The contrast with his time at Villa could hardly be greater.

In 46 appearances for the Premier League club, the 27-year-old scored 10 goals and registered two assists. Since joining Roma, he has scored 21 goals and provided three assists in just 25 matches.

His scoring rate has improved from one goal every 149.8 minutes at Villa to one every 96.7 minutes in Rome.

On the surface, the figures suggest two very different versions of the same player. But Roma’s success with Malen may owe as much to how he is being used as to any change in confidence or form.

The Dutchman arrived in Italy with a proven goalscoring pedigree and the data suggests Roma have found a role that maximises his attacking instincts.

While confidence and form may have played a part, a change in position appears to be a major factor behind the resurgence.

At Villa, Malen was often used across the frontline and spent only 52% of his league minutes as a central striker. At Roma, 99% of his Serie A minutes have come through the middle under manager Gian Piero Gasperini, making him the focal point of the attack and placing him where he can do the most damage.

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The stats are backed up by the eye test. After Roma’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Fenerbahce last Thursday, when Malen set up his side’s goal, French football journalist Julien Laurens told Match of the Day the Dutchman had become central to Gasperini’s plans.

“He has been incredible since January,” said Laurens.

“He has been really efficient, super clinical. Malen is at the heart of everything they do with the ball.”

His greatest sadness was for Lacey, who should have had his name in lights but instead was part of a team scuttling off the pitch to the sound of boos and harsher criticism.

“It’s a shame that Shea’s moment, such a great moment for him, for his family, his friends and the whole academy; to have an academy player come in and have a moment like that, gets a bit lost, unfortunately,” said Carrick.

“It won’t for him when things settle down but, as we sit here now, it feels that it was a long time ago.”

Carrick also addressed the JJ Gabriel situation.

“He’s a young boy, he’s 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, looking after our younger players, their welfare, their wellbeing, their exposure, we’ve got to be really conscious of that in this situation,” he explained.

But ultimately, for any manager, the assessment of their work comes through results.

“Being here toughens you up over a period of time,” he said. “It depends how you deal with it. You’ve got to deal with it in a way where you can cope with it and you can bring out the best in yourself. However you do that, with your motivation and the confidence deep within yourself to know we can win football matches.

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“We’ve gone out of the cup tonight, and the feeling around the place feels bigger than that. I’m honest enough to say that’s how it feels. But it doesn’t have to be like that. If we win football matches again, it can go in a different direction.”

Manchester United have one more game before the international break, at Fulham on Sunday.

For the general wellbeing of the club, Carrick’s team really need to win.

Speaking on Sky Sports, former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp said he wasn’t sure they will.

“Right now, they’re miles off it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how good the manager is, if you don’t have the right players it makes it really difficult.

“There’s a reason why the other managers have struggled. Sooner or later the pressure’s always going to come on.

“This weekend becomes a huge game. He doesn’t need another poor result, otherwise all of a sudden you’re going into the international break and everyone’s talking about you. The winners tonight are the players who didn’t play.”

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Leicestershire are on the brink of relegation from Division One of the County Championship after being deducted 27 points for breaching pitch regulations in their victory over Glamorgan in August.

The points penalty imposed by the independent Cricket Discipline Panel (CDP) midway through their penultimate match of the season meant the Foxes have dropped to the bottom of the table.

In his interview with the Cricket Regulator before the tribunal hearing, Leicestershire’s head groundsman Callum Lewin said there were “circumstances leading up to the game that were just out of my control”.

They included an “unscheduled Bollywood filming event” taking place at Uptonsteel Grace Road four days before the start of the match, while Lewin also referenced the exceptionally hot weather in the build-up as another possible reason for the pitch being dry.

The pitch was rated as “poor” in the match referee’s report.

Leicestershire’s punishment consists of the loss of all 19 points earned in the win over Glamorgan, an extra eight-point penalty and a £5,000 fine. A further eight-point deduction has been suspended for a year.

They can appeal the sanction within 10 working days.

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In a statement,, external the club said it “notes the Cricket Discipline Panel’s decision” and was “reviewing its position and considering all available options”.

If the Foxes fail to beat Hampshire in their ongoing home game, their return to Division Two will be confirmed.

But they face a tough task to do so after Hampshire closed day two on 255-3 in their second innings – a lead of 225.

Just above the relegation places, the survival chances of both Glamorgan and Essex have been increased by Leicestershire’s loss of points.

The Foxes’ battle to avoid the drop in their first season back in Division One after a 22-year exile had been boosted by the 42-run win over Glamorgan three weeks earlier.

Before that, they had won just one match on their top-flight return after winning promotion as Division Two title winners last season.