Manchester United’s shocking current flaws were exposed in a no-holds-barred episode of the Mail Sport podcast It’s All Kicking Off.

United’s defeat at Newcastle on Saturday night was their sixth in a wretched Premier League season, leaving Erik Ten Hag’s squad in seventh place. United have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and will be eliminated from the Champions League.

United’s boss struggled and once again failed to get a performance out of Marcus Rashford at St James’ Park, while striker Anthony Martial was taken off after an hour. They were not the only ones to blame. Tomorrow night, they face Chelsea at Old Trafford, with the home crowd threatening to mutiny once more.

Former Premier League winner Chris Sutton told IAKO co-host Ian Ladyman: ‘This is considerably greater than Ten Hag. He has players in that locker room who, in my opinion, are snakes.

‘Players who do not run. Bruno Fernandes will not be running. Marcus Rashford will not be running. Anthony Martial will not be running. Why are they such good players?

Erik ten Hag is under increasing pressure following Manchester United’s dreary 1-0 loss to Newcastle.

Bruno Fernandes (right) and Anthony Martial (left) have been chastised for putting in too little effort.

‘I’m not sure what position Bruno Fernandes plays. However, Bruno is the captain. Would they be permitting what happens on the pitch if Roy Keane, Steve Bruce, or Bryan Robson were captains of that team?

‘It is the manager who carries the can but would they allow players not to run back and not pull their weight?

‘I can picture the Newcastle players in the locker room before the game. I image them having to be held in before bursting and exploding. That’s how I expect Eddie Howe’s locker room to be.

‘Then there’s Manchester United and their dressing room, which is just full of prima donnas.’

Ladyman, Mail Sport’s Football Editor, compared Ten Hag’s players to ‘teenagers who don’t want to get out of bed,’ looking for reference back to the days of interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who managed the squad for six months after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked two years ago.

‘Rangnick knew he’d only be there for a few months, so every Friday at his press conference he’d be firing bullets because he knew he’d be gone in a few months and didn’t care who got caught in the crossfire,’ Ladyman explained.

Newcastle’s players have been praised for their efforts despite an injury issue.

Marcus Rashford (right) has been a ghost of his former self this season and appears befuddled.

Harry Maguire, who had barely featured earlier in the season, is now one of Ten Hag’s trusted men.

‘He stated that the United squad need open heart surgery. Everyone exclaimed. How could he say such a thing?

‘Well, they’ve got that surgery in terms of acquiring players now. Players have left, and new ones have entered. Ten Hag has made a purchase.

‘But what Manchester United still lacks is a soul and a heartbeat, and I believe that is the problem. Ten Hag juggles it, changes players and positions, and people come in to form like Harry Maguire has, and while they have the odd nice result, he hasn’t found the soul of that squad.

‘I’m curious if it has one. And if it hasn’t, he’s screwed because you can’t thrive and survive in the Premier League without courage, energy, life, belief, unity, and an attitude that says, “I’ll show everybody else who I am and who we are.”

‘If you don’t have that, whether you’re Burnley in the bottom or Arsenal at the top, you’re screwed. And the more I watch United, the more I see that the problem persists.

Rashford was substituted early against Newcastle following another poor attacking performance.

Former Red Devils interim manager Ralf Rangnick (center) stated that United required “open heart surgery.” 

‘And what will kill Man United fans – long-serving Man United fans raised on a diet of ‘Glory Glory Man United’ and ‘Attack! Attack! Attack!’ – is that we are in the middle of this incredible Premier League season – that some say is the best ever – with teams like Tottenham and Brighton and Villa and Brentford and even teams punching up at the bottom like Wolves, and stuck in the middle of it like that bit of gnarly

‘What would their contribution be if you put together a highlights reel of the season with all the drama and excitement? Brentford scored two late goals at home.

‘United fans can live with not being league leaders. They are not illiterate. Nobody can be number one every year. But they can’t stand viewing c**p, and that’s the issue. They can’t stand watching c**p and they can’t stand being bored, which is one of the problems. This has been going on for ten years.’

United entered Saturday’s encounter as the form team in the Premier League, having won five of their previous six games. Even yet, Sutton, who won the Golden Boot with Blackburn in 1998, described watching Ten Hag’s team as “like eating cold porridge.”

‘Isn’t it like Oliver Twist’s gruel?’ he asked IAKO.

‘They have enormous problems. Name a team they’ve beaten in the top half of the table this season. There isn’t one, so you can’t. That is the entire point.

‘We’ve reached a point where even Manchester United fans are doubting them. They’ve been on a roll, defeating some mediocre opponents.

‘When you look at Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, you see an identity, a type of football, and players running. Players are busting a gut. Newcastle is injured, but the players are giving it their all. They are generous.

‘Let us strive to strike a balance. Ten Hag may have overachieved last season, but they are as bad as a rusty window frame this season. You can paint over it to make it look nicer and get you through the winter, but it’s rotting below.’

Roy Keane chastised Manchester United for their poor away record against the top nine teams.

Ten Hag and his assistant, Steve McClaren, are perplexed as Man United’s players struggle.

No matter how much Ten Hag alters things, choosing for tried-and-tested recruits from past teams such as Antony (above) or long-term United talents like as Rashford, there is still no soul.

Ten Hag hinted at concerns with Martial during Saturday’s game, while Rashford has scored two league goals this season, the second of which was a penalty, after contributing 17 the previous season.

‘The fact Anthony Martial has played more than 300 times for Manchester United sums up the team’s lack of quality,’ Ladyman continued.

‘I’m not sure what Ten Hag is doing now. He acquires a good character, such as Mason Mount, but he is unable to join the squad due to injuries. So he strives to acquire some qualities, both in terms of football and as an individual.

‘However, he is unable to join the team. ‘It’s Groundhog Day here.’