"Getting that bad" - Gary Neville comments on 'long-lasting damage' recent run will have on Manchester United players and the decision Erik ten Hag will need to make

Manchester United's situation got even worse as Liverpool hammered them 4-0 in the Premier League on Tuesday, dealing them a big blow in the top-four race. Former Red Devils defender Gary Neville believes the rate at which Ralf Rangnick's men are suffering heavy defeats will have a long-lasting effect on the team.

During the clash with Liverpool, Manchester United's players were nowhere near the level of their opponents and were made to suffer for 90 minutes. Gary Neville couldn't help but point out the lack of confidence and belief demonstrated by the team in recent games.

He told Sky Sports:

"The players have completely lost their confidence and belief. They don't want to play football for Manchester United at this moment in time. That's not that they don't want to play football for the club - they don't want to play football. They want the season to finish."

The former Red Devils defender then warned that newly appointed manager Erik ten Hag will need to recover the team from the psychological impact of their recent heavy defeats.

He said:

"I want to be careful in saying there's long-lasting damage but the mental impact of what's happening at the club in this moment in time, with the types of defeats they're suffering, the type of criticism they're getting, the fans booing them."

"That's going to have long-lasting impact on some of those lads to the point where Ten Hag will have to make a decision whether he can recover it - and with some of them he may not be able to. It's getting that bad."

"There's a big job to do in many different aspects. The first job is to decide who he wants to keep that's currently there and then he's got to decide who he wants to get in with him to make sure that confidence, that belief, that spirit in the dressing room can start to rise," finished Neville.

Can Manchester United finish in the top-four zone of the table this season?

Manchester United's remaining Premier League fixtures this season

The Red Devils have already played 33 games in the Premier League this season, meaning they have just five matches left to be played. Up next, they have a very important clash with Arsenal scheduled for Saturday (23 April), followed by another huge match against Chelsea coming up next week on Thursday.

After the two games, Ralf Rangnick's men will face Brentford, Brighton and Crystal Palace in their last three league games of the campaign. It remains to be seen how they'll fare in the encounters.