Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thanked Manchester United's 'unbelievable' away support following their 4-0 humiliation at Everton.
United produced a season-nadir performance at Goodison Park to prolong their losing away run to five games and they have now lost six of their last eight - United's worst run of form since May 1989.
Despite the dire display, United supporters were in superb voice throughout the second-half and vociferously backed Solskjaer by chanting the United manager's name towards the game's conclusion. United host Manchester City on Wednesday night before Chelsea visit on Sunday and Solskjaer is hopeful the derby will elicit a reaction from his underperforming players.
"At City on the other side at Old Trafford on Wednesday, that's the biggest incentive we can have," Solskjaer said. "Old Trafford, at home in front of our fantastic fans, they were unbelievable again.
"We just got thumped 4-0 and they never, never moaned at our players. Which they could have. But they've been supportive and I'm sure they will be support us again on Wednesday night.
"Then it's up to us, from me, the staff, the players, that we get ourselves ready.
"You can talk about reaction but in the short-term now we've got to focus on these two games, we're still in with a chance, 75 or 76 points we need to get top four, we're on 64, 12 points to be won, so sometimes it sounds too easy to say have to look forward.
"But you cannot dwell too much on this. And in the long-term, we've got to look at this but in the short-term we have got to look at City."
On Sky Sports, Gary Neville said: "I'm furious with the fact that he's (Solskjaer) had to go over apologise to the fans. I've often said that if clubs have got weeds in the garden, you've got to get rid of them. There are some Japanese knot weeds at that football club and it's attacking the foundations of the house and needs dealing with properly.
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"The fans are not going to turn on Ole. The players have their heads on the line. I watched Man City yesterday and they are a club who Manchester United are trying to get to in terms of the top of the Premier League. Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva - all far better players than what's in the Manchester United dressing room who work twice as hard.
"Everton ran 4K further in the first half. Everton. And then you watch this mob out here in Liverpool [at Cardiff] who are their biggest rivals, they die for single inch on the pitch. It was embarrassing watching some of those Manchester United players out there today."
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