Michael Carrick is probably grateful for the rumpus across town, and for the contribution of Saturday’s visitors Spurs in drawing attention from Manchester United’s worst start to a season in a decade. And that is saying something.

The fallout following the verdict on Manchester City’s financial breaches, all guilt denied obviously, in conjunction with Spurs’ own nightmare start, plus England’s emergence as a convincing national team, has given Carrick a few weeks away from the merciless scrutiny of managing United.

The Saturday evening slot has the potential to change all that one way or the other. United are back to where they were when Carrick assumed the temporary reins in January, no nearer a way forward and the coach one match from the knacker’s yard. 

In the absence of a silver bullet, Carrick must make something happen. He is aided by the availability of summer signing Carlos Beleba, an unused sub against Fulham, who constitutes a round peg in the troublesome defensive midfielder hole. 

Though the United defence is a mess in the absence of reliable full-backs, a slow and ageing Harry Maguire and fragile Matthijs de Ligt, the issues at the back are exacerbated by a still-compromised midfield. Beleba at least releases Youri Tielemans from the anchor role. It might yet do two things if Carrick is brave enough to confront the developing problem of Bruno Fernandes.

Suggestions that Fernandes carried an injury into national duty with Portugal did not stop him leading the team in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence. The problem appears both physical and mental. Save for an hour against Ipswich, Fernandes has been poor this season, disengaged with the ball, absent without it. 

This has left Kobbie Mainoo as the only midfielder functioning optimally. Without Mainoo, United would be in even deeper midden than they are. Ipswich remains the only win, and though Carrick can argue United lost to an illegal goal against City and a worldie in the sixth minute of added time at Everton, that would be denying the reality of a failing unit.

Just as peak Fernandes was at the centre of all that has been good at United since his arrival, the catalyst of great moments and in some aspects genuine hope, so sub-optimal Fernandes is central to United’s enduring inability to control matches.

A combination of his poor defensive organisation and Youri Tielemans’ unsuitability to a deeper role has left Mainoo overrun. As a three, they have neither the legs nor the instinct to cover the ground required. Even an outclassed Sabah cut through them in the Champions League.

The answer is staring Carrick in the chops if he has the courage to act upon it. Sit his captain. The availability of Beleba makes this possible since he has the option to deploy Tielemens in Fernandes’ stead, and in a part of the pitch to which he is better suited.  

Fernandes celebrates seven years as a United player in January. He turned 32 last month. Talks continue about extending a contract that expires at the end of the season. The nuclear option would be to navigate away from that. Though parting might feel a little premature, offensive players decline at a quicker rate, especially one who has given so much already to restoring a once great club. 

The Mo Salah example at Liverpool is instructive. Liverpool met Salah’s contract demands in extending his stay at Anfield at the same age without a commensurate return on the pitch. Judging the moment of separation is the devil’s own job, but a necessary part of management. 

The form of Fernandes demands Carrick do something. Five points from five games, the easiest opening sequence of any of the leading teams, is not bad luck. It is the result of an unexpected unravelling, to which a fading Fernandes has been a full contributor.