United View: Reds crash out of FA Cup

After Ruben Amorim’s surprising sacking last week, United fans would have been looking for some respite from the drama surrounding the club with a good run in the FA Cup. 

But, instead of a desperately needed spark in their season, the Reds exited the competition in the Third-Round.

Their 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday, combined with the Grimsby incident, means United will only play 40 games this campaign, their shortest in 111 years. Full-time at Old Trafford was met with apathy. An eerie silence surrounded the Theatre of Dreams as fans and players struggled to piece together their current predicament.

Having already beaten the Seagulls 4-2 in the league, they should have gone into this Third-Round tie in confidence. And two early chances for the Reds should have seen them go ahead; however, Diogo Dalot was unable to convert either.

United’s slack defending afforded Brighton two goals, with Danny Welbeck instrumental in both goals. The former United man played the ball into the box that wasn’t fully cleared by Lisandro Martinez for the first goal before delivering a fine finish for the second, after being given too much time and space.

A late Benjamin Sesko goal gave the potential for a late comeback, but with Shea Lacey receiving a red card, United were unable to find a route back into the game, exiting the FA Cup at the first hurdle.

With no European football, United will play their fewest number of games since the 1914/15 season. Finishing in a European place is essential now, but with so much ambiguity at the club, it’s difficult to see where they go from here.

Michael Carrick, who has just been announced as United’s new interim boss, comes into a side still in a decent league position, but troubled by off-field politics.

Carrick seems like the most reasonable solution, having previously worked as a coach under Ole Gunnar Solskjær and earning a good rep as manager of Middlesbrough. 

However, the time taken to make an appointment calls INEOS’s decision-making and future planning into question.

If tensions between Amorim and the hierarchy had been boiling over for an extended period, why was there no clear successor in place should things reach their eventual breaking point?

Right now, the hierarchy needs to deliver a clear message to the fanbase and take accountability for the mistakes that have been made. 

The lack of communication has only helped to make the situation even more convoluted, and confidence in their leadership is dwindling.

Hopefully, with the return of key players Amad and Bryan Mbeumo following their early exit from AFCON, they can inject a much-needed quality into the side. Although there are bigger concerns in defence, giving away too many easy goals has been costly.

In his post-match press conference, Darren Fletcher admitted the players are ‘fragile’ right now. Playing for a club with the stature of Manchester United brings both wanted and unwanted attention, and the squad will need to step up to quell outside inquiry.

Carrick’s first two games will be huge tests, a Manchester Derby followed by a trip to the Emirates against league leaders Arsenal. 

Good results in these games could spur a positive end to the season, but defeats could only increase the sour mood at Old Trafford.

A 40-game season is unprecedented territory for United, and after two seasons of misery, they can ill-afford to let this become another wasted campaign. European qualification could help salvage what has thus far been another mess at Old Trafford.