Manchester United were dismantled by Liverpool at Old Trafford, losing 5-0 to Jurgen Klopp's men and Gary Neville has described the performance as an "absolute shocker."
The former United defender and Sky Sports pundit could scarcely believe the scenes that unfolded as United were torn to shreds by a rampant Liverpool front line as Mohamed Salah notched a hattrick during the rout.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, Neville said that a result as bad as that could not have come at a worse time.
🗣 "There's no excuse for those Manchester United players on that pitch." @GNev2 says the Manchester United team need to get to work again on Monday morning pic.twitter.com/0FXdcQMq7i
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 24, 2021
"It has been building now for a few weeks against what I have called half-decent teams," Neville said.
"As soon as they have played a proper team they have been obliterated, pulled to pieces, dismantled and I did not think they would play like that today.
"I thought they would flip a switch but you cannot flip a switch in football. That group of Manchester United players get outrun. They are one of the lowest running teams in the league.
"There is nothing worse than being told you are one of the lowest running teams in the league and you are easy to play against. They are both and that is a poor reflection upon the manager, the staff and the players."
(AP Photo/Rui Vieira)Mohamed Salah, who has been in the form of his life in recent weeks, was instrumental throughout the game and his assist that led Naby Keita's opener set the wheels in motion for a dismal day for United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Diogo Jota added another for Liverpool before Salah added three more to compound the misery for United supporters.
United were carved open at will for the second week in a row in the Premier League and Neville struggled to explain the efforts of the players who struggled to press the ball with any intensity or cohesion.
"In the first half [today] there was a mixture of sitting back in their shape and looking like they are trying to be behind the ball," Neville continued.
The next breath you would see a mad little jog, not a sprint by the way, from Mason Greenwood toward Virgil van Dijk.
"Then you see Aaron Wan Bissaka ambling toward Andy Robertson. He gets passed behind to Jota and Victor Lindelof is trying to get across and it is all too late.
"That is a pattern. It is inherent in Manchester United. They have got no structure to press from along with the fact that they don't run as hard as the other teams and they are easy to play against."
Picture date: Sunday October 24, 2021.What this means for the future of the United manager remains to be seen. In his post-match interview, Solskjaer insisted that the group had come too far to give up at this point, regardless of how dark of an hour this moment was for the club.
Manchester United have yet to lift a trophy under Solskjaer's watch and Neville believes they are way off their contemporaries at the top end of the Premier League.
"I do not think they are close to winning the league. I do not think they are close to winning the Champions League.
"I do not think they are close to Liverpool, Manchester City or Chelsea at the moment. It is painful watching that interview.
"If you lose a game against Liverpool 5-0 at home, you are going to come under horrific pressure."
🗣 "The clubs different today, I think the club will hold their nerve, I don't think they've planned for a new manager in this season."@GNev2 doesn't expect Manchester United to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool pic.twitter.com/4rXmki3v9s
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 24, 2021
Although acknowledging Solskjaer will receive severe criticism for the performance, Neville feels the club will stick with the manager for the present time.
"The club is different today," Neville said.
"If this was in the immediate post-Alex Ferguson aftermath, Ole would be in massive trouble tonight. I think the club will hold their nerve.
"I do not think they have planned for a new manager this season. I think they will get to the end of the season, they will stick with Ole until the end of the season."
Where Manchester United will be by that time is anyone's guess.
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