Manchester United went eight games without a win in the Premier League after a lacklustre 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

Despite an injury-time equaliser from Patrick Dorgu that rescued a crucial point, the Reds had periods of complete sloppiness. Carrick's side fell behind 2-0 five minutes in, then 4-2 within ten minutes of the second half.

Eight without a league win matches the longest streak in modern United history; this run of form ties Rúben Amorim's streak in his first season with the Reds and surpasses Sir Alex Ferguson's seven-game streak early in his tenure.

Two inspiring comebacks in both halves mean the squad can head into the international break with a slight momentum, but how does Carrick maintain this momentum?

It's not been an easy start to Carrick's permanent role at the Reds so far. A lack of investment during the summer transfer window, along with an abundance of injuries, has shown that United lack sufficient squad depth.

Without Luke Shaw, who is sidelined due to injury, Diogo Dalot was listed at left back on Sunday and looked out of his depth as Villa found joy through 20-year-old Allyson, who scored his second Premier League goal.

Steven Railston relayed Carrick's comments in his post-match press conference: "We're beating ourselves with the moments we are giving away. We're making it much more difficult than it should be, goals that are totally avoidable."

Mistakes from Leny Yoro and Senne Lammens contributed to the four goals conceded. Carrick showed his support for his side, saying that his players get in their own heads too often. 

"I actually thought we played pretty well for the most of the game." Carrick concluded, which is true, the performance was a much better showing than any of the previous Premier League fixture, where the Reds were dominated by Xabi Alonso' Chelsea.

The 44-year-old manager has two weeks to address United's recent woes, as the international break gives him a much-needed respite.

A comeback win against AS Roma reignited the United players' fire. Matheus Cunha's passionate performance ignited a redemption from the two early goals conceded.

That said, we had not seen that sort of inspiration in some time. Carrick speaks about his players' mentality, but this has to be a consistent theme.

Carrick may want to take a page from Mikel Arteta's book, as the Arsenal manager preaches about his squad's mentality; instilling that ruthless nature in the United squad would prove beneficial.

United face Liverpool upon their return to club football, a fixture that stands out in the calendar. The Reds need a league win, and breaking that winless streak against an in-form Liverpool side would favour Carrick.

The Liverpool game is followed by a Champions League tie against Sporting Lisbon, where United face an early exit, so another win is vital to ensure a strong European run.