Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United will have to wait another two seasons to win a trophy at least.
Ambitions and hopes were high that United could finally launch a sustained Premier League title challenge this season in the summer, especially following the signings of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, one has never looked likely and, after being eliminated early from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, the Champions League is their only chance left to end the drought this year. Which seems highly unlikely at best.
United haven't won a trophy since the Europa League triumph in 2017 and have gone nine years without lifting the Premier League. Ferdinand admits that the early season hype was misplaced and that the club needs to give whoever the new permanent manager is at least two seasons to rebuild before winning trophies can be an achievable aim.
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"The problem I have is that Ralf has come in but then you're going to have to change it again for someone else's style of football. It's then going to be another upheaval, new style to implement and players understanding that," Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel.
"I think personally United have got to write off the next year or two in terms of trophies, minimum - say: 'we're going to rebuild what we have, get our recruitment right and there is a certain style of play under this new manager that we are going to go with and he is going to have time to get it all right. There are going to be mistakes, a few things that go wrong but we are going to stick with this guy and give him a minimum of two years to work it out' and see the progress and that development happen.
"It's going to take that long, and you can't have that transition and win. It doesn't happen. Liverpool didn't do it. How long did it take Klopp to win? You have to take a leaf out of other team's books. Sometimes you've got to humble yourself and take stock and say in reality, that is where we are at.
"The hype of those signings hyped me up, hyped all the United fanbase up but reality has to come and bite and you've got to sit back and say where are we really at?
"United aren't in a place to win and challenge for trophies, that's it - the big trophies, Champions League and Premier League.
"I just feel that sometimes you have to accept where you are. Man United have lived off past successes for too long. This isn't the Man United of 12-15 years ago. Man United historically should be challenging but where they are now, no."
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