Michael Carrick expressed deep disappointment following Manchester United’s unexpected 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup, marking the club's first loss at Old Trafford after leading 2-0 since 1976. He labeled the performance as "unacceptable" and took full responsibility for the team's elimination.

In his post-match comments, Carrick stated, "We can’t accept that as a group. I take responsibility for it. The game today for what it is, if we fully accept it, I totally take responsibility." He emphasized the drastic shift in emotions from the start to the end of the match, noting, "The feeling at the start of the game to the feeling at the end of the game couldn’t have been further apart."

Despite scrutiny surrounding his position as head coach, having been appointed on a two-year contract last summer, Carrick maintained, "I don’t feel under pressure. Either way, that doesn’t bother me one bit." He acknowledged the growing frustrations, particularly after conceding a last-minute equalizer to Everton and a loss in the Manchester derby.

He explained, "A couple of smallish things end up accumulating into, it feels bigger. It’s happened over a period of a couple of weeks where there’s a lot of frustration and disappointment around."

Looking ahead to their next match against Fulham, Carrick stressed the need for immediate improvement:

We have to find the answers for Sunday. Of course we can turn it around. We’ve got some really good players... But it doesn’t mean you can’t win another game of football quickly.