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Will Carrick navigate choppy waters to steer Man Utd ship back on course?

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick faces mounting scrutiny following a Carabao Cup home loss to Brighton, drawing comparisons to predecessor Ruben Amorim's infamous defeat against Grimsby. United surrendered control early on, with stand-in skipper Youri Tielemans acknowledging the team folded after dropping behind by two goals.

Even second-half introductions of Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha could not change the trajectory, leaving Carrick with little encouragement to take from the display.

The setback highlighted severe defensive regression, a stark departure from the early successes Carrick, Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, and Jonny Evans achieved upon taking charge in January, which included victories over Manchester City and Arsenal. United's backline demonstrated glaring disorganization against Brighton, compounding an error from goalkeeper Karl Darlow and continuing a concerning trend where Carrick's squad has shipped a pair of goals in three of four Premier League fixtures this season.