Darren Fletcher has defended Shea Lacey after the 18-year-old was sent off in Manchester United's FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton, insisting the academy graduate remains 'one of our most exciting young prospects'.
Lacey, who impressed in a brief cameo against Burnley in midweek, was introduced as a substitute at Old Trafford but saw his first senior home appearance cut short after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession. The winger was booked for a late challenge on Brajan Gruda in the 87th minute, then dismissed two minutes later for dissent after throwing the ball away in frustration following a foul on Ferdi Kadioglu.
The teenager was visibly emotional as he left the pitch, but caretaker manager Fletcher was quick to offer support. 'Shea Lacey's yellow card is ridiculous compared to the fouls that we had against us all game,' Fletcher told TNT Sports after the 2-1 loss. 'He's disappointed because he cares and he understands and he knows he will learn from it. There is no doubt about his talent and it was a steep learning curve today but we believe in Shea.'
Fletcher, who took charge after Ruben Amorim's departure, acknowledged the team's fragility after going behind. 'We started OK and then the goal knocked the stuffing out of us,' he said. 'When we got back to 2-1 I thought here we go, the crowd was up, the energy was up but we couldn't get it over the line.' The defeat realistically ends United's hopes of silverware this season, with only Premier League games remaining.
Sunday's match is likely to be Fletcher's last as caretaker, with the club expected to appoint an interim manager soon. He urged the players to respond positively, saying: 'Confidence is one of the most powerful things in football so when you don't have it, you have to dig deep and then the confidence comes back.' United face Manchester City in their next league outing.
