Paul Scholes has underlined the gap between Manchester United and their rivals as he hammered home the reality of their current situation.
The club's former player watched on as the Red Devils were beaten in the Champions League last 16 by Atletico Madrid, resigning them to another trophy-less season. United are without a permanent manager and struggling to make the top four as their struggles continue despite years of investment.
The Old Trafford hierarchy have spent over £1billion in an effort to make the club a force once more, but they continue to fall short. Currently they are miles off pacesetters Manchester City and Liverpool with their European exit again exposing their flaws as there appears no clear plan.
Scholes said on BT Sport: “They’re not as talented as the teams above them (in the Premier League ), we know that. But, the very first thing this club needs to do, to get anywhere near winning the league again, is get a proper coach.
"Get a coach that suits the players, give them two or three years to build a squad of players that will challenge. Getting a proper coach for this team is a massive thing. There's some real talent in this squad.”
Every coach since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 has fallen short of expectations. Louis van Gaal lasted just two seasons, winning a solitary FA Cup, with his style of football copping major criticism. Jose Mourinho came in as his replacement in 2016.
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The Special One was a success in his first season but was forced to defend himself and his team in his second campaign after United were dumped out of the Champions League following a shock home defeat to Sevilla. The Portuguese coach decided to take the opportunity to remind the club of their reality.
Much is made of United's historic past under Ferguson and, before that, Sir Matt Busby, but Mourinho used the club's Champions League form to highlight how far they still had to go back in 2018.
He said: "Since 2011 - 2012 out in the group phase - the group was the almost the same as we had this season. In 2013 - out at Old Trafford in the last 16, I was in the other bench. In 2014 - out in the quarter-final. In 2015 - no European football. In 2016 - comes back to European football, out in the group phase, drops into the Europa League and on the second knockout is out.
"In 2017 - play Europa League and win Europa League with me to go back to the Champions League. In 2018 - win the group phase with 15 points and loses at home in the last 16. So in seven years, with four different managers, once they haven't qualified, twice out in the group phase and the best was a quarter-final.
"This is football heritage. And if you want to go to the Premier League the last victory was 2013." United have been unable to propel themselves forward despite heavy investment and face a crucial decision this summer as they seek a new manager.
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