It was just after 6pm on Sunday, 8 November when the message landed. Manchester United were 4-2 down to Aston Villa, and Old Trafford was resigned to defeat.

"Be gentle."

The plea came from someone who knows Michael Carrick well, has worked with him and understands at first hand the pressures of life in the United goldfish bowl.

As it turned out, the predicted ending did not come to pass.

United scored twice in stoppage time to salvage a 4-4 draw. Carrick celebrated Patrick Dorgu's equaliser by raising an arm in the air. After that, he walked round the pitch on what has turned out to be a final lap of appreciation.

As the United supporters sang his name, Carrick placed himself in the middle of his players to ensure the fans did not turn on them in the way they had done after the 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth two weeks before.

It was a decision that summed up the 45-year-old - supporting the collective, rather than looking after himself.

That obvious desire to do the best for his club and his players - and his storied past - explains why Carrick's song continued to be bellowed from the stands when just about everyone else involved at United was attracting fury and derision.

In the end, it wasn't enough.

To get this far is longer than many envisaged. It seemed there was no way Carrick could survive the Bournemouth debacle.

United took 44 hours to communicate to the wider world they were sticking with him then, though it is understood Carrick was told the day before.

Since then, it has been chaos. United have won one, drawn one and lost one.

Outstanding in the opening 45 minutes at Chelsea, they conceded at the start of the second half before defender Lisandro Martinez was sent off for two bookings in the space of five minutes. They lost 2-0.

Awful and two goals down inside 17 minutes against Roma in the Champions League, they roared back with the kind of thrilling comeback Carrick was part of so often during Sir Alex Ferguson's days to win 3-2.

Then, Villa. Two goals down in four minutes thanks to calamitous goalkeeping, they clawed back to level before half-time. More abysmal defending left United with another mountain to climb - but they emerged from the carnage with a point.

Try picking the bones out of that. Had Carrick's stock increased, or had it merely proven he was not the right man the job? United decided it was the latter.

United came from two goals down twice to snatch a draw against Villa

Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox celebrated Dorgu's stoppage-time equaliser against Villa in the directors' box. But they had a slightly detached perspective.

Within days they were flying to Monaco to tell minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe change was required.

For the third season in a row, United are replacing the man in charge of the team mid-season.

Unlike with Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, this decision is not a surprise. Not because of what is happening now, but because what is happening now is so at odds with what happened last season.

After 12 wins in 17 games under Carrick and a return to the Champions League, the mood in pre-season was overwhelmingly positive.

There were no signs of splits, young players including JJ Gabriel were part of the group, and senior staff spoke optimistically about the potential of Bruno Fernandes' proposed partnership with Youri Tielemans.

Recruitment was clearly an issue, but more of that later.