Manchester United's 4-4 comeback hides a bigger problem: Pochettino to replace Carrick?

Manchester United showed tremendous fighting spirit against Aston Villa on Sunday. But was it really something to celebrate?

I don't think so.

After all, this is Manchester United we are talking about. A club sitting in the Premier League relegation zone with just eight points from 10 matches.

Following their memorable comeback victory over Roma in the Champions League, you would have expected Michael Carrick's men to start strongly against Aston Villa.

Instead, they conceded two goals inside the opening four minutes.

Yes, you read that right. Two goals in less than four minutes!

It was a shocking start, exposing once again just how fragile United have become at the back.

But credit where it is due.

United showed remarkable determination to fight back from two goals down, not once but twice, to earn a dramatic 4-4 draw at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans brought them level before half time. But all that hard work was undone when Villa scored twice again early in the second half.

And just when another defeat looked inevitable, Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu struck in stoppage time to rescue a point.

You have to admire the players for refusing to give up, especially when everything seemed to be going against them.

But what about the basics?

This is where Manchester United's biggest problem lies.

They are so poor at the fundamentals of football.

Their defensive organisation is all over the place. They struggle to deal with basic situations, make too many individual mistakes and look vulnerable whenever the opposition attacks. Some of the players are not worthy enough to be starters at this football club.

You simply cannot keep conceding goals like this and expect extraordinary comebacks to rescue you.

United have now conceded 19 goals in just 10 Premier League matches. Only Crystal Palace and Ipswich have conceded more, while Coventry have conceded the same number.

That is an alarming statistic for a club of Manchester United's stature.

And despite scoring four goals on Sunday, United remain 18th in the table, having won just once in the league this season.

That tells you everything about their current situation.

Will anything change during the international break?

The frustration among supporters is understandable.

There were fresh protests against the club's ownership before Sunday's match, with fans displaying green and gold balloons and a banner demanding the owners' departure.

But will these protests bring any meaningful change?

And what about Michael Carrick?

The victory over Roma and the draw against Villa may have bought him some time, but neither performance offered much evidence that United's fundamental problems are being addressed.

With the international break now upon us, speculation over his future is growing.

According to the Evening Standard, former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the betting favourite to replace Carrick, with Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann also among the leading contenders.

But would changing the manager really solve everything?

There are clearly deeper problems at Manchester United. In my view, the owners have not done enough to address the weaknesses in the squad, and questions over recruitment and decision making cannot be ignored.

At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see how Carrick can continue if performances remain this poor.

And with another managerial change potentially on the horizon, haven't we seen this story before?

A manager struggles, the pressure builds, someone new arrives, there is renewed hope, and eventually the same problems return.

Manchester United seem to be heading towards yet another cycle.

The players have shown they can fight. But fighting spirit alone is not enough.

Something has to change at this football club. And it has to be more than just the manager.