Manchester United interim manager Darren Fletcher said Sunday’s FA Cup loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford laid bare the squad’s fragility.
A hush fell over the stadium at the final whistle as the 2-1 third-round defeat ended United’s hopes of silverware, with a scattering of boos accompanying the players as they left the pitch.
The former United midfielder stepped up from his role as under-18 coach to take charge of the first team following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal last week.
But after a 2-2 Premier League draw at Burnley, Fletcher’s bid to spark a response at Old Trafford fell flat. Brighton struck early through Brajan Gruda before former United forward Danny Welbeck returned to haunt his old club with the decisive goal.
"It was mixed really. We started OK, but the goal knocked the stuffing out of us,” Fletcher said. "Our passing was quite slow, so I challenged them at halftime. It was similar to the game in the week, we needed to move the ball with more tempo.
"When we got back to 2-1, I thought, ‘Here we go.’ The crowd was up, the energy was up, but ultimately, we couldn’t get the equalizer. You can see the players are fragile and need to build themselves up. It’s up to them to respond.”
United are expected to announce a caretaker manager for the rest of the season next week, but Fletcher said that whoever takes over, the responsibility lies with the players.
"Confidence is the most powerful thing in football, but when you don’t have it, you have to dig deep, battle, grind and work and work to win games. Then the confidence comes back,” he said.
United have failed to survive a round in either domestic cup competition for the first time since the 1981-82 season, and with no European football, the campaign threatens to fizzle out.
They are seventh in the Premier League, however, and only one point behind fifth place, which is likely to be enough for Champions League qualification.
"They are experienced players. They’ve got to make sure they have a lot to play for this season,” Fletcher said. "This team is still good enough to achieve success this season, but they have to dig deep.”
Fletcher was critical of referee Simon Hooper for showing teenager Shea Lacey a second yellow card for throwing the ball down in frustration late in the match.
"Shea Lacey’s yellow card is ridiculous compared to the fouls we had against us all game, which ultimately leads to the lad making a mistake and being sent off,” Fletcher said. "For me, it is poor refereeing.”
Lacey later apologized and said he had let the club down.
"I want to apologize to all of my teammates, staff and the fans,” he wrote on social media. "I let everybody down tonight. I shouldn’t let my emotions get the better of me, and I will do everything I can to make this right.”