Patrice Evra Exclusive: United players "bottled it" in derby

City destroyed us

Watching the game I was in shock because I didn't see that coming. After four wins in a row I was quite confident going into the derby, I was talking about United getting a draw.

Before the match, I didn't say United would win the league, I didn't say we would beat City, but I didn't think City would humiliate us the way they did and that makes me worried for the future.

United just watched City play. If you look at the first goal, I think some United players even wanted to clap City and congratulate them for their amazing football.

I would never compare it to when we lost 6-1 to City, because we lost that game because we were attacking, Ferguson was upset with us for that but I told the boss that was the United way, to keep attacking no matter what and he agreed.

On Sunday, I was really upset because I didn't see any fighting spirit from United, like what they showed against Liverpool and Arsenal.

In those two matches they refused to lose, they refused to lose every challenge, but against City it was like they just wanted to watch them play because they are better than them.

To overcome that it's really easy, you have to say City are miles and miles and miles better than us, so guys lets focus on the next game because we played City, the best team in England right now.

In reality, City destroyed us. After watching them in that game City are going to win the league, they are unstoppable, for many reasons.

You have to give credit to City, the way they have developed their football this season, I hadn't seen them completely dominate a match from the start until the derby.

To move on, the players have to be honest

The players have to be honest with themselves, their teammates, the manager and say they were scared and they bottled it.

They didn't believe in the plan and they should admit it. Afterwards, the manager will know which players he can go to war with again.

It's fine to admit it. I remember Vidic wasn't having great performances, he went to see Ferguson and said that he needs to train more because he wasn't at his usual level, then he didn't play a few games and Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling played.

But, he had that honesty and this is Nemanja Vidic I'm talking about. So, they just have to be honest and then they can get over it.

If nobody is honest with themselves after this game we are in big trouble.

If they start to find excuses, I'll be worried that we'll be right back to where we were at the start of the season. It's all about honesty. We are fighting for the top four, but we will have to fight for every ball.

United, can't look at themselves as beautiful. Maybe they were too confident before the game. This team has to play under pressure with their backs up against the wall, when they have that pressure, that's when everyone performs well.

I think Ten Hag is going to have to remind them that they have to fight in every game. Against Liverpool and Arsenal they didn't dominate the match but they had that fighting spirit and an amazing counter attack.

Some things like this happen in football. When we lost 6-1, I promise you the next day it was over and past us, we knew that everything City did was perfect.

I remember we played Roma in the Champions League and we beat them 7-1. If you ask Sir Alex Ferguson, he will say that this was the only game in his career where everything went 100% to plan. This can happen.

Believe the Haaland hype

I don't know if any defender in the world can stop Haaland. We can talk for hours about him, it's a fact, people have said he is going to break records, he is going to break records. He is going to be one of the biggest sensations in the Premier League.

Depending on how many years he stays will determine if he will reach the legacy of Thierry Henry or Alan Shearer.

He will have to stay for a while, but already he is terrorising every single team in the Premier League.

Ten Hag's comments were spot on

I absolutely agree with Ten Hag, there was no belief, this is the Premier League and I think for some new players like Malacia and Antony, they were having fun but I think after that game they are going to say: "OK, this is not the Dutch league, this is the Premier League."

It was a massive lack of belief, it was as if they said to City you are better than us. They didn't follow the plan, I'm sure Ten Hag had a plan like he had against Arsenal and Liverpool and I think they forgot everything because they were scared.

It was like the plan went out of the window because they saw City and said "those guys are monsters, they are not human beings."

There's nothing positive about that match, the only thing, at least Anthony Martial came in and scored two goals, he's back from injury so that's the only thing.

The final score, 6-3, that was flattering. 4-0 in the first half, I was going back to Brentford and I thought what is going on. I was under the impression that we had solved those issues.

I respect City, and they were unbelievable, they are going to win the league.

Ronaldo hasn't had the game time to properly get fit

I've read reports saying United will let Ronaldo leave in January. It's a circus again. We're back to what we've done all those years, I don't understand it.

We are not inside the club, so maybe the manager and Cristiano talked before the season and Ten Hag said he needs to be fit and will get a chance.

I know a player like Cristiano Ronaldo won't accept that. To be fit you need time and to play.

Ten Hag gave Ronaldo his chance to play in the first two games and we lost, so he changed the team and they won four games in a row.

Actually, what Ten Hag is doing is the right thing.

I didn't like Ten Hag's comments after the City game when he was asked why he didn't play Ronaldo. He said it was out of respect to his career.

First of all, as a manager you should never justify yourself. Now everyone can debate his decision. For the respect of Ronaldo's career why aren't you playing him and why isn't he starting? It doesn't make sense.

Ronaldo wants to play in the Word Cup so he wants to be fit. He needs games, no matter your age you need to get game time to get fit, especially when you get older. People don't understand, to get fit you have to play games.

He's not had that time and I'm sure Ronaldo would have gone into Ten Hag's office and said that he doesn't want to damage his reputation and be the villain of the club, moaning every time when he's on the bench.

He's professional, he's training 100% so he has probably asked Ten Hag to let him leave in January. I don't know what's been said between the two of them.

He scores goals, forget everything else

I'm sorry, when you have a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, no matter if he's not pressing or whatever, focus on what he can do. He scores goals. I'm sure if he leaves and goes to another club he will score goals.

He needs his chance in the Premier League again. Ten Hag can now justify playing him again after losing the last match.

Football goes so fast, imagine Ronaldo starts in the Europa League, scores, then he starts in the Premier League and score. United win two games and everything changes. Then we'll be saying Ronaldo is so important and we can't let him go in January.

If he leaves, I hope it's to a club abroad

I don't want to see Ronaldo in another shirt other than a Man United shirt. If he is to go I want him to go abroad, I don't want him to go to another team in the Premier League.

I want him to be happy, back scoring and challenging Messi every single year. I wish him the best if he goes but I can't imagine him in another club's shirt.