Around a dozen Manchester United fans in close proximity to the directors' box screamed at Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox when Aston Villa went two goals up within four minutes at Old Trafford. There was nowhere for Berrada and Wilcox to hide as insults were hurled in their direction. The pair slumped into their seats and looked desolate as loud boos rang around a poisonous Old Trafford.
Anger reaches boiling point
Times were tough during Ruben Amorim's first season when United finished 15th, but Berrada and Wilcox were not in the firing line as they are now. Anger has finally reached boiling point among supporters. It looked like Villa was guaranteed to be Michael Carrick's final game in charge, but remarkable drama during added time left more questions than answers.
It was a surprise that Carrick limped on after last month's heavy defeat to Bournemouth, but Berrada and Wilcox decided to give him more time, yielding a loss against Chelsea, a win against Roma, and a draw to Villa. United were briefly bottom of the Premier League on Sunday. A lot of teams in their situation would have waved the white flag after going two goals down, but United showed mettle to fight back.
Individual mistakes costly
Individual mistakes continue to cost them. Senne Lammens was at fault for the first two goals, while Diogo Dalot conceded a penalty at the start of the second half, and Leny Yoro nearly scored an own goal before Villa made it 4-2. Lammens allowed a low-driven shot straight under his legs within a minute of the game, and he failed to palm away a shot to thwart the danger before Nicolas Jackson pounced to make it 2-0.
The Dalot mistake was still the most indefensible. United had done brilliantly to restore parity at the break, but the defender undermined that hard work with a brainless challenge in a moment of madness. The sarcastic cheers when Dalot was replaced by Patrick Dorgu were brutal. Thousands of fans cheered him off the pitch, a humiliating moment as he sheepishly took shelter among his teammates on the bench.
Protests gather momentum
United are an unhappy club. Thousands of green and gold balloons were thrown around the Stretford End again before the game, and they clustered around the tunnel when the players emerged for kick-off to ensure the Sky Sports cameras picked them up on the television broadcast. How much of the current situation is Carrick's fault is up for debate. He was let down by the board in the summer transfer window, which has seen fans direct their anger at the owners this season.
The protests are gathering momentum again, as demonstrated by the reaction to Berrada and Wilcox from fans sitting around the directors' box, but the buck always stops with the manager. Carrick's players must also be held accountable. They have let him down, underperforming and making shocking individual mistakes, but he has been poor as well, making questionable decisions and overseeing a side that looks badly coached.
Carrick's future uncertain
United went into the game in 19th position, sitting 11 points off the top four. Interestingly, Jose Mourinho was sacked when United were 11 points off the top four; Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were both six points off when they were axed, while Amorim was only three points off fourth. It seemed highly unlikely that Carrick would survive the axe over the coming days until the madness of extra-time. Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu have given Carrick a chance of limping on again, but the trigger may still be pulled.
Berrada and Wilcox cannot get away scot-free if Carrick goes, that much is obvious. They have stumbled from one bad managerial decision to another. United fans applauded Carrick off the pitch again. It looked like the end for Carrick as he saluted the Stretford End with a tear in his eye after the Bournemouth hammering. It's difficult to know what the Villa draw will mean for his future. The fact is that United will spend the international break marooned in the relegation zone. That alone is enough for a managerial change, and it should also be enough for heads to roll in the boardroom.
