Off-the-track United won’t sack Solskjaer - Neville

Following a rather stabilized week coming to the derby,

and

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

are facing criticism as they are nine points adrift of Chelsea on top of the table.

Gary Neville

revealed his opinion on the United’s managerial problem and their plan for the future.

Neville is certain that the players are trying their best but he is concerned about the three games that will come after the international break, describing the Red Devils as a “train off the track”.

"I think these players care. I want to make that point; there were times a few years ago where I left Old Trafford thinking: 'Are these players really with us?' But with these players, I don't think it's a lack of effort or willingness or want. I think those players want to do well, and want to be at Manchester United, every single one of them. But they look like they are suffering badly at this moment in time.

"I think the club will put Saturday down to Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, and believe that this could happen to any team in any season.

"They've got Watford away, Villarreal away and then Chelsea away. That's a horrid, horrid week. This is not going to get any easier in the short term.

"The social media noise is different to the noise in the stadium. They were shouting against Nuno in the Spurs stadium last week; that won't happen here with Ole at Old Trafford. We didn't hear that with Jose, with Van Gaal, with Moyes, or even with Ron Atkinson 35 years ago. The fans here don't do that, they are respectful of the situation, but this is a train off the track at the moment.

"Last season, people said second in the league is progression, it's now not progression. That has to change very quickly. Against big teams, they look desperately short, and they shouldn't. That's where the manager comes under enormous pressure, and questions are asked, and on social media the pressure will be hot, but the contingent on social media are very different to the fans in the stadium itself.

"The contingent on social media don't have the sympathy, the empathy, the compassion that the fans in the stadium have. But the fans walked out towards the end of Saturday's game, because they knew it wasn't right.

"The club have not prepared for this, not prepared for a new manager, they didn't expect it, they thought everything was sort of plain sailing along.

"They've planned around a structure of way of working in the last two or three years that they're not going to veer away from, but in this moment in time they're going to have to put their helmets on if they're going to defend it.

"Because the reality of it is it's nowhere near good enough and you can't defend it. They've only played a couple decent sides in Tottenham, Liverpool and City. They should have already had plenty of points in the bank to deal with that. It's unacceptable with this squad."

The loss against Manchester City was demoralizing, according to Neville and the opponents were toying with them during the second half.

"At the end of the game there was a consensus as to where Man City are and where Man Utd are, and it's not where anyone expected Man Utd to be at the start of this season.

"They came second last year, third the year before. This was the year, especially adding Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, where Man Utd were going to get closer.

"It's difficult to summarise the game other than to say that against Liverpool it was smash, bang, wallop. But this was like a general anesthetic - City put United to sleep. For the last half an hour, City toyed with United and made them look really ordinary. It was demoralising.

"I'm a Man Utd fan, and you marvel at the exceptional quality and discipline of City. The discipline of Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus to stay in their position; there's a method to it which is clinical and ruthless. That was a brutal second half, even though they didn't score.

"That was like 12 rounds of real pain, like when Tyson Fury says he wants the other boxer to feel the pain for 12 rounds of three minutes, not to knock them out but to toy with them. That's how it felt. It's a brilliant team, and it's a sobering day for United.

"We saw what this City time were like at Anfield, and at Stamford Bridge. They're not going to come here to Old Trafford and panic, especially on a big pitch that's like a carpet. They're going to come here and rub their stomachs, imagining what they're about to eat, it's delicious!

"City did what they do, and United had no answers for it, and those lack of answers are the most disturbing thing. What City delivered is what we expected.

"It was demoralising to the point that it gives you a headache watching it. You can lose football matches, but I always feel Manchester United have to lose football matches in a certain way. They've lost against Liverpool and City in poor ways. They've not left a glove on City. On Saturday, it felt like Manchester United just got into their shape and that was enough."

However, Neville does not understand why United won’t sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and that Antonio Conte was never an option. He believes the supporters are getting confused as to what the club plans for the future.

"The club aren't going to do anything here. Getting Antonio Conte was never, ever going to happen. The hierarchy were never going to appoint him, as great a manager as he is.

"The plan all season has been to stick with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until the end of the season, and that's where I'm at, even after Saturday.

"But it's tough going. Being that far behind the top with 11 games gone, that can't happen. He's progressed from sixth to third to second, and should have won the Europa League final against Villarreal. I hark back to that because when you lose finals, it has a real impact on players.

"If you win it, the medal around your neck, you get used to winning. Going out of the Carabao Cup to West Ham - it's a big problem. That can't happen, it's a trophy you can win. The league has almost gone, the Champions League is a long shot because of the quality of teams. The FA Cup and Carabao Cup cannot be dismissed, and going out to West Ham was a really bad situation for the club to be in.

"I think the fans left this stadium on Saturday tired and drained from what they've seen. Thinking: 'Where are we on our journey as a club?'"

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