Carrick Insists Job Pressure "Doesn't Bother" Him After United's Brighton Collapse

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick says growing pressure over his job doesn't affect him, despite a shocking collapse at Old Trafford that saw his side blow a two-goal lead and lose at home for the first time in 50 years under those circumstances.

United had raced into a 2-0 lead against Brighton in the Carabao Cup third round thanks to goals from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount, but a clinical Brighton fought back to complete the comeback. Frustration boiled over among the home fans by full time, with the Stretford End booing the team off and directing chants toward the dugout and players as they left the pitch.

It's now United's third defeat in just six games across all competitions this season, a sharp change of fortune after Carrick was hailed as something of a hero last season for guiding the club back into the Champions League with a run of 12 wins from 17 games.

Asked directly whether he was worried about his job security given the mounting scrutiny, Carrick brushed the question aside. 

"I don't feel under pressure," he said, according to Manchester Evening News. "Either way, that doesn't bother me one bit. It generally doesn't bother me one bit. I understand what goes on outside and how the world works, but it doesn't bother me."

While Carrick says he's personally unbothered, he did call on his players to show more mental toughness going forward. He admitted things can feel heavy around the club during rough patches, but stressed that top players need to be able to handle that pressure. 

"We all know it's there," he said. "We know it's there whether it's good or whether it's not good. How you deal with that is the important thing. Being here toughens you up over a period of time, and it depends how you deal with it."

The collapse has raised real questions about United's ability to see out games, and with three defeats already this season, there's very little room for error left. Some are already calling the upcoming trip to Fulham a must-win game to stop the season from unraveling further. Still, Carrick believes the quality in his squad is there and that this is just a rough patch rather than anything more serious.

"Of course we can turn it around," he said. "We've got some really good players and it feels bad at the moment because we haven't had a great week, or two or three weeks. But it doesn't mean you can't win another game of football quickly. So there's that side of it, the players have shown before what they're capable of doing and we have as a group."

Attention now turns to how United respond in training before facing Fulham at Craven Cottage. Whether Carrick's calm attitude reflects genuine confidence or a lack of urgency will likely come down to how his side perform in that game. For now, he's standing by his players and insisting he won't let outside noise change how he approaches things, even as the pressure around the club continues to build.