What Ruud van Nistelrooy told Manchester United players after dismal start to season

Jonny Evans has lifted the lid on a recent chat Ruud van Nistelrooy had with Manchester United's players.

United are 14th in the Premier League and have won just three of their opening 11 games of the season. Brentford visit Old Trafford on Saturday and a defeat for the home side will pile even more pressure on Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman survived an end-of-season review in the summer despite United's awful league campaign. The Reds ended the season in eighth with a -1 goal difference but secured European football by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Evans has spoken about United's poor start to the season and revealed a chat Van Nistelrooy had with the players.

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"Ruud [van Nistelrooy] spoke the other day about the fact that it's a game and getting back there to when you're a kid playing football and going out and competing," he told Sky Sports. "I think that's where everyone wants to get to that sort of new place where you're not affected by outside noise, and you can just go out and perform to your best every week.

"And that's what I suppose every footballer, every single weekend strives for, I think playing with enjoyment and a smile on your face. Obviously we've got expectations to win football matches and it's always more enjoyable whenever you win."

Goals continue to be a problem for United this term. Only Southampton have scored fewer than the Reds' five in the league so far.

Evans believes the defensive side of United's game has improved but acknowledges they need to be better in attack, adding that the whole team needs to contribute and not just forward players.