The uncertainty lands at a low point. With just one league win this season, United are in their lowest position after 10 matches since the 1986-87 campaign.
A related concern is selection at the back: Carrick may be left puzzling over which back four he can play, because there is no certainty of a clean sheet.
The next run of fixtures will form part of the picture. Following the trip to Anfield, five of United's next seven league opponents are in the bottom half of the league.
In the past three games United recorded one win, one draw and one defeat, and the performances alongside those results offer a mixed view of Carrick's tenure.
None of that removes the defensive problem. Whether Carrick keeps his job or not, United will continue to struggle unless they stop conceding goals with such regularity.
The hierarchy was also aware that November's two-week break would offer a chance to reassess the situation in a calmer manner.
According to the BBC, the board felt Carrick and the players had earned the opportunity to show they could turn the club's fortunes around.
Manchester United's board is yet to make a final decision on Michael Carrick's future.
They are determined to make that reassessment with the recent evidence in mind.
It is also felt that fighting back from two goals down three times over the past two games showed the players remain behind him.