Manchester United football director John Murtough has warned the next permanent manager that he will be expected to lead the club back to the top of English football.
United will appoint a permanent boss in the summer to replace Ralf Rangnick, who took over on an interim basis in November following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and will move to a more technical role.
Mauricio Pochettino is the clear favourite to take over, with new CEO Richard Arnold keen to appoint him in June to give the Argentine most of the summer to bring new signings to Old Trafford.
Pochettino is said to be keen on taking the United job and his appointment would have the backing of Sir Alex Ferguson.
United have not won silverware since 2017, when Jose Mourinho led them to the Europa League crown, while the fallen giants have not been English champions since 2013.
To make matters worse, United are facing a battle just to secure a top four finish this season and Champions League qualification.
Murtough admits this is just not good enough for a club of United's stature - and has made it clear that the next boss will be expected to lead them back to the big time.
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Murtough said: "In the Premier League, we've seen improved results under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, following a run in the October and early November period that had seen the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager.
"We know that consistency is key as we strive for a top-four finish this season. I want to reiterate, however, that this is not the ultimate objective for Manchester United, and everyone at the club is focused on challenging for the top trophies.
"We are now conducting a thorough process for the appointment of a new permanent manager who will take charge this summer, with the objective to get us back to challenging for those domestic and European titles."
