Footballers are philosophical animals, which is why Patrice Evra’s claim that winning the Premier League rescues Manchester United’s season rings so hollow.

The fact of the matter is that a poor United side who have been knocked out of the 4 cup competitions we have played in, still has a chance to win the league because it is so poor that only one other team has played up to the same low level as United.

Evra should also look at his own form as he has been one of the worse players in the side week in, week out, only retaining his place because of the injury to Fabio and the lack of a viable replacement in the reserves.

Frankly he should be focussed on his defending rather than the media.

Chelsea scrapped into the last 8 of the Champions League and are very luck that they didn’t draw any of the 3 potential winners. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich would murder them.

AC Milan might beat them too, as United’s exit only served to prove that they would even get in the Champions League if we were in La Liga.

And you know what really hurts?

It’s this, United used to show 100% effort and energy and play the English way. On Thursday they were beaten by a team that wanted it more, that tried harder and that outran and outfought them. Skill wasn’t what cost us, it was sweat.

Ryan Giggs was our best player and he tried, but he is almost 40. Michael Carrick was a lumbering waste of time and if Paul Scholes is our saviour then God help us.

The team is ageing, effortless and slipping.

I watched the pedestrian defeat of West Brom as opposed to the effort Newcastle put in when they tonked us. If Wolves get at us then we could lose.

Manchester United never die, because we don’t lie down. 3-0 down at Chelsea, we saw the real United. On Thursday we saw a tired United.

The squad is thin, we can’t do it twice a week, the time has come to rebuild.

Dimitar Berbatov is the first to go and $50m for 3 season’s lethargy is enough for most of us.

The midfield needs a total rebuild, Paul Pogba, Tom Cleverley and Anderson won’t last a season and wont be enough, we need 3 more. Giggs and Scholes and Carrick might cameo in the Cups but that’s it folks.

Pace, determination and passion needs to come from midfield, if we have to sell Wayne Rooney to fund it then do so.

Manchester United are just not a team that loses to Basel, Spanish also rans and nobodies in the Carling Cup.

Enough Sir Alex, get a grip or move aside and give David Moyes a go.

Yes I am talking to YOU!

By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve