Manchester United's Historic Collapse Against Brighton

Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge of St Mirren the last time Manchester United threw away a 2-0 lead and lost at Old Trafford. That was 1976. John Pratt scored the winner for Tottenham. The Class of ’92 were still in nappies.

That is the scale of the collapse that unfolded under the floodlights on Wednesday night, as Brighton dumped United out of the Carabao Cup in the third round and turned a bad fortnight into something darker.

Anger in the stands, apathy at the end

The mood had already been sour. On Sunday, United fans protested inside and outside the ground before the defeat to 10-man Manchester City. This time, they did not bother with banners at full-time. They voted with their feet.

Most of the crowd simply walked out as the players began a subdued lap of appreciation, leaving banks of empty red seats as a blunt verdict on what they had just watched. Those who stayed let the team know exactly what they thought, booing when Brighton went in front with 21 minutes left and again at the whistle.

Near the tunnel, close to the so-called singing section, the questions flew towards Michael Carrick and his players. “What was that?” was the polite version. The language was far stronger.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, 15-year-old JJ Gabriel was watching his own story twist. He has already turned his back on United, and nothing that happened here would have made him doubt that decision. In truth, given the way the game unravelled and the late introduction of senior figures such as captain Bruno Fernandes, the promised senior debut for the teenager would almost certainly have been scrapped anyway.

Carrick under the glare

Carrick cut a calm figure afterwards, but he did not try to disguise the scale of the setback.

"Of course we can turn it around, we have got some really good players," he said. "It feels bad because we haven't had a great week or two, or three weeks."

United have beaten newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford – after going behind – and Sabah FK in the Champions League. That is it. Three defeats now this season, already more than Carrick suffered in 17 matches after replacing Ruben Amorim in January.

He knows this club. He knows what a losing run does to the walls around you.

"I don't feel under pressure," he insisted. "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. What bothers me is winning games, having a good feeling around the place and a good feeling around the group to know we're moving in a good direction."

The problem is obvious. It does not feel like a club heading anywhere good.

Lacey’s moment lost in the wreckage

If there was one bright light in the mess, it was Shea Lacey.

On his first senior start, the teenager struck after eight minutes with a composed finish, becoming the first United teenager to score on his full debut since Marcus Rashford in February 2016. For a brief spell, Old Trafford had a new name to celebrate, a new academy story to cling to.

Carrick made eight changes. Lacey justified his place. The reshaped defence did not.

Diogo Dalot, one of only three players to keep his spot, looks a shadow of his best form. On the opposite side, Noussair Mazraoui again filled in at left-back, a reminder of the club’s decision not to buy a specialist in that position before the transfer window closed. In the middle, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven looked exactly what they are – young defenders learning on the job, harshly exposed at this level.

In midfield, United were overrun. Brighton found space, angles and time. United chased.

Marcus Rashford again carried threat without an end product. He came closest to an equaliser when he burst clear of the Brighton back line, but Jason Steele stood firm and beat away his shot. The groans that followed told their own story.

"The longer the game went, the more we had control," Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said afterwards. "I thought we deserved to win."

Carrick did not argue.

His biggest regret was that Lacey’s night, the kind of moment academy staff dream about, vanished into the background noise of anger and disappointment.

"It's a shame that Shea's moment, such a great moment for him, for his family, his friends and the whole academy; to have an academy player come in and have a moment like that, gets a bit lost, unfortunately," Carrick said.

"It won't for him when things settle down but, as we sit here now, it feels that it was a long time ago."

The JJ Gabriel question

Carrick also addressed the situation around JJ Gabriel, whose decision to turn away from United has drawn attention far beyond the youth ranks.

"He's a young boy, he's 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, looking after our younger players, their welfare, their wellbeing, their exposure, we've got to be really conscious of that in this situation," he explained.

For all the talk of pathways and potential, the hard truth for any manager here is simpler: results.

"Being here toughens you up over a period of time," Carrick said. "It depends how you deal with it. You've got to deal with it in a way where you can cope with it and you can bring out the best in yourself. However you do that, with your motivation and the confidence deep within yourself to know we can win football matches.

"We've gone out of the cup tonight, and the feeling around the place feels bigger than that. I'm honest enough to say that's how it feels. But it doesn't have to be like that. If we win football matches again, it can go in a different direction."

Right now, that sounds more like hope than expectation.

Fulham and a fragile future

United have one game left before the international break: Fulham away on Sunday. For the mood around Carrick, for the temperature inside the club, it already feels pivotal.

Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports, did not sugar-coat it.

"Right now, they're miles off it," he said. "It doesn't matter how good the manager is, if you don't have the right players it makes it really difficult.

"There's a reason why the other managers have struggled. Sooner or later the pressure's always going to come on.

"This weekend becomes a huge game. He doesn't need another poor result, otherwise all of a sudden you're going into the international break and everyone's talking about you. The winners tonight are the players who didn't play."

From Ferguson’s distant St Mirren days to this latest Old Trafford nadir, the timeline is brutal. The next 90 minutes at Craven Cottage will tell whether this is just a bad spell – or the start of another United crisis.