Manchester United: Michael Carrick refuses to consider job fears

Yet it is the measure of the noise around a club of United’s size that is often feels that way.

Carrick accepted issues at Old Trafford are frequently amplified, so they look to be bigger than they actually are.

Despite this, he loves his job – and the club he served with such distinction as a player, and began his coaching career.

“There’s great feelings, and there’s obviously disappointments, and sometimes the smaller disappointments lead to being a little bit bigger,” he added. “It’s just part of coping and being at this great football club.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, genuinely.

“It’s the best place for me to be, in part because of the times when it’s maybe not going to plan. Sometimes they are best times to work your way through, to find out a few things and come out an awful lot stronger.”

Externally, the inquests have tended to focus around recruitment – or lack of it, specifically at left-back – United’s finances and debt levels, Carrick’s relative inexperience and, other than assistant boss Steve Holland, that of his coaches.

“It’s not a blame game,” said Carrick, who revealed Luke Shaw and new signing Carlos Baleba “have a chance” of being fit for the Craven Cottage meeting.

“We all search for things to look at and point at, or whatever reason it may be and find a blame. Blame me. No problem. I will take the responsibility.

“But it’s not about blaming people. It’s about us, it’s about us finding solutions and being better. That’s as a whole football club.”