Manchester United are in a world of trouble right now as Michael Carrick aims to turn things around against Chelsea on Saturday night

During Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Manchester United, the club became a domestic and European giant, winning 38 trophies during his 26-year tenure.

Since his departure in 2013, the club have won just five more - seven if you include the FA Community Shield - and have cycled through seven managers to date, as well as five caretaker bosses. The drop-off in success has been vast but what is more concerning is the lack of stability over the last 13 years.

Members of United's 'golden generation' have consistently commented on the state of the Reds over the years. Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville collected a combined 79 winners' medals during their time at Old Trafford and know what is expected at the club.

The former players have repeatedly made their views clear on United's decline, including making secret visits and even sending threats over the current culture within the club.

Here, Manchester Evening News have detailed some of these former stars' biggest criticisms of United.

Keane's secret visit

Keane made a secret visit back to Carrington in 2020, during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time in the hot seat at United, and was left fuming by what he found. The ex-United captain hadn't been back at the club since he left in 2005 after falling out with Sir Alex - but he put his personal feelings aside to help his ex-teammate show what United really means to its players.

The former Ireland international appeared to discuss creating and maintaining high standards, cultivating a strong mindset and dedicating everything to the team and cause with players. However, one player's attitude left him furious as he claimed the squad would eventually get Solskjaer sacked.

One insider source told the Mirror: "As you’d imagine Roy has strong views on what it takes to be a proper United player and he gave it them straight. He wasn’t impressed with one player who didn’t seem to be all that interested and looked as if he’d rather be somewhere else. But for the majority it was a fascinating snapshot into the hunger and desire that drove Roy during his time at the club."

At the time, Keane was adamant that Solskjaer would lose his job due to the squad. He said: "We were building up this season as make-or-break for Ole, but at this moment in time it’s not looking good. I scratch my head at players who don’t have enthusiasm for a game of football.

"Sometimes you say, ‘There’s no reason to panic.' But the results and performances suggest you should be panicking. Ole will lose his job working with these players – that’s what is going to happen."

Keane would eventually be right as Solskjaer would be sacked in November 2021, to be replaced temporarily by current manager Michael Carrick.

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Rooney's threat

After United's recent 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, Wayne Rooney admitted he would love to storm into the dressing room and "put a f****** firework up their a****." The ex-midfielder's impassioned rant came on the Stick to United podcast as he compared his desire to play for the club to the current squad's lack of commitment.

Rooney exclaimed: "The players haven't got a leg to stand on. What's not fair is the performances they're giving. I looked at the fans, you could see the pain and anger in their faces when them players are walking around the football pitch. You see Martinez when Rayan ran round him, they're not getting to the ball, it's so frustrating.

"I could score a goal, had ability or whatever, at least I f****** ran and put myself about as a team. These players are not doing that. I'd love to go in that dressing room, walk in that dressing room and say, 'what the f*** are use all doing?' What type of performances do you think this is? Do you think you deserve to wear the shirt? Put a f****** firework up their a**** because they're not doing anything.

"We're seeing players who are numb, look like they've got no emotion, look like they don't care, some of them might care, some good lads who are getting dragged down. It's so frustrating to watch."

Rooney went on to claim that Carrick's team are a "million miles" away from the winning United squads of the past, stating that they are now a mid-table team at best. He said: "We're not that Manchester United, look a million miles from the previous winning teams, the fundamentals of the game still have to be there.

"It's at best a mid-table team but if you look at all the mid-table teams, what do they get? They get players working hard, running, tackling and I keep saying it, going back to the basics. These players think they're better than what they are. Unfortunately, what happened when Michael Carrick came in at the start is that it's gave them players and the board false hope that they are get enough.

"He's done well, stuck together, managed somehow to finish third, then the board are thinking, 'we're a top four team' when in reality they're miles away from it."

'Disgusted' Gary Neville calls out standards

Gary Neville is another ex-United star who has never minced his words about his disappointment with the current state of the club. Over the years, the Sky Sports pundit has laid into his former side and recently stated there are players who simply don't "live and breathe" United.

During his podcast reacting to the Bournemouth loss, Neville said: "They've teased him, haven't they? They've conned him for a few months. They have, they've conned him. Honestly, he would never say this publicly because he's got class. I can say it for him though. He'll look at those players with disgust. Some of them, he'll be disgusted with some of those players.

"A few of them aren't that professional. I live in Manchester. Some of them aren't that professional. So I've got no time for them. There's a few of them that don't go to bed at the right time, don't eat the right things, don't think about Manchester United every single minute of every day, and aren't living and breathing this football club as they should be - and as professionals should.

"Why? Because it's gone to their heads. They are nothing, some of those players."

Scholes slams transfer ambitions

Paul Scholes has hit out at United alongside his former teammates, specifically calling out the club's transfer ambitions and their lack of direction in the market. Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, the former midfielder slammed the summer signings and believes his old side are a "million miles away" from challenging for the Premier League.

Scholes said: "It feels quite sad to say this but Man United are a club now that are not trying to win the league with recruitment. Santos, Baleba, they've brought players in that physically they may be better.

"Santos played 11 games for Chelsea, they paid £50million for him. But he's not getting into the team... I think they're a million miles away."

Phil Neville's 'plagued' comments

Even Phil Neville has weighed in on United, claiming the entire club "became a real circus" immediately after Ferguson left. During a segment on CBS Sports Golazo discussing how to 'fix' the club, the ex-defender slammed the entire handling of United from 2013 onwards and believes there is no "alignment" at Old Trafford.

He explained: "Sir Alex Ferguson left and I was part of the coaching staff with David Moyes and what I witnessed going back from obviously being part of the club for the glory years, the years where we were successful, then going back with David Moyes, I witnessed a different type of club. A club that [changed quickly]. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I was seeing the focus wasn't on the football pitch.

"I was seeing where the manager didn't have the final say. I was seeing where the manager couldn't pick signings. The signings were based more purely on how famous they were, how many followers they had, how much sponsorship they could make. It was, I was shocked.

"I hated it, I really did and I think what I experienced in the 10 months with David Moyes is no different to what Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Ruben Amorim, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Michael Carrick is facing. The club needs sorting from top to bottom."

When asked what exactly changed, Neville added: "They had a manager in Sir Alex Ferguson, they had a CEO in David Gill, who was disciplined. The manager was disciplined, they run the club. I know they had the Glazers in at the time, the supporters have never been happy with the Glazers but they run the club from top to bottom.

"Whatever they said, it happened. The year after, new CEO, new manager and all of a sudden, I just felt it just became a circus. It just became a real circus where the manager lost control of actually what it was about.

"You look at the best clubs in Europe, best clubs in world football, who would you say are the best run clubs? PSG, Brighton, Aston Villa, Arsenal, they're just a few where you say right, from top to bottom, there's alignment. I don't think that happens at Man United."