Darren Fletcher criticises Manchester United after FA Cup defeat

Manchester United’s temporary manager, Darren Fletcher, described his team as "fragile" after a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup here at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The defeat ended United's hopes of winning silverware this season and was met with near silence from the home crowd.

Fletcher, who took charge after Ruben Amorim's sacking last week, had hoped to lift spirits following a 2-2 draw at Burnley in the Premier League.

However, his side failed to recover after falling behind early to a Brajan Gruda goal, before former United player Danny Welbeck sealed the win for Brighton.

Fletcher said the team struggled with slow passing, showed resilience after falling behind, but ultimately lacked the composure.

"It was mixed really, we started okay but the goal knocked the stuffing out of us," Fletcher said. "Our passing was quite slow so I challenged them at halftime. It was similar to the game in the week, we needed to move the ball with more tempo.

"When we got back to 2-1, I thought here we go, the crowd was up, the energy was up, but ultimately we couldn't get the equaliser. I think you can see the players are fragile and need to build themselves up. It's up to them to respond."

The defeat leaves United with no domestic cup runs and outside of European competition. With just a point separating them from fifth place in the Premier League, Fletcher urged his players to "dig deep" to salvage their season.

It is pertinent to mention that Fletcher also criticised referee Simon Hooper for sending off teenager Shea Lacey with a second yellow card after he threw the ball in frustration. 

Lacey later apologised to the team and fans for his actions.