Eric Bailly has come out swinging following the "harsh" and "disrespectful" comments aimed at him by Sky Sports duo Gary Neville and Greaeme Souness in the immediate aftermath of his performance in Manchester United's defeat to Brighton.
Bailly, 24, was targeted in the fall out from United's shock defeat to the Seagulls after a less than impressive performance which led Souness to claim that the defender did not know 'if he was in New York or New Year'.
While Bailly accepted criticism can play a positive role in development, the 24-year-old slammed the pair for over stepping the mark.
“I always take criticism well when they are constructive, when they are there to help and I actually like criticism but in a positive way," Bailly told the Mirror.
“But what Graeme Souness said was a little bit disrespectful because it became so personal and it’s not the sort of criticism that can help a young player improve and become a better player.”
Bailly was absolutely awful against Brighton. What did shock me was the stick he got considering he has been brillant for UTD when he has played for us. Injuries have hampered his career with us
— LJ (@LJBoyo) August 24, 2018
Former United full back Neville was similarly damning in his remarks after claiming Bailly and Victor Lindelof were not good enough to take the club to the Premier League title - an admission which the central defender believes is affecting team morale.
“I think the criticism was a bit harsh, particularly from people who have played the game and have probably made mistakes themselves during their career," he added.
“As young players, we need support from these people. If we got more support from these people, that can help us. But negative comments all of the time doesn’t help the young players or the team.
“It was not just one individual performance on Sunday. It was the whole team that struggled. But it was just one battle lost, not the whole war.
“But it’s one game. We cannot forget that. We shouldn’t just focus on the negative, build on the positive and starting with Tottenham on Monday.”