Manchester United are “missing players with identities”, according to Paul Parker, who says the Red Devils have become a “buy buy” club in recent years.
United have endured a nightmare start to the 2020-21 campaign, slipping to 16th in the Premier League standings after just three fixtures.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen his side lose at home to both Crystal Palace and Tottenham, with a fortuitous win against Brighton wedged in between, which has already left them playing catch up.
The Norwegian boss has been backed to the tune of over £200 million ($260m) since inheriting the managerial reigns at Old Trafford, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek added to the squad.
However, the Red Devils are still a long way behind the elite clubs on both domestic and European stages, with there little sign of a frustrating transitional period coming to an end any time soon.
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United’s 6-1 loss to Spurs heaped more pressure on Solskjaer amid fresh calls for Mauricio Pochettino to be drafted in, but Parker thinks the players should take most of the blame, with Fernandes considered to be the only man showing some pride.
“You look at those results and the players have lost their way now, you can see it,” The former Red Devils defender told talkSPORT.
“You cannot forgive them for that, because you are looking for them to add that little bit of self-motivation and pride.
“That bit of pride to say: ‘we are not going to go on and concede that many’.
“There should have been a lot more fight – football has changed, there was a lot more self-motivated players in my time than there is now.
“United are missing players with identities, who have come into the club from places where they have had to dig deep and they have come in looking to achieve and win things.
“When you look at someone like Bruno Fernandes, he wants to prove a point – he has come from a massive club, a very famous club in Portugal, and has come to United looking to prove himself again, and you cannot knock that.”
Parker added on the lack of character within Solskjaer’s squad: “Maybe some of the players they are getting in, a few of them are content, happy to be there, and think that it is an easy ride.
“At this moment in time, I am looking at Manchester United, and they have become a ‘buy buy’ club. However, a lot of the work has to be done on the training field, but with the right people.
“You have to voice an opinion at individuals, I am going to turn around and tell them the home truth, maybe at half-time or after a game.
“How are you going to deal with that? Are you going to sulk, blank me and go to talk to your agent?
“Or are you going to have the character to accept what you have or have not done, then go out and prove me wrong in the second half or in the next game?”