The former Manchester United coach had some choice words for his old club as Michael Carrick's torment continues

Phil Neville insists Manchester United have been a "circus" behind the scenes since the tenure of David Moyes. Neville was on the former Everton boss' backroom staff when he replaced Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

And the former defender has explained the grim reality of dealing with the United hierarchy - including the manager not being able to pick his own signings, along with other issues which still rear their head to this day.

"Sir Alex Ferguson left and I was part of the coaching staff with David Moyes. And what I witnessed going back, having been part of the club through the glory years, I witnessed a different type of club," he said on CBS Sports Golazo.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was seeing that the focus wasn't on the football pitch. I was seeing that the manager didn't have the final say. I was seeing that the manager couldn't pick signings. The signings were based on how famous they were, how many followers they had and how much sponsorship they could make. I was shocked. I hated it. I really did.

"What I experienced in the 10 months with David Moyes is no different from what Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Ruben Amorim, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Michael Carrick are experiencing. The club needs sorting out from top to bottom."

United remain in turmoil with manager Michael Carrick's future in doubt and fans readying the pitchforks.

United are 20-time English champions and have won 13 Premier League titles, which is, coincidentally, the number of years it has been since they last claimed the crown. Following Ferguson's departure, the odd trophy has been won, but overall, things have been rather bleak.

On why United were so successful before Ferguson's exit, Neville added: "They had a manager in Sir Alex Ferguson and a CEO in David Gill who was disciplined. The manager was disciplined. They ran the club from top to bottom. Whatever they said, it happened.

"The year after, a new CEO and a new manager… It just became a circus and that manager lost control. You look at some other clubs and say, 'From top to bottom, there is alignment.' I don't think that happens at Manchester United."

No manager has lasted more than three years at the wheel and Carrick, who was given the job in May following a successful interim period, produced a miracle to finish third last season. However, the promise shown in the previous campaign has not carried over to this one.

So far, United have won just a single Premier League game, been ousted from the Carabao Cup and were torn to shreds 4-1 by Como in the Champions League. A 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday seemed to have Carrick destined for the gallows, but for the time being, he's been handed a stay of execution.

Dysfunction is rife at Old Trafford, with Carrick on thin ice, captain Bruno Fernandes caught up in a spat and fans once again demanding that the club be sold. But Neville says this instability has been present for over a decade.

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Neville, brother of Gary, made 386 appearances for United as a player between 1994 and 2005. The full-back won 14 major trophies during this time, including six league titles. He signed for Everton in 2005, where he played under Moyes. When Neville retired in 2013, Moyes headed to United to replace Ferguson and the ex-United defender followed as a member of the backroom team.

But Moyes lasted just 10 months in the job and Neville stayed until the end of the season, helping interim player-manager Ryan Giggs.