Carrick tells United squad to 'deal with it' after Brighton overturn 2-0 lead at Old Trafford

Manchester United suffered one of their most embarrassing home defeats in half a century on Wednesday night, surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose to Brighton at Old Trafford — a collapse that prompted the Stretford End to boo the players off the pitch and chant their displeasure at full-time.

Goals from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount had appeared to put United in control, but an excellent Brighton side fought back to complete a stunning turnaround. It was United’s third defeat in just six games across all competitions this season, and the first time in 50 years they have lost a home match after leading by two goals.

Head coach Michael Carrick refused to accept that he was feeling the heat, insisting the external noise did not affect him. “I don’t feel under pressure,” he 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.”

Carrick instead turned his message toward the dressing room, challenging his players to find the mental resilience required to perform under the weight of expectation at Old Trafford. “We all know it’s there,” he said. “We know it’s there whether it’s good or whether it’s not good. How you deal with that is the important thing. Being here toughens you up over a period of time, and it depends how you deal with it.”

The 45-year-old was adamant the squad had the quality to reverse their fortunes quickly. “Of course we can turn it around,” he said. “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.”

Carrick’s reputation was built on an extraordinary run last season — 12 wins and three draws from 17 games in charge — that steered United back into the Champions League. That goodwill has eroded rapidly, and a trip to Fulham this weekend now carries significant weight, even if the manager himself is reluctant to frame it in those terms.