“Even Aston Villa could well have the squad to go beyond Manchester United next season” – Noel Whelan makes bold claim ahead of Erik ten Hag appointment

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has claimed that Manchester United are well off the sides at the top of the table, despite reportedly having struck a deal to appoint Erik ten Hag as their new manager.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said that the Dutchman will have a huge job ahead of him to bring the club back to its best. He said:

“Even if Ten Hag decides to overhaul the squad and behind the scenes, three years is not enough time to do that. They’re about six years off Man City and Liverpool. There is some serious work ahead, and I just don’t see how they’re going to do it."

He also said that the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Aston Villa could have better squads than Manchester United next season:

“Even Chelsea are well ahead of them. Tottenham, Arsenal – even Aston Villa could well have the squad to go beyond Man United next season. On paper they’ve got a good squad, but they’ve got no clue how to play. They’re not fighting or working hard for each other – and that’s a massive problem."

The Red Devils are currently 5th in the Premier League, tied with Arsenal on points, having played one game more than the Gunners. Ralph Rangnick's side are three points behind Tottenham in 4th, who also have a game in hand on them.

Manchester United will travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool on Tuesday in what is a must-win game if they are to stay in the race for the top 4.

"We need to be at our very best" - Rangnick on Manchester United's clash against Liverpool

Speaking ahead of the game against Liverpool, Rangnick gave his thoughts on the contest and what he thinks his side should do in order to beat the Reds. He said:

"We need to be more compact, we need to find the right balance of what we do in possession of the ball and what we need to do in order to defend our own goal. For sure, we need to be more compact, more aggressive... this is what we need to show tomorrow against a team that is probably one of the best in creating moments which they can be dangerous from in and around the box. We need to be at our very best defensively."

"Although we might be the underdogs for most people, we still know that if we raise our level, if we play a top performance, then we have a chance to get three points. This will be our ambition and goal for tomorrow."