Barnsley manager Darrell Clarke didn’t hold back after his team were thrashed by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

The League One outfit suffered humiliation at Old Trafford, with doubles from Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen and an Antony penalty securing a resounding win.

The Red Devils enjoying a thumping victory over their lower league opponentsGetty

Having reached the competition’s third round with victories over Wigan and Sheffield United, the Tykes boss would have hoped to see his side rise to the occasion on the big stage.

However, any chance of a giant-killing had disappeared by half-time, with United heading in at the break 3-0 up thanks to goals from Rashford, Antony and Garnacho.

The scoreline then quickly became embarrassing for Barnsley when Rashford and Garnacho had completed their doubles by the 58th minute, before Christian Eriksen scored two of his own late on.

And after the drubbing, manager Clarke had some strong words for his players following the humiliating nature of their defeat.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “If I ever hear of any of my players telling me Premier League players are poor I’ll be giving them a slap, because we were miles off against a team that can absolutely destroy you when you’re not at it.”

Despite United being rampant on the night and boasting a squad worth around £500million against the third-tier outfit, Clarke insisted that his side had let themselves down.

He added: “They’re a quality team but we’re very disappointed in our performance. We haven’t done ourselves justice. That was my fear tonight coming here. 

“A lot of our players had an off-day. Maybe one player, Mael (de Gevigney), probably comes out of the game with credit, but not an acceptable performance for us. 

“I know it’s a big occasion against a very, very good team, I get that, and they turn it on against Premier League teams, but it’s a huge wake-up call for me, to the players, to understand what it takes to be a top player.”

For United however, the dominant display will help to momentarily relieve some pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.

Credit: X: @SkyfootballBarnsley manager Darrell Clarke pulled no punches when evaluating his side’s performance[/caption]

GettyHis opposite number Erik ten Hag clearly enjoyed his evening[/caption]

The Dutchman has come under fire after a disappointing start to the season, with his side currently 10th in the Premier League table, having lost twice in their opening four games.

But with the Barnsley thrashing following a 3-0 away league win against Southampton, ten Hag has enjoyed a brief period of calm, but refused to get ahead of himself after the match.

Reflecting on recent results in his press conference, he said: “I was not devastated after Liverpool [a 3-0 defeat]. I am not now celebrating.

“We are on a journey and we will see where we are in May because then we have to be good, and then you have to be at your best and, in the meantime, every time we have to progress the team.”

And while the Red Devils boss’ feet remained firmly on the ground, the result certainly left one fan feeling incredibly optimistic.

Following the match, United fan Luke dialled into talkSPORT’s The Sports Bar to confidently claim that his team will soon be challenging at the top of the Premier League.

He told Jason Cundy and Jermaine Pennant: “Our confidence has been low since the beginning of the season.

“We’ve come off the back of a 3-0 victory at Southampton. They had the best sort of possession stats, we bullied them.

“And then we just bullied Barnsley. We’re back. Rashford’s back on form.

“At Christmas, we’ll be knocking on the door. Fact.”

It was a tough night at Old Trafford for the League One clubGetty

The bold prediction left the pundits amused, with Cundy then clarifying: “Luke, calm down. Come on mate. Knocking on what door?”

But the Red Devils supporter reiterated his point, saying: “First.”

Clearly buoyed by recent results, he finished with another confident promise: “Our performances have been far superior. We’re far better than what we were.

“I’ll ring you back in May.”