Michael Carrick kept turning up at Carrington in his training kit these last few days, while his fate was being decided behind closed doors in Monaco and Manchester.
He had become a "dead man walking", and that grew clearer by the day during the two weeks the board granted him after the three-nil defeat to Bournemouth.
Sources close to the United dressing room believe Carrick was "left to face his fate alone", with the club dithering over his future and secretly courting Mauricio Pochettino as his successor, according to the British newspaper "Daily Mail".
Carrick took the job in mid-January, recalled from a holiday in Barbados to lead the team on a temporary basis. He then landed a two-year contract in May after finishing last season third and qualifying for the Champions League.
But the honeymoon turned into a crisis. He lasted less than ten months.
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His critics argue that Carrick, who had never held a coaching role before except at Middlesbrough, was the wrong man to lead a club the size of Manchester United. Others believe the club should have thanked him for last season's achievement and turned to Pochettino, who was available before signing a new deal to coach the United States national team.
Pressure on Carrick mounted after a run of poor results. It started with the defeat to Hull City in August and ran through a surrendered lead against Brighton, the League Cup exit, European losses to Atletico Madrid and Como, and late goals conceded to Everton and Tottenham.
The 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, in which United twice came back from two goals down, alarmed club officials too, especially with the team shipping 15 goals in its last four matches.
The plane crisis
Tension boiled over on United's return flight from Madrid after the 2-0 defeat to Atletico. Several players got into an altercation on board, an incident that laid bare the division and anger inside the dressing room.
This confrontation was one of several disputes, some out in the open, others kept away from the spotlight, as results slid and the pressure on Michael Carrick piled up.
Criticism of the training sessions
Results were not the only problem. Some players spoke of a drop in the standard of training under Carrick and his staff, while others felt the switch to a possession-heavy 4-2-4 did not suit the squad's strengths.
Questions also surfaced over the lack of academy involvement, despite Carrick's stated interest in young players. Harry Amass barely got a look-in, Shea Lacey's return was delayed, and controversy swirled around the departure of JJ Gabriel.
Even so, Carrick cannot shoulder the blame alone, given the administrative chaos and infighting at the club, according to the newspaper.
Behind the scenes, director of football Jason Wilcox and recruitment director Christopher Vivell clashed over his successor, all while the Glazer family grew increasingly unhappy with the way Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS run the club.
Carrick never got the backing he needed in the summer market either. Attempts to sign his top midfield target, Elliot Anderson, fell through, and the club brought in Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos instead.
