Manchester United have now gone 12 years since winning the title after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson – and they’re a long way from returning to those lofty heights.
The Red Devils won the Premier League 13 times during the first 21 years of the division’s existence, but have gone through six different permanent managers since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
This season, Manchester United currently sit 14th in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim, after finishing 15th last term.
Manchester United legend has his say on club's plight
Nicky Butt was part of the legendary Class of 92 that spearheaded Manchester United’s dominance under Ferguson, and has teamed up with former team-mate Paul Scholes and presenter Paddy McGuinness for a new podcast, entitled The Good, The Bad & The Football.
FourFourTwo visited a recording of the podcast and spoke to Butt about his thoughts about the current Manchester United side.
“If they get top half this season, I wouldn’t be happy, but you’d take that now because it’s going to be a slow time to get back to where we want to be,” Butt told FFT. “We’re a long way off.”
Asked which summer signing he was most excited about, he said: “I think Matheus Cunha. He’s got Premier League experience with Wolves, he did an amazing job down there, and he came in and started off really well. He’s had his injury, but I’m excited to see him this season.”
As for which player from Ferguson’s great Manchester United team that Butt would put into the current team, he said: “Probably Roy Keane. I think he’d shake them up a little bit and do an unbelievable job of being the manager on the pitch if you like, and the captain.
"There’d be a lot of good quotes coming from him too, that would be interesting.”
Who could succeed Ruben Amorim?
Butt was also asked about his overall thoughts on Manchester United’s decline, and their struggles under Amorim.
“Fundamentally, the club is rotten from the bottom at the minute,” the former midfielder told us. “Sack Amorim tomorrow and who’s coming in? No-one knows, no-one can give you a name.
“If you brought prime Sir Alex in there, he wouldn’t be able to turn it around straight away, it would take time. You put Pep in there, or Klopp, and it wouldn’t work.”
The Good, The Bad & The Football with Butt, Scholes and McGuinness is a brand-new weekly video podcast, available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube. There will be an in-depth chat with the trio about football and their careers in an upcoming issue of FourFourTwo magazine.
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