Manchester United coach Darren Fletcher has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA) following last weekend’s feisty win over Brentford.
According to a statement released by the FA on Friday, it is alleged that the Red Devils stalwart “acted in an improper and/or confrontational manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards the fourth official and the referee and/or assistant referees” during the 2-1 comeback victory in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
Fletcher has been given until Tuesday, October 29 to respond to the FA charge.
Brentford took the lead deep into first-half stoppage time against United last Saturday, with Ethan Pinnock heading home just before the interval with the hosts left defending with 10 men after centre-back Matthijs de Ligt was ordered off the pitch multiple times by referee Samuel Barrott for treatment on a head wound caused following an accidental collision with the knee of Bees forward Kevin Schade.
The home bench was left furious at the situation, with Fletcher seen expressing his frustration at fourth official Gavin Ward as he went down towards the tunnel at half-time. United boss Erik ten Hag and assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy were both shown yellow cards for their protests.
Former long-serving United midfielder Fletcher was brought back to the club on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching staff back in January 2021, before being named as their first technical director two months later as John Murtough was promoted to football director.
The ex-Scotland international performed that role for more than three years, before reverting back to a first-team coaching job on Ten Hag’s staff over the summer as new part-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos led a backroom shake-up.
Fletcher made almost 350 appearances during a 13-year stint at United as a first-team player between 2002-15 before leaving for West Brom, having graduated from the academy and gone on to win a whole host of major silverware under Sir Alex Ferguson including five Premier League titles, one Champions League and both the FA Cup and League Cup.
Fletcher’s twin teenage sons Jack and Tyler both signed their first professional contracts at United earlier this year, having previously been in the academy of rivals Manchester City.
