Jaap Stam took aim at Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha following Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City, accusing Michael Carrick’s front four of refusing to track back.

Erling Haaland’s highly controversial 60th-minute strike proved to be the winner in Sunday’s derby, with United conjuring up very little by way of a response after Phil Foden’s sending off at Old Trafford.

Rashford struck the upright with a speculative long-range free-kick on the stoke of half-time before Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a late effort from Mbeumo and that was as good as it got on another disappointing afternoon for Carrick.

The result leaves United languishing down in 13th place in the Premier League, with only four points to their name, ahead of their next top-flight contest against struggling Fulham at Craven Cottage.

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Before that, the Red Devils will be desperate to get a morale-boosting victory under their belt when they return to the Theatre of Dreams to face Brighton in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday night.

In the aftermath of their derby-day defeat, United received an official apology from Pro Ref – formerly PGMOL – over the ‘error of judgement’ that was made in awarding Haaland’s goal on the hour-mark.

But according to club legend Stam, Carrick’s squad should focus their attentions on themselves and where they can improve after a poor start to the new campaign.

‘If you look at City and if you look at this game, it was easy for them today, even with ten men,’ the former United and Netherland defender said on Viaplay shortly after the final whistle.

‘I was asking myself as well: the United team coming off the pitch, what are they thinking? Would they be thinking they’ve done everything that they can? Is that it?

‘Even in playing it out from the back, it was easy, one-two, keep the ball a little bit longer at your feet, somebody else is taking up different positions. You play it, make a little one-two, you’re out and they can go and attack.

‘Against ten men, even if it’s City with the quality that they have, you would expect United to be on the front foot every time, to be very, very aggressive, even the strikers tracking back.

‘Then, of course, and that’s a very important thing as well. If you have possession and they are dropping a little bit deeper, use the side, use the width of the game a little bit, put crosses in the box.

‘But now sometimes, you feel like when they’re playing, there’s not a real idea in how to get to opportunities and how to make it difficult for the opposition to score goals.’

Watching back the build-up to Haaland’s second-half goal, Stam pointed to an apparent lack of intensity from United’s attacking players in tracking back to help their team-mates.

‘It’s a long ball, they win it, City takes over and look at the front four [of United]. They’re just walking, they’re just looking at the situation,’ the Dutchman added.

‘A team that really wants to win, the strikers, it’s about all the 11, it’s about chasing.

‘Against ten men, it’s about tracking back, it’s about winning battles.

‘From then on, you keep possession, you go out in transition and then you try to create and score goals.’

United’s next opponents, Fulham, remain winless in the Premier League at this embryonic stage of the season, losing three and drawing one of their opening four matches.

The Red Devils took four points off the Cottagers last term, drawing 1-1 away from home before coming away from Old Trafford with a nervy 3-2 victory.

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