'Desperate situation' - Gary Neville delivers brutal assessment of Man Utd squad after Newcastle humbling as pundit backhandedly insists players ARE 'giving their all'

United are heading for their worst-ever Premier League season, as they have been struggling for form ever since the campaign began, and even Amorim's introduction in December has not helped. On Sunday, the Red Devils suffered a 4-1 loss to Newcastle, with Harvey Barnes scoring a brace sandwiched between goals from Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. Neville didn't seem to be surprised by what he saw.

Speaking on NBC Sports, Neville said: “They're not a very good team. Simple as that. The problem with this group of players is they're giving it their all. I don’t think there’s a lack of effort. They’re so below the standard and quality you need at that football club all over the pitch. Other than Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo maybe, I can’t think of any of them I would hang my hat on.

“It’s a really desperate situation because the squad is so poor on quality. They've got old players, they've got young players who are nowhere near it, they have a group in the middle… It’s a worrying situation.”

Neville also questioned Amorim's tactical setup since he joined United, as the Portuguese coach has been deploying a three-man defence with uber-offensive wing-backs. However, the approach has not worked so far.

The United legend added: "The system is a problem. I have asked this question for two months. Who are the natural wing-backs, players good enough going forwards who have great energy and players good enough going back? Who are these two players they play behind the striker?

“They need a centre-forward to carry the line - who is that player that is available who would go to Man Utd? There are seven or eight teams at the top of the league who need a striker. You aren’t going to Man Utd ahead of Liverpool or Arsenal. There are massive issues.

“Honestly, you don’t know where to start or build the first step from. There’s a serious amount of time required and good recruitment for that club to get right.”

If reports are to be believed, United are planning a fire sale this summer in order to raise a transfer budget of close to £200 million ($260m) for Amorim to bring his preferred players into the squad. However, until then, the current group will have to pull up their socks to at least try to challenge for the Europa League.