Manchester United legend Roy Keane laid into his former club in the aftermath of the firing of manager Jose Mourinho earlier this week.

"The players got away with murder," Keane told BBC presenter Adrian Chiles. "They hide behind the manager. They have thrown him under the bus."

Keane spent 13 seasons with United from 1993 to 2005 winning seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League title.

Mourinho was fired on Tuesday after two and a half seasons with United and the club sitting in sixth in the table, 11 points back of the final Champions League place.

The former Republic of Ireland international asserts that the players were just as culpable as the manager for the Red Devils' struggles.

"You would fall out with these players," Keane said. "Players who turn up overweight, do not train properly and are not producing... for some to down tools, shame on some of those players. I am not Jose's biggest fan, but I can't tolerate footballers who hide behind agents, their pals in the media - it is a bit of a joke."

Keane says that the behaviour of United's players is emblematic of the current crop of young footballers.

"This idea that these players are upset... it is not just United, but the modern player," Keane said. "They are not just weak players, but are very weak human beings. You cannot say a word to them. Players are quick to hide behind social media, their cars and their girlfriend's dog, the whole lot. I was very lucky with the dressing room I was in. There were good men, good leaders and characters, but that is in shortage in the game now. It would not have happened in our dressing room. We would not have tolerated lads not putting a shift in."

Still, Keane backs his former club to bounce back. He believes the appointment of former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager will buoy spirits around Old Trafford.

"Ole will get that feel-good factor back, [bringing former United assistant manager] Mike Phelan back in is a good move," Keane said. "Ole will be popular around the club and I think getting the players back on side will be the easiest part of the job. They wanted a change and that is easy for Ole, you'd expect him to win the next few games, try and close the gap on the top teams, go on an FA Cup run and try and beat Paris St-Germain. It is a big challenge ahead, but in the short term I expect the players to react and win the next few matches they should be winning."

United travels to Wales to take on Cardiff City on Saturday. Solskjaer managed the Bluebirds for an eight-month spell in 2014 in which they were relegated from the Premier League.