It was April 2019, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - having been handed the reins permanently a month earlier - enduring his first major disaster at Manchester United, following the 4-0 defeat away at Goodison Park.
The typically positive Norwegian was damning in his post-match assessment, hinting that there were members of the squad that day who would not be part of his long-term plans.
"You can’t change your whole squad. One step at a time. I am going to be successful here and there are players who won’t be part of that."
While last week's loss against a ten-man Newcastle United may not be comparable, that shoddy showing provided Michael Carrick - or his potential replacement - with a real insight into just who the club should be building around heading into this summer.
Man Utd starting XI vs Everton
21 April 2019 - Everton 4-0 Man Utd
Position
GK
RB
CB
CB
LB
CM
CM
CM
RW
ST
LW
It's been a positive start to 2026, although no one at Old Trafford will be getting complacent. This squad still needs significant reinforcement.
Why Newcastle defeat could be a defining day for Man Utd squad
Critics will pose that with the Red Devils toiling at St James' Park, Carrick should well have looked to his bench far earlier, taking until well into 70 minutes to make his first change on the night.
The problem is, that Amad aside, there was a real lack of options for the Geordie coach to consider, with the matchday squad a mix of peripheral figures and academy products.
With Noussair Mazraoui forced off, Carrick notably had to rely on forgotten man Tyrell Malacia, with the Dutchman's only other appearance this season having come against Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Heaven-Malacia-Dorgu-Man-Utd
Unsurprisingly for a player whose minutes have been limited, the diminutive full-back was caught short in that late cameo, failing to engage with the advancing Will Osula as the Magpies stole the points at the death.
Compatriot Joshua Zirkzee, meanwhile, did enjoy a far brighter outing after seeing a fierce, dipping effort so nearly sail past Aaron Ramsdale, although there is a sense that the 24-year-old's chance has already come and gone, after netting just nine goals in 69 games since his arrival back in 2024.
joshua-zirkzee-man-utd
Zirkzee, much like another addition from that summer, Manuel Ugarte, looks almost certain to be moved on this summer, with the Uruguayan having notably attracted interest from Turkish giants, Galatasaray, back in January.
It does not bode well then that three of the players who Carrick brought on last week are likely to leave come the summer - with Malacia out of contract in June - with two of those, Zirkzee and Ugarte, among those to have been signed by this INEOS regime.
Jason Wilcox and co are ready to get ruthless it would seem, particularly with those they also inherited at Old Trafford.
£47m Man Utd flop will never play for the club again
As the trip to Tyneside showcased, for all their shortcomings, the lack of depth at Carrick's disposal will ensure that both Ugarte and Zirkzee will have to be involved again between now and the end of the season, even if their long-term futures lie elsewhere.
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Worse than Mbeumo: Ten Hag signing may never play for Man Utd again
After Michael Carrick's first defeat in charge of Manchester United, it's become clear that one player must never play for the club again.
One man who won't be pulling on the jersey again, barring anything drastic, is Andre Onana, with the 29-year-old having been shipped out on loan to Super Lig side, Trabzonspor, last summer.
Moving on Erik ten Hag's £47m signing really should be a priority for INEOS ahead of next season, with there seemingly no place in the squad for the Cameroonian back in Manchester, following the rise of his replacement, Senne Lammens.
Andre-Onana-Man-Utd-Lens
The young Belgian is calmness personified, yet Onana was anything but during his two full seasons in the sticks, memorably making a string of errors in the club's dismal Champions League group stage run in 2023/24.
In all that season, across United's Premier League and European action, the former Inter Milan man made five errors leading to a goal, as per Sofascore, while following that up with further high-profile blunders last season.
Indeed, the trip to Lyon in the Europa League marked the beginning of the end, with Onana engaging in a pre-match war of words with Nemanja Matic, before ultimately proving at fault for both of the Ligue 1 side's goals in that 2-2, first-leg draw.
While he did regain his place, following Altay Bayindir's woes at St James' just a few days later, that appeared the final straw for Onana, with Ruben Amorim again favouring Bayindir at the start of the current campaign.
Not seen since his calamitous performance away at Grimsby, United are better for having sent Onana on his way, with this a chapter that needs to come to a close this summer.
The chaotic goalkeeper may have desires on usurping Lammens as the number one option next term, yet INEOS need to ensure he is long gone before then.
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Manchester United are undergoing a series of changes - and finally for the better.