Manchester United's FA Cup campaign ended prematurely with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford, a result compounded by a late sending-off and Darren Fletcher's scathing assessment of the refereeing. The loss marks the Red Devils' earliest exit from both cup competitions since the 1981-82 season.
Fletcher, who stepped in as caretaker manager following Ruben Amorim's sacking on Monday, did not hold back his criticism of referee Simon Hooper, particularly regarding the dismissal of 18-year-old Shea Lacey. Lacey, a second-half substitute brought on to inject some spark into United's attack, received two yellow cards in quick succession. The first was for a foul, and the second came just minutes later when he threw the ball down in frustration after conceding another foul.
Fletcher described Lacey's sending off as "ridiculous" and indicative of "poor refereeing" throughout the match. He argued that the teenager's yellow card was unwarranted compared to fouls committed by Brighton players earlier in the game, questioning the consistency of Hooper's decisions. Speaking to TNT Sports, Fletcher stated, "Shea Lacey's yellow card is ridiculous compared to the fouls that we had against us all game, which ultimately then the lad makes a mistake and is sent off. For me it is poor refereeing".
The former United midfielder was visibly animated after the final whistle, engaging in a heated discussion with Hooper and his team of officials. His protests earned him a yellow card of his own. Fletcher revealed that his discussion with the referee centered on the amount of added time played and his disagreement with the decision to book Lacey. "One, injury time," Fletcher said. "Minimum five minutes, there was stuff going on in that injury time which should have made it more time. And then the first Shea Lacey foul was not a yellow card. I've no idea how the Brighton players didn't get yellow cards first half".
Despite the disappointing end to Lacey's Old Trafford debut, Fletcher was quick to defend the young player, who is eligible to represent Ireland. "He's disappointed, because he cares and he understands. He knows he'll learn from it," Fletcher said. "But there's no doubt about his talent. Steep learning curve today, but we believe in Shea, he's one of our most exciting young prospects, and I'm sure at Old Trafford he'll have a chance to make amends for that in the future".
The defeat leaves Manchester United with only the Premier League to focus on for the remainder of the season. Fletcher acknowledged the fans' disappointment, stating, "Out of cups, only Premier League games to play for, the fans weren't happy at the end but they have got every right to air their grievances". He also admitted that the players were "fragile" and needed to "dig deep" to regain their confidence. The result extends United's winless streak to four games.
