Red Devils blow it on the South Coast
For large spells at the Vitality Stadium, United looked like a side on course for another three points under Carrick. Bruno Fernandes converted from the spot on the hour mark to give United the lead, and when James Hill turned a corner into his own net, Carrick's side looked set to strengthen their Champions League bid even further.
But then came the problems that the head coach was so furious about in his post-match interviews. In the second half, Amad Diallo was pushed over inside the area by Adrien Truffert, an incident that looked every bit as strong as some of the fouls that had already been given this season, but referee Stuart Attwell waved it away. VAR backed him up, suggesting there was not enough contact to warrant a penalty. From that very incident at one end of the pitch, Bournemouth broke, and Ryan Christie equalised.
"I thought we had enough to be ahead and a little more comfortable in the game," Carrick told Sky Sports. "We found the goal, should've had another penalty. You get one, you must get the other. It's pretty much identical for me, two-hand grab, and so either way he's got one wrong. To give one and not give the other, I just can't get my head around it. It's crazy. Because of that they go down the other end, they score and then it's chaos after that, really."
Maguire red compounds Man Utd misery
What followed the missed penalty call made a difficult situation significantly worse from a United perspective. Harry Maguire was dismissed after holding Evanilson in the area, a decision that, while Carrick accepted may have had some justification, felt all the more frustrating given the earlier refusal in the Bournemouth box.
He said: "Where do you start, really? Listen, maybe he's passed Harry and that's the right decision and he's given that. I haven't got too much of a problem, I haven't seen it back to be totally honest, but I think if he's passed him and he's in on goal, I can understand that decision, so I'm not going we deserve everything. But it shouldn't have happened because we should've had another penalty and the game would've been totally different."
Junior Kroupi converted from the spot-kick to make it 2-2, and United were left to see out the final stages with ten men.
Carrick: VAR decision was baffling
Carrick's argument was very simple. He believes that if one foul warranted a penalty, the other did too. The fact that it was a similar type of challenge, in the area, made the referee's refusal all the harder to accept. With VAR in place specifically to clean up exactly this kind of controversy, Carrick could not hide his frustration at the technology's failure to intervene.
"Just the decision for the penalty, I don't understand how you can be one and the other and give one and not. Mental," he said. "Massive. Absolutely massive. That's what VAR was for. Clean it up and consistency. Surely whatever they think, if one's been given, there are enough people to decide that it's the same as the first. It's two different decisions, so a bit baffling really."
What next for Man Utd?
For all the frustration, Carrick did offer some praise for the character his side showed in holding on for a point.
He said: "Disappointed with not winning the game after being up but under the circumstances with ten men for what ended up being some sort of added time that we've not seen in a while, we managed that really well. I was pleased with the way the boys finished the game. It's easy to let the game slip away. They kept their heads and took the point, which in the end we'll take and move on."
United sit third in the Premier League and do not play again until April 13, when Leeds visit Old Trafford after the international break. Four points clear of fourth-placed Aston Villa, they remain on course to quality for the Champions League, an achievement that may result in Carrick being awarded the Red Devils job permanently.