Alan Shearer echoes Gary Neville’s ‘whinge-bag’ comment after Manchester United’s win against Aston Villa

Alan Shearer has echoed Gary Neville’s recent criticism about the attitude of the Manchester United squad, following their 1-0 FA Cup win over Aston Villa on Monday night.

The Red Devils managed to squeeze through to the fourth round despite a largely poor display, with Scott McTominay heading in the only goal of the game in the eighth minute.

United’s players looked uninspired and lacked energy, and there have been numerous recent reports of a divisive split within the Red Devils’ dressing room.

After the game, pundit Shearer was critical of hosts’ display at Old Trafford when speaking in the studio.

What did Alan Shearer say after United’s match against Villa?

Shearer said to BBC Sport: “When you look at the body language of some of those players, I don’t want to single out Marcus Rashford because he’s low on confidence.

“But I just think everything looks like a huge effort for him at this moment in time, there’s no spark there, he looks very flat.

“He started off the first five or 10 minutes and I thought here we go he’s back to his best by giving Man United a little bit of width and had a little bit of spark about him.

“But there was once in the first half and again in the second half when Greenwood cuts in from the right-hand side and he just stands still.

“Man United - all I can say is they’re through. It wasn’t a good performance, poor again, second best for large parts of that second half.”

What did Gary Neville say?

Despite losing just one game so far under the interim manager, Ralf Rangnick, the Red Devils have been underwhelming on the pitch and the former Manchester United and England defender has gone so far as to call them “whinge-bags.”

After United’s draw with Newcastle at St James’ Park in December, Neville said during Sky Sports’ post-match coverage: “They’re a bunch of whinge-bags. Watch them on that pitch. I’ll not go into names, but they are whinging at each other, arms up in the air complaining about everything.

“Honestly they were absolutely shocking in that first half. They got the last manager the sack. Ralf Rangnick is not going to get the sack.”