Roy Keane dismissed Bruno Fernandes’ apology to Erik ten Hag as “too little, too late” as the former Manchester United captain launched a scathing attack on the litany of “average” players and claimed it will take years for Ruben Amorim to sort out the mess.

Fernandes revealed that he had spoken to Ten Hag in the wake of his sacking on Monday and claimed the players were fortunate it was “easier to get rid of a manager than 10 or 15 players”.

“I spoke with him and I did also apologise to him if there was something I could have done better for him,” the United captain said after his side’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday consigned the club to their worst start to a season for 38 years.

“I feel really disappointed that he is gone. The team is not the best, the results are not the best and he is the one who pays for it.”

But Fernandes’ remarks drew a withering response from Keane, who claimed the players should have done their talking when Ten Hag was still in charge.

“These are always awkward interviews for players but I wouldn’t have much time and patience for the player to say, ‘listen, sorry, we let you down’. Too little, too late,” Keane said.

“We’ll judge what you’re doing on the football pitch. I don’t think Bruno has done enough in a lot of the games already. He didn’t show that leadership. So it would be interesting to hear what Ten Hag has to say about it. But you also have to move on.

“A lot of players don’t care that much when a manager goes. They just focus on the next manager and get ready, look after themselves. Players can be selfish, we know that, but I don’t think Bruno done enough as a captain of Man United over the last year or two to help the manager out. Far from it.

“The proof’s there with all the results. It’s not just on Bruno, of course, but I don’t think he showed enough leadership skills when the going’s got tough with some of the performances. I don’t think Bruno should be too proud of himself, of what’s happened to the manager of the last week or two... I think the players let the manager down ultimately.”

The draw left United languishing in 13th position in the Premier League with just 12 points from their opening 10 games, their worst start to a season since 1986/87, shortly before Sir Alex Ferguson’s arrival.

They are one of only three teams in the top flight to have failed to reach double figures for goals this season. You have to go back 51 years to the start of the 1973-74 campaign to find the last time United had just nine goals from their opening 10 league matches.

United announced on Friday that Amorim had signed a two-and-a-half year contract to become the club’s new head coach and will start the role on Nov. 11 but Keane believes it is not a long enough deal given the work the Portuguese has to do.

“Ruben Amorim should have signed a longer contract,” the former United midfielder said. “There’s a long way back for this team. I know when a new manager comes in you hope he will get more out of this group but this is an average Untied team, all the stats back it up.

“We keep repeating ourselves, we don’t know what we are going to get from them – it’s hit and miss. It’s not good. This United team: boring seems a bit strong but they are lacking conviction. Really disappointed, it was so flat. From the manager’s point of view, this team are way off it in terms of getting back into the top four and competing.

“You look at some individuals and maybe we think they are better than they are some of them. United are just a bit average at everything, they are not special at everything. The lack of goals is hard to believe. You look at the chances they’re missing and that’s why managers are losing their jobs.

“United fans must be going away scratching their heads. When you look at United, they play for moments. That’s nowhere near good enough for a United team.”

United were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when Lisandro Martinez was booked for a foul on Cole Palmer that Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca branded a “clear red”. Martinez raked his studs down Palmer’s left knee and then caught him on his right boot but VAR reviewed the incident and ruled that the challenge did not constitute “serious foul play”.

“I know you are going to ask me about referee decision, it is quite clear almost for all of us but the referee took a different decision,” Maresca said. “When there is not intention to go for the ball and you just go for the player, it is red.

“No, they [the officials] didn’t say anything. When there is no intention to go for the ball, and go for legs… I think it is quite clear it is a red.”

Ruud van Nistelrooy, the United interim manager, claimed he had not seen the incident back but did not feel it was a red card at the time.

But Keane and fellow Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville felt Martinez was lucky to escape a sending off.  “The lad’s a lucky boy,” Keane said. “He won’t be happy with Palmer making a fool of him and he’s obviously gone in there... it’s a nasty tackle. I don’t think he does catch him properly - it’s down the side of his leg.... But if he got sent off, I’d say there’d be no complaints.”

Neville added: “Lisandro Martinez is lucky. I think it’s a red.”

Van Nistelrooy said he had no conversations planned with Amorim. The incoming United head coach has confirmed he will be bringing his coaching staff with him from Sporting and that it was a “condition” of him accepting the job. It raises doubts about the future of Van Nistelrooy and United’s other coaches but the Dutchman was coy on his own future.

“I look forward to get to know him better, he has done very well in Portugal, a young talented coach,” Van Nistelrooy said. “I haven’t spoken to him and at this moment there is nothing planned. I am doing my job to prepare the Thursday and Sunday games.”