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Manchester United legend Gary Neville is adamant that the club’s players need to take responsibility for their poor performances that have led to the departure of manager David Moyes, report Sky Sports.
The Scot was sacked earlier today less than a year after signing a six year contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson, with the Red Devils set to finish with their lowest points total in the Premier League era and miss out on European football.
However, Neville is keen to point the finger at the players who have failed to perform for their new manager throughout the campaign rather than solely blame Moyes for the club’s dramatic decline.
“The players have to take massive responsibility. They’re the ones out on the football pitch. I never once during my 17, 18 year career at United turned around after a game and thought ‘you lost us that game, boss’.
“It’s always the players. Players have to take responsibility and accountability in football but the fact of the matter is you don’t go and sack 24 players,” he insisted to Sky Sports.
Few predicted last season’s Champions could slip to seventh place in the table at the start of the campaign and Neville believes that a loss of confidence has contributed to their collective downfall.
“Those players are not as bad as they’ve been showing. They’ve got great care for United, they love the club – the ones I know – they’re desperate to do well for the club but they’ve completely lost confidence and belief. That’s ultimately what’s cost David Moyes.
“These were players that were champions nine months ago and the decline has been surprising to say the least. To go from first to third or fourth may be acceptable in a transition season but to go to seventh…
“And I have to say watching them at Goodison Park on Sunday and against Liverpool three weeks ago, they were just absolutely flat, there was nothing in them. And to me that’s the last thing that can happen as a United player,” Neville declared.
Manchester United’s Premier League record in 2014 is P15 W7 D2 L6.
