Neville calls for Woodward to go

Gary Neville says the state of Manchester United's squad is "unforgiveable" given the spending levels at Old Trafford and has called for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward to go.

United lost to arch-rivals Liverpool on Sunday, a defeat far more convincing than the 2-0 result suggests, and are now 30 points adrift of the runaway leaders, who are closing in on their first top-flight title in 30 years.

Neville, who won eight Premier League titles during United's reign of dominance under Alex Ferguson, is dismayed and angry at the club's slump and believes now is the time for the Glazer family, who own the club, to act.

He told the Gary Neville podcast: "I can’t believe the investment that’s been put into the squad in the last five, six, seven years and you end up with that out on the pitch.

"I saw a statistic two weeks ago that United have the second-highest wage bill in the world. And that’s the squad they’ve got. It’s unforgivable, it really is. I can’t change the ownership of United, no one can. I’m struggling to understand why the ownership have persisted in trusting that management team to oversee the building of a Premier League title winning team since Sir Alex left. If you don’t lose your job for essentially overseeing that investment, that wage bill, and putting that team out on the pitch then I have to say something is really wrong. There’s real talent in that executive team but in terms of what the club needed to do for a number of years, it's put the best in class football operators into that club and they’re not doing it. They’re not doing it and it’s a mess."

United are still operating without a director of football while doubts persist over the suitability of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

A long-term plan is required but Neville is not convinced the club have the personnel to carry it out.

He added: "Somewhere in the background at United someone has to be plotting the downfall of Liverpool and getting back above them.

"That’s going to take wise, smart, good people, and I’m not sure they’re there."