Patrice Evra fears Manchester United will regress to their old ways unless players take long, hard looks at themselves in the wake of last weekend's derby drubbing.
The Red Devils were thrashed 6-3 by Manchester City on Sunday, bringing an abrupt end to their four-game winning streak in the Premier League. Erik ten Hag and his players had appeared to turn a corner after their back-to-back defeats at the start of the season, but City's dominant performance served as a reminder that United are still some way off the pace of the league's elite.
Old Trafford hero Evra was magnanimous in defeat, admitting Pep Guardiola's side were able to "completely dominate" proceedings at the Etihad Stadium. However, the former France left-back also accused United players of being "scared" and warned they must "be honest" with themselves to bounce back from the crushing defeat.
"To move on, the players have to be honest," Evra told Betfair. "The players have to be honest with themselves, their teammates, the manager and say they were scared and they bottled it. They didn't believe in the plan and they should admit it. Afterwards, the manager will know which players he can go to war with again.
The former Juventus star, 41, added: "If nobody is honest with themselves after this game, we are in big trouble. If they start to find excuses, I'll be worried that we'll be right back to where we were at the start of the season. It's all about honesty. We are fighting for the top four, but we will have to fight for every ball.
"United can't look at themselves as beautiful. Maybe they were too confident before the game. This team has to play under pressure with their backs up against the wall. When they have that pressure, that's when everyone performs well."
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United have the ideal chance to return to winning ways as they take on Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday evening. The Cypriot minnows, who are managed by former Celtic boss Neil Lennon, lost their opening two group-stage games to Sheriff Tiraspol and Real Sociedad.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, were also defeated by Spanish side Real Sociedad but defeated Moldovan club Sheriff in their last continental outing. Ahead of the Group E encounter, Ten Hag spoke of how he was tasking his players with taking responsibility so they can "control" matches.
"In all the games, we want to dominate, to dictate and at least control the game," the Dutchman told club media. "So, that is for every game, that is our approach and that will not change."
