Darren Fletcher urges Manchester United to contend for FA Cup glory

Interim boss Darren Fletcher says Manchester United must give their all to win the FA Cup as the managerless side look to make amends for missing out on Europe and their Grimsby humiliation.

The Red Devils are in process of appointing a caretaker manager for the remainder of the season having called time on Ruben Amorim’s patchy 14-month reign on Monday.

August’s Carabao Cup exit at Grimsby was comfortably the lowest moment of the former United head coach’s reign, while last May’s loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final was the most damaging.

That Bilbao defeat means the Old Trafford club are spending a first season out of continental competition since 2014/15, increasing the importance of a successful FA Cup run.

Interim United boss Fletcher said ahead of Sunday’s third-round tie against Brighton: “It’s an important competition and Manchester United is about winning trophies.

“I think we’ve had good success in the competition in recent years – won it a couple years ago, lost in a final.

“It’s an amazing competition. It’s the first trophy that I won as a player. It’s a special tournament.

“With the season so far – not in Europe, out of the League Cup, Premier League obviously – the FA Cup’s a trophy that we should be vying to win and giving ourselves every opportunity to win.”

United enter the FA Cup sat seventh in the Premier League and within three points of the final guaranteed Champions League spot, as the club considers who to lead them through the remainder of the season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are the frontrunners for the post, but Fletcher and Ruud van Nistelrooy are also in the frame.

Solskjaer was set for face-to-face talks with club chiefs on Saturday, the Press Association understands,