The Daily Mail reported that Lisandro Martinez's red card against Chelsea drew heavy criticism, suggesting his Manchester United career may be over.
We certainly expect more from an experienced, World Cup-winning defender. The same goes for a 28-year-old who has played alongside Messi and Ronaldo during his career.
We should not expect Lisandro Martinez to swing his arm into an opponent's face in the box, just seconds after receiving a yellow card for another foul, with a crucial match still in the balance.
How did he think he could get away with it? And how did he believe this would help Manchester United stay out of the relegation zone, or help Carrick keep his job?
Just when Carrick needed his veterans to stay calm, Lisandro Martinez lost his composure.
As soon as Lisandro Martinez's arm made contact with Wesley Fofana, VAR official James Bell called referee Peter Banks to the pitchside monitor. The second yellow card followed, Chelsea were awarded a penalty, and Cole Palmer converted it for their second goal. Game over.
In Manchester United's current fragile state, there was no chance of a recovery after that.
Carrick could not openly express his true feelings about Lisandro Martinez's loss of control, but Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel did it for him.
Schmeichel fumed: "I blame Lisandro Martinez entirely for this. He played a disgraceful game. That penalty, I have no words, it's outrageous. And then he walked off shaking his head, as if it wasn't his fault at all. Terrible."
This is the same Lisandro Martinez who was fined by the club earlier this month for saying he had expected more from Manchester United's director of football Jason Wilcox in last summer's transfer window.
This is also the same Lisandro Martinez who scored a ridiculous own goal against Fulham in September. Last week, he turned his back on the ball against Tottenham Hotspur, allowing Solanke to equalize in the dying moments at Old Trafford.
His contract expires in June, and Manchester United have shown no sign of triggering the 12-month extension option, so his time at the club appears to be coming to an end, and not in the way he would have wanted.
Joe Cole told TNT Sports: "Whatever stage Manchester United are at next, I feel Lisandro Martinez's time at the club is over. He's too often involved when mistakes happen in a Manchester United shirt."
Lisandro Martinez's dissatisfaction with his contract situation clearly influenced his comments about Wilcox. While fans applauded him for criticizing the club's recruitment, which was indeed a valid criticism, he should have spent more time helping Manchester United defend their goal and stay on the pitch, rather than pointing fingers at others.
He has been one of Manchester United's best signings in recent years, despite being badly affected by repeated injuries. The fighting spirit and winning mentality he brought from Argentina and Ajax have been valuable assets for Ten Hag, Amorim and, to some extent, Carrick.
It's easy to understand why fans love "the Butcher," because too many players who have walked through that door during his five years at Old Trafford haven't shown enough fight.
But this was a foolish and selfish act born of frustration. It completely cost Manchester United the chance to win the match, and it will also force Lisandro Martinez to miss Manchester United's last game before the international break, at home against Aston Villa next weekend.
By the time they play again, there is no guarantee Carrick will still be in charge.
Carrick has stopped winning these tight matches
If you compare Carrick's successful spell at Manchester United last season with this season's seemingly inexplicable decline, this was exactly the kind of close game he would have won back then.
Think back to Carrick's first two games after taking over, against Manchester City and Arsenal, and those 3-2 victories over Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Fulham. Perhaps the most representative was the 1-0 win here against Chelsea in April, decided by Matheus Cunha's solitary goal just before halftime.
If Manchester United had taken half their chances in the first half at Stamford Bridge this time, they could have killed the game off early. Amad Diallo Traore alone had enough opportunities to secure the victory.
It's easy to say Carrick has run out of luck, but top-level sport is not that simple. The confidence that flowed through the team between January and May has now drained from the players. Chances are constantly missed, and silly goals are conceded one after another. Veterans like Lisandro Martinez lose their tempers, and every mistake is punished. That's what happens when the tide turns and a team lacks the resilience to weather it.
Right now, every Manchester United game looks difficult. Their only victories this season have come at home against Sabah and Ipswich Town, the latter of which was won with a bit of luck.
Who knows where their next win will come from? Carrick looked a bit dazed as he left West London and clearly couldn't answer that question either.
Bruno Fernandes' return made no difference
With Carrick in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, the most talked-about topic before the game was the return of captain Bruno Fernandes, who had been dropped from the starting lineup after last weekend's loss to AFC Bournemouth.
Bruno Fernandes not only returned to the starting XI but also to the No. 10 role, a position he had ceded to Tielemans in recent weeks. Tielemans understandably started on the bench for this match, while Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha frequently interchanged positions up front, and Manchester United played well in the first half.
But the old Bruno Fernandes would have left his mark on this game. He would have scored or assisted, led the team to victory and silenced the taunts of the opposing fans.
Instead, he did nothing. There were too many misplaced passes and too many times he threw his hands up in frustration. He had a golden opportunity to give Manchester United the lead in the first half from a brilliant pass by Bryan Mbeumo, but he blasted the ball over the bar.
No single player can carry an entire team, but the Portuguese star has come close to doing so many times during his seven years at Old Trafford. Here, though, it once again seemed that his influence may be waning, and that this Manchester United team may be beyond saving.
Last year, Manchester United were willing to sell Bruno Fernandes to Al-Hilal, and when his current contract expires in June, the club will not break the bank to keep him. They might offer him an extension at the right price, or at least activate the 12-month extension option to ensure he doesn't leave on a free transfer.
But a great Manchester United career seems to be drawing to a close.
