MU eliminated from FA Cup, Coach Fletcher speaks frankly about the future

Coach Darren Fletcher acknowledged the sad truth regarding the future following Man Utd’s loss to Brighton in the FA Cup.

Darren Fletcher became the first Manchester United coach since David Moyes in 2014 to see the team eliminated in the third round of the FA Cup. The loss to Brighton undoubtedly damages his chances of continuing in charge, especially as two former Man Utd teammates Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are also competing for the role to lead the team until the end of the season.

At the press conference, Fletcher said he had not yet spoken with the "Red Devils" management about continuing as interim coach. However, in an interview with TNT Sports, he hinted that someone else might be given the job.

Specifically, Fletcher stated: "Someone will come in to lead the team; they need to ensure the squad still has many goals to chase this season. The most important thing for me is the players, whoever leads them must unite the group. The decision lies with them; they have to make sure there is still plenty to play for this season. This team is good enough to achieve success this year, but they must dig deep within themselves."

Fletcher admitted that the confidence of the Man Utd players was very low during the match and believed their morale dropped after Brajan Gruda gave Brighton the lead in the 12th minute.

The Scottish tactician said: "I think you could see the players were quite fragile, but they have to respond. Confidence is one of the strongest factors in football, so when it’s missing, you have to work harder, and then confidence will return.

We started well, but conceding the goal drained our energy. At halftime, I urged them to move the ball faster instead of just staying calm. When we reduced the score to 2-1, I thought ‘okay, here we go,’ the crowd got excited, the energy rose, but we couldn’t follow through and score the equalizer."

Fletcher believes the new coach needs to boost confidence and build team cohesion. “They just need to come together,” he added. “Only they are in this situation, and only they can change it. Building confidence, cherishing every result, even if it’s not always pretty. I believe if the players show the right reaction, the fans will support them as always, because there is still so much to fight for in this Premier League season.”

Man Utd will have six days off before their next match against city rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford next Saturday. Fletcher said he has not received any indication whether he will continue to manage the team against Pep Guardiola’s side. According to media sources, Old Trafford is considering between Solskjaer and Carrick, who was once the Norwegian coach’s assistant and served as interim coach for three matches after Solskjaer was sacked in 2021, to lead the team until the end of the season.