after a night that unravelled spectacularly.
United had roared ahead inside the opening 10 minutes of the third-round tie as teenager Shea Lacey struck on his first start before Mason Mount added a quickfire second.
But Carrick’s side retreated and became the first Red Devils side to surrender a two-goal lead in an Old Trafford defeat since 1976, with the 3-2 loss sparking an unrelenting chorus of boos at full-time.
Asked how the night could unravel in such a fashion, the shellshocked United boss said: “It’s a good question, to be honest with you.
“The way we started the game, 20-25 minutes into the game in such a good position, playing well, doing all the things that we wanted to do and then it feels like it’s a long time ago.
“The feeling at the start of the game to the feeling at the end of the game couldn’t have been further apart.
“We’ve got to accept the game can’t go in that direction from where we were.”
Carrick claims not to feel under pressure, but he acknowledged the mounting external scrutiny after Wednesday’s Carabao Cup humiliation compounded their meagre four-point Premier League return.
The head coach points to Everton’s mood altering last-gasp equaliser and Manchester City’s offside derby winner, but he knows a reaction is needed at 18th-placed Fulham ahead of the international break.
“Of course we can turn it around,” said Carrick, who sparked an eye-catching upturn having taken over a troubled side in January and led them to a third-place finish.
“We’ve got some really good players and it feels bad at the moment because we haven’t had a great week, or two or three weeks.
“But it doesn’t mean you can’t win another game of football quickly, so there’s that side of it.
“I mean, 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. What you’re doing in the moment, what you’re doing next, so that’s the ultimate challenge. Always has been here, always will be here.
“It’s all about what you do next and dealing with the moments, and the ups and the downs. We’ve certainly got to deal with this moment in a good way.”
Carrick heads to Craven Cottage second with the bookmakers to become the first Premier League manager to leave their job, with only Fulham counterpart Alvaro Arbeloa at shorter odds.
“We’ve got to get back to being on a good run,” he added. “That’s as simple as it gets.
“We’ve got to win football matches and we can do, and I fully believe we will do. But obviously we’ve got to do it pretty quick and Sunday is the starting point.”
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