After an indifferent Premier League start and without an away win this season, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal’s belief that his side can still win the Premier League is misplaced, says former club captain Gary Neville.
A late Daley Blind equaliser secured a point for United as they twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at West Brom on Monday, extending their run without an away win in the league to six games, their worst for 18 years.
Van Gaal however hailed the disjointed performance as their best of the season and insisted his team can still win the league despite being 10 points adrift of leaders Chelsea after only eight games.
Neville said the team’s failure to win away at newly-promoted sides Leicester City and Burnley, and relegation candidates Sunderland and West Brom, proves the team aren’t at the required level to challenge Jose Mourinho’s men.
“At this moment in time this United team isn’t good enough to win the league,” Neville said.
“Louis van Gaal asked for three months when he came in and he’s reassessed that. It’s a tougher job than he imagined and in the next eight games they’ve got tough opponents.
“At the start of the season after eight games you would have said they would have been on 16 or 17 points. There’s been a lot of upheaval. It’s been tough for him.
“Coming out of the World Cup he was drunk with praise, but I think it’s sobered him up slightly.”
After leading the Netherlands to third place in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Van Gaal has won three competitive games since taking over at Old Trafford.
His expensively assembled squad, including British transfer record signing Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid, have taken 12 points from eight games, one more than his predecessor David Moyes took at the same point last season.
Moyes endured an ignominious exit before United finished in seventh, their worst in the Premier League, but Van Gaal is confident that his side can reach new levels when they host Chelsea on Sunday before visiting rivals Manchester City a week later.
“That is possible (to catch Chelsea),” Van Gaal said.
“Chelsea is another level and then City also. But we have to see if we can beat them.”