'A million miles away' - Gary Neville's blunt Manchester United assessment

Gary Neville believes Manchester United are 'a million miles away' from qualifying for the Champions League this season.

United lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday. Marcus Rashford had cancelled out the home side's opener but Morgan Gibbs-White struck a winner late on.

Defeat leaves United seventh and speaking post-match, former captain Neville suggested a Champions League spot, which might be achieved by finishing fifth this season, is the only way to salvage United’s campaign but the Sky Sports pundit fears that is an uphill task.

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“They’re out of Europe and not in the Carabao Cup,” Neville said. “Get the players fit and try to somehow push towards Champions League football. At the moment, they look well off. It seems a million miles away.”

Neville also accepted a terrible injury run has played a part in United’s downfall. For the Forest clash, Ten Hag was without 11 first-team players.

“Ten Hag needs the players back,” Neville added. “He needs (Lisandro) Martinez, (Harry) Maguire, Casemiro, (Rasmus) Hojlund and (Luke) Shaw back in. He needs to finish the season strongly. But it’s an up-and-down season, more down than up. Some of these performances are really poor, well below anything that should be required of a team of this level.”

United are next in action at League One side Wigan Athletic a week on Monday in the FA Cup third round. The Reds have only one Premier League game in January, against Tottenham, due to the top flight winter break.