Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt believes his old club need 'something drastic' to get back to the top but did praise Erik ten Hag's start so far at Old Trafford.
United head into the World Cup break fifth in the Premier League, three points behind Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand on the North London club. Things have not been entirely straightforward for Ten Hag since he took the reins at the Theatre of Dreams.
An ongoing saga with Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the first part of the season but the Reds have managed to overcome a tricky start to the season to pick up positive results against Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs. Speaking to MEN Sport , Butt admitted that he does not watch all of United's matches but that Ten Hag had impressed him with his managerial style.
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"I'm sad to say that I haven't really watched many games, I watch a few games obviously, but one thing I will say about him is that everyone knows who the manager is," Butt explained. "He has stood up to the big players, there is obviously the Ronaldo situation, but he has stood up to the [other] players.
"From what I have heard, he does not pull any punches and I don't think you can say that about previous managers, I think some have ducked it a few times. I think Ten Hag is one who will not take any rubbish off anybody, he knows his philosophy, he knows how he wants to play, I believe his training is very, very good but it is a bigger thing than just Ten Hag isn't it, it is a bigger thing than just the manager.
"You have to get everything right at that football club because the ones above them aren't standing still. How I simplify it to my mates or my son is that if you imagine [Manchester] City being here (raises his arm high) and Man United being here (placing his other hand lower) then everyone says that United have got to go like that (moving his arm upwards) but they don't they have to go like that (pointing vertically upwards) to catch them.
"City aren't standing still they are going to go like that (pointing directly upwards again), Liverpool are going to go like that, Chelsea, Arsenal definitely are going to do that. So, when we are going up, they are going up as well so the distance is not getting caught as quick. We have to have some sort of injection, some sort of boost, that is going to take Man United back to the top.
"I don't have an answer to that, if I did I would probably still be working there, but to catch the teams at the top but if we are going to catch City, Liverpool, okay they are having a bad season but their fundamentals are good, Arsenal and Chelsea we need to do something drastic.
"That is not just one little bit of the jigsaw, it is finding everything that works and comes together like a perfect steam train but at the moment I don't think it is."
Butt, who was previously director of development at United and is now CEO of Salford City, was speaking to the Manchester Evening News at the launch of the new series of the 'Class of '92 Full Time documentary'. The first episode of the new series starts on Sunday, November 20 at 10pm on Sky Sports Premier League and Football.
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