- Published
Sir Alex Ferguson was St Mirren manager the last time Manchester United lost at Old Trafford having taken a 2-0 lead.
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United → publish → lead
That is the context to the shocking Carabao Cup third-round exit his old club suffered against Brighton on Wednesday.
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club → suffer → Wednesday
It is a period of time that encompasses the legendary Scot's dynasties at Aberdeen as well as United.
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that → encompass → Aberdeen
The Class of '92 were in nappies when John Pratt scored the winner for Tottenham on 4 September 1976.
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Pratt → score → September
After holding protests inside and outside the ground before Sunday's loss to 10-man Manchester City, United supporters made their feelings known about their latest embarrassment in three ways.
Most fans simply left as the players embarked on their post-match lap of appreciation.
Some of those who remained booed, as they had done when their side fell behind 21 minutes from time.
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side → hold → time
By the time they approached the tunnel, close to United's 'singing section', supporters were asking Michael Carrick and his players 'what was that?'.
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that → approach → Carrick
It is not certain where 15-year-old JJ Gabriel was while all this was taking place, but nothing happened that would make him think he had got it wrong by turning his back on the club.
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it → take → club
Indeed, it is quite possible, probable indeed, that the promised senior debut would have been scrapped given the game situation - and the fact skipper Bruno Fernandes was among the experienced players introduced in the frantic final stages.
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Fernandes → promise → stages
"Of course we can turn it around, we have got some really good players,"
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we → turn → players
said Carrick.
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Carrick → say → ?
"It feels bad because we haven't had a great week or two, or three weeks."
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we → feel → week
Carrick's side have won twice this season, against newly promoted Ipswich at home after falling behind, and Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
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side → win → League
They have now lost on three occasions, more defeats than he experienced in 17 matches after replacing Ruben Amorim in January.
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he → lose → January
He has been around Manchester United long enough to know the pressure losing runs can build.
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runs → know → pressure
"I don't feel under pressure," he said.
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he → feel → pressure
"Either way, that doesn't bother me one bit.
"
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that → bother → me
I understand what goes on outside and how the world works, but it doesn't bother me.
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it → understand → me
What bothers me is winning games, having a good feeling around the place and a good feeling around the group to know we're moving in a good direction.
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we → bother → direction
The problem is it doesn't feel as though they are moving in a good direction.
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they → feel → direction
The obvious one was Shea Lacey, who marked his first senior start with a well-taken eighth-minute goal.
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who → mark → goal
It meant he became the first teenager to score on his first United start since Marcus Rashford in February 2016.
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he → mean → February
Lacey was one of eight changes made by Carrick.
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Lacey → make → Carrick
Diogo Dalot was one of the three players to keep their place.
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Dalot → keep → place
His form has deserted him.
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form → desert → him
Noussair Mazraoui is the back-up left-back, which only heightens the debate over the wisdom not to buy one before the transfer window closed.
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window → back → one
Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven looked like the inexperienced defenders they are.
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they → look → defenders
In midfield Manchester United were overrun.
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United → overrun → midfield
Yet again, Rashford threatened without managing a goal or an assist.
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Rashford → threaten → goal
He came closest to levelling when he sped beyond the Brighton defence, but his shot was saved by Jason Steele.
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shot → come → Steele
"The longer the game went, the more we had control," was the concise assessment of Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
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assessment → go → Hurzeler
"I thought we deserved to win."
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we → think → ?
Carrick didn't dispute the assessment.
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Carrick → dispute → assessment
'Being here toughens you up'
His greatest sadness was for Lacey, who should have had his name in lights but instead was part of a team scuttling off the pitch to the sound of boos and harsher criticism.
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who → toughen → boos
"It's a shame that Shea's moment, such a great moment for him, for his family, his friends and the whole academy; to have an academy player come in and have a moment like that, gets a bit lost, unfortunately," said Carrick.
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Carrick → come → that
"It won't for him when things settle down but, as we sit here now, it feels that it was a long time ago.
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it → settle → him
Carrick also addressed the JJ Gabriel situation.
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Carrick → address → situation
"He's a young boy, he's 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, looking after our younger players, their welfare, their wellbeing, their exposure, we've got to be really conscious of that in this situation," he explained.
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he → look → situation
But ultimately, for any manager, the assessment of their work comes through results.
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assessment → come → results
"Being here toughens you up over a period of time," he said.
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he → toughen → time
"It depends how you deal with it.
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you → depend → it
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
