Patrice Evra has highlighted a lack of leadership amongst the Manchester United ranks and the onus is now on the players to deliver results following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian was relieved of his duties as Reds boss after a run of just one win in two months and conceding 15 goals in four defeats, including five to Liverpool and four against Watford.
After spending £150m in the summer, there has been a number of underperformers for United in a string of underwhelming performances as Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp's side tore apart the Reds at Old Trafford.
Pre-season expectations have now been ripped apart with United sitting in ninth, six points off of the European places.
Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani have all been struck down with injuries in recent weeks and one of the fabrics of Solskjaer's plan was the blend of experience with youngsters, helping to develop Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Scott McTominay.
But Evra has pinpointed the lack of senior figures in the ranks despite the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.
"Now no-one will be able to hide. I'm talking about the players, because when a manager gets the sack, the players should take responsibility," he wrote in his Daily Mail column.
"Let's see what's coming. We are talking already about a new manager but I'm focused right now on the players because they have to deliver.
"Players have this bad habit of not taking responsibility. In my time I was always going to the manager's office if I could see a problem in the team, whether I was captain or not. I liked to be in charge of the health of the dressing room, which is why Ferguson loved me.
"I wasn't the kind of player to blame the manager for every bad result but it can be a tough time when players are not happy, there is negative energy and when you lose your dressing room, you're a dead man.
"Let's be honest, United are missing leaders and big characters. We talk a lot about that and many of the ex-players agree. It's not about shouting on the pitch, it is leading by example."
Evra was a part of multiple title-winning Manchester United sides under Sir Alex Ferguson during his time at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman has called upon the current crop to show the desire required to wear the red shirt and show the consistency that helped United reach the heights that have evaded them in recent years.
He added: "It's not just a problem at United it's about most Premier League teams now. Before, you could name six or even seven massive personalities in every team. You could play a team like Blackburn and be up against men, so you would know you're going to have a tough day. Now it is more about young talent.
"Some players back then didn't have the talent, but they had personality. Today that is not the case. I was there for nine years and it was seven years before I lost two games in a row, when David Moyes was in charge. That's the consistency needed to play for United. Even drawing a game was a disaster.
"When we won the title in 2010 some critics said it was one of Ferguson's worst sides, but we didn't care because we won the title. We had character and we loved that pressure. We loved when people criticised us even when we were playing well, and this is missing in the squad now.
"In 2008 we were champions of Europe and won the league, but the team wasn't just about talent and personality. We were not friends, on the pitch or in training.
"Many times Sir Alex Ferguson stopped training sessions because we were fighting each other but at the end of the game, you know even if we're swearing at each other, we'd say sorry, it's the adrenaline, you know. It was a winning mentality and that's what we had."
Jadon Sancho became the latest youngster to enter the fray after his summer move from Borussia Dortmund, but Evra has pointed out the lack of personality in the squad.
"Now we have a mix of young exciting players plus characters such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani. But you need personality," he continued.
"At United, you need to play for many years having the respect of the fans, understand the story of playing for the badge, the passion. There are many characters in this team who have come from outside, they have the image of outsiders, whereas the fans want to feel connected to the players.
"It's about work ethic. To get the United fans in your pocket is like to bleed for the club, to give everything, to play with passion. I can understand some United fans don't like it when they see their team lose and players post a video on social media laughing or whatever.
"It's not fair because your private life is your private life and you should only be judged on the pitch. But make sure you don't have any distractions and you're going to get all the love and support from the fans. But like I say, it's like dying on the pitch."
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