“Don’t waste the season”: Fletcher fires warning to United’s beleaguered squad after dismal cup exit

Darren Fletcher’s last game in charge was a disappointing loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, which saw Manchester United exit the FA Cup at the third-round stage. Speaking after the match, he revealed that the mood in the camp was pretty low, as one would expect. He claimed, “bitterly disappointed because we’re out of the FA Cup. I think the players see the reaction at the end and, you know, deservedly so. And so we’re disappointed with the result and probably disappointed with some moments in the game, especially responding to Brighton’s first goal. I think we took too long to respond from that. So, players are down, disappointed, hurt. But they’re going to have to pick themselves up and recover because we’ve got a big game next week.” Conversations with Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox Fletcher was then asked if he had had any conversations with his higher-ups, Wilcox and Berrada, and he asserted, “first of all, I’ve not had conversations, just finished the game and doing media, speaking to the players, speaking to the staff. Any time you come in at Manchester United, it’s a massive job.” Don’t waste the season He also stated, “the thing for me is there’s still a lot to play for this season and I think if I look at the players, and we get players back from injury, and AFCON, and we get a fuller squad, I think these players have got the ability to qualify in a Champions League place, and that should be their objective, that should be their mindset. But they’re going to have to come together and be part of that as well. It’s not about a manager; it’s not about directors. It’s about everyone, and the players have to group together, take responsibility, find a way of, you know, improving quickly and taking on the challenge for the rest of the season. Don’t waste the season.” A journalist then asked him how he would describe the situation at the club to an outsider, given the team is failing to win matches and, of course, with the sacking of Ruben Amorim. Current situation He retorted, “well, it’s not in a great moment. Yeah, let’s be honest, out the cups early. But as I said, there’s still a Champions League place to fight for and I still think that can be achieved this season. And it’s probably not what fans want to hear about Manchester United because you should be winning cups and challenging for the Premier League. But probably the objective this season, with the quality we’ve got and the league positions and how tight is, they’ve still got a lot of league games left that they can achieve that. So, that should be [what] all their focus and energy is going into. Improving as a team, improving quickly, and don’t waste the season. And I think that would be the challenge that I would set. That’s the challenge that probably the players feel like they need to achieve this year. And anything other than that is just noise, really. That’s what all their energy and focus has got to go into.” The interim boss then admitted that the fact they are out of both cups in January shows the issues at the team, but assured fans that the players are aware of their responsibilities. A reporter asked him if he feels the players grasp the magnitude of United being out of contention for a trophy so early, and he said, “Well, they understand. They understand it. They understand the club, they understand the expectations. I keep saying it: I was lucky to play with the players that I played [with] and the dressing room that I had, and I learned from the older players and then it became a cycle. You know, we weren’t aware of that when we were young, we were aware of [what] we thought we knew, we didn’t, and the older players and the experienced players and the ones who’d been there before and did it, they educated us. They moulded us, Sir Alex moulded us. And that was a cycle that was created, but that takes time to create. But again, there’s experienced players in that dressing room who need to come together, who need to carry the team, who need to challenge the team, who need to make the new players or the ones that maybe don’t understand it [aware]. They going to have to challenge them and pull them along with them. They’re going to have to drag them. And I hope that they do.” His own future The race for the interim role until the end of the season looks to be between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick, according to reports. The Scot was then asked about his own future, and he replied, “I have to report tomorrow morning to Carrington. That’s all I know. So, I’ll find out whatever I need to find out tomorrow morning.” He also added, “I’ve had zero indication, and because all my energy and focus and concentration has had to be on these two games, in such a quick turnaround, and preparing the team, a three-game week, you know, everything that I said. So, I genuinely mean that. It’s a massive responsibility to lead this club, and I’ve gave it my best and ultimately I’m disappointed to not be able to win a game or to get a result today.” Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.