Who will be the next manager of Manchester United?
Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman of the company, gave no timescale or certainty when asked to take over as manager.
It seems certain that Carrick will be in charge for the trip to the top of the league.
There are four days until the game between Old United and the Gunners and by that time, some clarity will have emerged around what appears to be a pretty confused picture.
The factors United's hierarchy are wrestling with as they seek to ultimately appoint a manager who can bring success back to the club are analysed by the BBC.
Why do Manchester United want a new boss?
In their statement, United said they were looking to appoint an interim manager at the end of the season.
The wording suggests that United don't believe that Carrick is a viable option to hold the position for the rest of the campaign as they are already in work and don't believe their preferred choices will be available until the summer.
The strategy feels complicated and inherently means the club would be appointing a manager when they have found a better one.
Only realists and older managers are likely to find that scenario attractive.
Despite being a former United skipper, Steve Bruce's last months as the manager of the Tynesiders are unlikely to inspire optimism among fans, and United have plenty of time and incentive to turn this season around.
Some may wonder if Sir Alex Ferguson, with more experience than anyone in the game, could be a luxury stop-gap, but the reality is the Scotsman is now 81.
The names of former United defender Laurent Blanc and coach Ralf Rangnick are already employed.
Blanc is the manager of Al Rayyan. The technical director at Lokomotiv Moscow takes a 10-week winter break in the middle of December.
Since he was fired by the team in 2020, Lucien Favre has been out of work. The Crystal Palace job was close to being offered to the 64-year-old but he turned it down.
Solskjaer should be walking away with his head held high.
Who is making the decisions?
Woodward said he would leave by the end of the year.
Many felt that meant summer. It is highly unlikely that Woodward will sever ties with United completely when he does eventually stand down, but that could create uncertainty around negotiation.
Woodward is getting on with his job and they have other people, like Matt Judge, who do some work around recruitment.
Woodward and his likely replacement, Richard Arnold, are both involved and are understood to have been on the call with co-chairman, joey Glazer, on Saturday evening when it was decided Solskjaer had to go.
Woodward was the man who delivered the bad news to Solskjaer in person and also the man who asked Carrick to take temporary charge.
Paris St-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino is open to a move to Manchester United.
Would United want him?
If someone who was in their thinking to take over permanently became available, they would go for him now, even though they had intended to use an interim manager until the summer.
It's known that Mauricio Pochettino is interested in joining Manchester United. It is thought that if United pushed for him, he could be recruited now.
The Argentine was praised by United officials for his work at Spurs and they know what a great job he did until the final.
Will United make a move?
It's not always clear what the club's major decisions are. On the day that United lost to the Reds, many felt that Solskjaer should have been fired because Antonio Conte was unemployed and available.
Instead, they kept Solskjaer and then they had a new coach in the form of Antonio Conte.
It was felt that the conflict that characterized the last part of Jose Mourinho's time at Old United would make it difficult for him to manage.
No high-profile manager is easy to deal with. Ferguson, Guardiola, and Pochettino probably wouldn't be either.
He thinks he would have more power over the recruitment of players at United than he does in Paris. Would United's hierarchy be willing to give that to someone who has yet to win a trophy in England and was in charge of a team that missed out on a chance to win the league?
There are many inside and outside Old United who feel that Pochettino would be a perfect fit. There are some attached to the popular 49-year-old and no appointment comes without risk.
Who is in the picture?
The risks with some of the other candidates are even greater.
Brendan Rodgers has done a great job atLeicester for the past two seasons, winning the FA Cup last season and securing fifth place in successive years.
This term is different. Their win over United in October is one of only four victories in 15 matches.
They are in the bottom half of the table and need to beat Legia Warsaw in the Europa League on Thursday if they are to have a chance of reaching the knockout phase.
It is not surprising that there are many fans who doubt Rodgers.
The reputation of Erik Ten Hag has been built up by guiding the club to the semi-finals of the European Championship, where they looked certain to reach the final.
He has done this despite losing many top-class players, including the chronically under-used Donny van de Beek.
The gap between the two leagues is huge. Frank de Boer's stint at Crystal Palace may not help his cause as United ponder what a Dutch manager could bring.
There is a job for Zinedine Zidane but he has no interest in it. Luis Enrique will not be done with Spain until the end of next year unless he decides to quit, which is not expected, and he will not be welcome with any distraction to his World Cup preparations.
What are you going to do next?
If United are to keep their qualification hopes alive, they need to avoid defeat in the game against Villarreal.
United fans will approach the game with fear, given the heavy punishment they have already received by other top-three sides.
The recruitment process continues behind the scenes. Even if it's not obvious what the plan is, club insiders insist they are working on it.
