Manchester United's interim manager Darren Fletcher was spotted in a heated exchange with referee Simon Hooper and his officials after his side crashed out of the FA Cup, at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion, in the third round – and the Scot has now revealed what he said in a post-match interview.
The home side had plenty of chances to put away but were unable to overturn Brighton's two-goal lead that had been accrued either side of half-time. Brajan Gruda broke the deadlock in the 12th minute after pouncing on a penalty box scramble; Danny Welbeck doubled their lead in the second half.
Halving the deficit as a result, Benjamin Sesko continued his goalscoring form late on before Shea Lacey, in what was his third outing in a senior United strip, was sent for an early bath for what Hooper deemed to be two yellow card offences. Fletcher approached the man in the middle at the end and tensions threatened to spill over.
Man Utd Interim Boss Fletcher Reveals Why He Fumed at Simon Hooper in Post-Match Exchange
Manchester United technical director Darren Fletcher
As the United players – the likes of Casemiro, Harry Maguire and Matheus Cunha were all spotted in the below video – came to terms with the fact that securing Champions League football for next season would only offer some solace in another dismal season, Fletcher was marching towards Hooper and his refereeing entourage, who had just shook hands with Joshua Zirkzee.
To fulfil his post-match media duties, Fletcher spoke to TNT Sports and was asked about his confrontation once Hooper had blown the full-time whistle.
"Well, one, injury time," Fletcher said before insisting more than five minutes of added time should have been played at Old Trafford when his side were chasing an equaliser. "There was a minimum of five minutes and there was stuff going on in injury time, which should've added more time."
He also touched upon Lacey's sending-off in the 89th minute. Mason Mount gave way and the gifted 18-year-old entered the fray in the 62nd minute – and he was shown his first yellow card by Hooper when he challenged for a loose ball and caught Brighton's Yasin Ayari on the ankle. Fletcher, however, believes the referee made the wrong decision.
"And, ultimately, the first Shea Lacey foul is not a yellow card. I've no idea how the Brighton players didn't get yellow cards [in the] first half. We probably ended up with more yellow cards."
"Shea Lacey's yellow card is ridiculous compared to the fouls we had on us all game," United's interim manager complained. "Then, ultimately, the lad makes a mistake and is sent off. So, for me, it's poor refereeing, and I'll take the yellow card – I can handle that."
Whether United's exit at the hands of Brighton will be Fletcher's final match in charge of the club he played for between 2001 and 2015 remains to be seen given that talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, mooted to be the caretaker until the end of the campaign, are ramping up. According to reports, the club will look to appoint a permanent successor to Ruben Amorim in the summer.
Owen Hargreaves Offers Sympathetic Assessment of Lacey Red Card
shea lacey manchester united
Speaking on punditry duty, Owen Hargreaves spoke from his experience as a young footballer who is still having to deal with the jump from academy football to being a member of the senior set-up. The midfielder-turned-pundit, who used to play for the Old Trafford outfit, offered a relaxed message by suggesting that he acted out of frustration as a young footballer.
"I feel for him because he's probably a little bit embarrassed there. The first yellow card is fine because he's trying to make something happen and it's a tackle. The second one, he's a young lad, he's only 18. You see the frustration. That dissent you just have to learn, you can't do that when you're on a yellow card."
Keen to stress the sending off will not define the youngster, he continued: "No pressure on him, he's a young lad, and he was probably their best player when he came on. He's a talent. You just want to see him go play and enjoy it because he's one of them, he'll get people off their seats."
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Lacey's short, yet sweet, cameo against Brighton highlighted why so many members of the Old Trafford faithful are putting early stock in the Liverpool-born talent. Capable of leaving defenders in the wake of his fleet-footedness, the teenage sensation has impressed in his three appearances for the club and he'll return from his suspension with fire in his belly.