Gary Neville has said he has no time for some Manchester United players he considers unprofessional, suggesting he knows some Red Devils stars are not living appropriate lifestyles.
United have endured a terrible start to the season, with a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday stretching a winless run to eight games. Michael Carrick's team sits 16th in the Premier League table with just one top-flight win in eight games and 13 goals conceded.
Neville points finger at players
It is widely expected that the manager will lose his job imminently, and Neville accepts that Carrick has not managed to get the best out of his players. However, the former United and England full-back is pointing the finger at those players rather than the boss, particularly critical of some who he says are not living like professional sportsmen.
He also feels that the fact that captain Bruno Fernandes openly criticised the manager in midweek after defeat to Como means that the dressing room atmosphere will be 'horrific'. Fernandes was dropped to the bench on Sunday after his outburst.
'They're nothing, some of those players'
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: 'Michael Carrick, a brilliant man, a man of integrity, of credibility, of decency, of professionalism, of high quality football consistency and reliability – everything that group of players in that dressing room aren't – is going to suffer for it, because he's not been able to deliver.'
'It's been too much for him in these last few months and he's not been able to get a tune out of them and they've turned on him.'
'I know that because if Bruno's turning on him publicly with that little statement, imagine what they're like behind the scenes, if that's your captain saying that, imagine what they're saying in the dressing room behind closed doors when no one's listening. That's horrific.'
'And there's a few of them who aren't that professional. There's a couple of them…I live in Manchester, they're not that professional, some of them. So I've got no time for them.'
'There's a few of them who don't go to bed at the right time, don't eat the right things, don't think about Manchester United every single minute of every single day.'
'That are not living and breathing this football club as they should be, like professionals.'
'Why? Why? Because it's gone to their heads. But they still walk around like they're king. They're not. They're nothing, some of those players.'
Carrick accepts responsibility
Carrick has accepted responsibility for the dreadful run of results, telling a post-match press conference on Sunday: 'I take the responsibility of course, I take responsibility, I've said that, I accept the responsibility, whatever's going to happen results-wise, whether we win, we lose, draw, whatever happens, through the whole football club I'm in this position because I respect the position that I'm in, the responsibility is mine, what else can I say really right now.'
