Everton vs Manchester United: Gary Neville takes aim at players for 'rancid' performance
A "furious" Gary Neville took aim at Manchester United's players after what he called a "rancid" performance in their 4-0 defeat away to Everton.
United were on the losing side for the sixth time in the last eight games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as their hopes to secure a top-four finish continue to fade.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville defended his former team-mate Solskjaer from criticism but did not hold back in his assessment of United's current crop of players.
"I'm furious," he said. "He's had to go over [to the fans] and apologise to them."
"I have often said that clubs over the last seven years, if you've got weeds in the garden then you've got to get rid of them.
"But there is some Japanese knotweed at that football club and it's attacking the foundations of the house and it needs dealing with properly."
Neville added: "I watched Manchester City yesterday who Manchester United are trying to get to in terms of the top of the Premier League, and Liverpool.
"Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva. Far better players than the ones in that Manchester United dressing room, who work twice as hard.
"Everton ran four kilometres further in the first half. Everton! And then you watch this mob out here, Liverpool who are their biggest rivals, they die for every single inch on the pitch.
"And Manchester United players, honestly it's embarrassing watching some of them out there on the pitch. I'm absolutely furious.
"I have full belief in Ole to do what he needs to do. The club will obviously support him but there is a big problem and that performance today I have to say was rancid."
Neville said that some United players' heads were "on the line", but when asked whether he was referring to Paul Pogba among others, he refused to go into specifics.
"I don't need to name names, everyone knows who they are. They are in the newspapers every single day, they are on social media every single day," he said.
"I have been, sort of, if you like over the last 12 to 18 months falling into the trap of saying: 'Oh, they have got potential, they have got talent'.
"Forget it, if they don't work hard or have not got the attitude to run around in that shirt then get rid of them.
"I am watching players out here who play for Liverpool and Man City and they're working their absolute backsides off every single week for their football club.
"And I'm watching Man United players on that football pitch walking around, saunter round, jogging back, I saw it against Barcelona the other night at the Nou Camp.
"I don't mind losing games or conceding goals and giving passes away - I was one of the best at it, giving the ball away - but do you know something?
"You do not drop below the standard of work ethic that is expected at that club - and they're falling below it."
Solskjaer lent his full support to Solskjaer, claiming that United and the players had to support their new manager, having failed to back predecessor Jose Mourinho.
"We got a little bit of a bounce when Ole came into the job and everyone was blaming Jose Mourinho: 'Oh he's a bum, he's a bad manager'
"Jose Mourinho is one of the most successful managers of the last 20 years in football - a great manager. And at the end he lost all faith in those players.
"I would imagine now, the more Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watches those players the more he will be losing faith in them because they're letting him down and they're letting the club down."
