Despite recording a record-breaking 21 assists in the last Premier League campaign, a rift had been clearly growing between Bruno Fernandes and his head coach, Michael Carrick, during the opening months of the season.

Although the Manchester United captain scored a hat-trick and provided an assist in a 5-2 Premier League win over Ipswich Town in August, he has not registered a single other goal involvement in the league this season.

Tensions boiled over after a 4-1 Champions League loss to Como earlier this month, when Fernandes openly took a swipe at Carrick for his poor tactical setup.

Fernandes was then dropped to the bench for United's fixture against Bournemouth on the weekend, and didn't play as the Reds lost 3-0 on Sunday afternoon.

After the rift became a public affair, Sky Sports' Rob Dorsett has now reported that Carrick and Fernandes held face-to-face talks at Carrington on Tuesday in a bid to clear the air following recent tensions.

In what's been described as a positive meeting, both men are said to have agreed to put their differences aside and focus on turning United's season around, with the club desperate to get their campaign back on track.

Dorsett reported that it remains unclear whether Fernandes apologised for his public criticism of Carrick's tactics, but the meeting appears to have provided an opportunity for both parties to move forward and work towards a common goal.

The discussions followed an all-squad meeting, during which United's players acknowledged that their performances have fallen well below the required standard.

The group has now decided to draw a line under recent struggles and make a fresh start, with everyone expected to play their part in improving results after United have won just two of their opening 12 fixtures across all competitions this campaign.

After United's loss against the Cherries, the football world expected Carrick to face the sack. So when news emerged on Tuesday morning that the United boss was to remain in charge and be given time to turn things around, there was an understandable shock.

However, while the picture painted is that United are showing Carrick faith in his abilities as a head coach, Roundtable has revealed that part of the reason United decided against sacking Carrick was financial – it's cheaper to keep him employed.

The Athletic have also noted that there is a consideration that the upcoming international break, which is in less than a fortnight’s time, would allow any new head coach the chance to bed in better than now.

Therefore, it is reasonable to question whether or not Carrick has actually been given a true show of faith, or whether United are just delaying his sacking until it becomes more financially feasible and easier for a new head coach to settle in next month.