Manchester United are out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle and are now set for a much shorter season than they would have anticipated
Bruno Fernandes reacts during Manchester United's FA Cup defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford
Bruno Fernandes reacts during Manchester United's FA Cup defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
View Image
Manchester United knew at the start of the season that this year would be less draining on the players compared to the 2024/25 campaign. After losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur and sacrificing the Premier League to do so, European football in 2025/26 was off the cards.
Once the new season began though, one competition was almost immediately wiped off the books as League Two Grimsby Town embarrassed United in the second round of the Carabao Cup. This was arguably one of the lowest moments in United's history - particularly when looking back at what was a shambolic first half at Blundell Park.
It is only thanks to the good fortune of local non-league club Macclesfield's adventures on Saturday, that it will not be regarded as the biggest cup upset of the season. If there was any form of a silver lining to be taken from the embarrassment by the sea, it was the chance afforded to this team to turn their attention to the Premier League until January.
While October was a pleasing month, United fans encountered inconsistent performances and results in the top flight and have seen their head coach sacked due to a mixture of results and a breakdown in communications with the decision makers. The Reds' hierarchy have since decided to appoint an interim head coach for the remainder of the season as they figure out 'Plan C'.
While such a decision is wise on paper as long-term successors are hard to come by mid-season, it also gives the impression of the rest of this season being written off. Michael Carrick is the favourite for the job and while he is well liked by the fans, few see him as the long-term successor to Ruben Amorim.
But while an interim appointment gives off the vibe of looking towards 2026/27, participation in the FA Cup still kept the possibility of silverware and a trip to Wembley alive for a fanbase which has been punished during the Ineos era. After Sunday, that has now gone entirely.
There is no major embarrassment losing to Brighton, the Seagulls are a well managed group and they could go a long way in this competition. But when you play as close to the strongest team possible and have the home crowd backing you, if you're United, you should be winning.
Instead the performance was far off what was needed and the opening goal from Brajan Gruda was particularly disappointing from a defensive perspective. This defeat was not the sole fault of Darren Fletcher, Amorim or even the boardroom.
The squad are the ones who need to be taking the most accountability and reflecting on why this performance, regardless of what happened with Amorim, is on them. Their display has put United under so much pressure for the rest of this season.
Whether it be Carrick, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or another interim, United need to finish in the Champions League spots by the time this season ends. There are no more excuses left available to this team.
Out of all the clubs competing for the top five, United will play the fewest games during the run-in. They can no longer blame fixture congestion or the need to rotate or even the lack of time at Carrington to work on new ideas.
Whoever takes on the United project next was already staring down the barrel of a major rebuild. If the Reds don't make it to the Champions League next season, that task becomes harder, but it also means even fewer players will be in a position to tell the manager why they should stay for the new chapter.
This campaign is creeping towards becoming even worse than 2024/25 and only a return to the Champions League will save this group from that unwanted feat. Should they not do that, United are in serious trouble.