Manchester United legend Paul Scholes slammed the performance for their 1-0 win over Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday.
Anthony Martial's first half penalty was the difference between the sides but the hosts were guilty of squandering several good chances to level.
"I think after the Liverpool game there was a little bit of encouragement," he said to BT Sport. "But then you come back to tonight and it seems very similar to the start of the season.
"It's like a team of strangers, it's like they've never played with each other before. There's no link between the midfield players and the strikers. The weight of pass at times was so bad.
"You want to be encouraged you want to see some bits of good play now and again, a one-two here and there, the number 10 receiving the ball on the half turn, but there's a lack of encouragement.
Phil Jones partnered Harry Maguire at centre-back in Belgrade and struggled as he made just his third start of the season and Scholes was also critical of United's rearguard and lack of ingenuity.
"I think defensively they were quite poor as well tonight," he added. "Second half there was only one team that looks like scoring. I don't see anything. A lot of the games they're going to have the ball but they have to be cleverer."