Gary Neville makes grave Man Utd prediction as he hails Liverpool and Man City
EXCLUSIVE: Gary Neville says Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are outstanding and will need to leave the Premier League before Manchester United are successful again
by David McDonnellManchester United may have to wait until Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are off the scene before they can win the title again.
Manchester City coach Guardiola and Liverpool boss Klopp have dominated the
Premier League in record-breaking style in recent seasons.
Guardiola led City to back-to-back titles, with a record 100 points and 98 points,
respectively, before Klopp ended the Reds’ 30-year title wait last term with 99 points.
In contrast, United – who have won the league a record 20 times – have not been champions since Sir Alex Ferguson signed off with his 13th Premier League title in 2013.
And United legends Gary Neville, who was on eight of those title-winning sides, and Ryan Giggs, who won all 13, reckon their former club are likely to have to wait until Guardiola and Klopp have left these shores before they can be champions again.
“The one thing I can guarantee you is that United will win again,” said Neville.
“That might not be this year or next year, but it will be amazing when they win again, and the longer it builds up, the greater the actual feeling is when you do it.
"I’m not sitting here, as a United fan, thinking, ‘We must win the league this year’. Yes, we’d like to, but you know when it’s your time and it’s not yet.
“It will be, maybe, when Klopp and Guardiola leave Liverpool and City – hopefully in the next
couple of years!
“That will be the chance, as they’re two outstanding managers who have built really good teams, but they’ll leave in the next one, two or three years.
"That will be the point when United can come back in and capitalise – I’m sure Chelsea are thinking that way as well.”
Giggs agreed that, as long as Guardiola and Klopp remain, it will be difficult for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to find a way past them.
“You’ve got the two best coaches in the world, at pretty settled sides, where they’re just adding players where they need to,” said Giggs.
“Ole’s a bit further behind in that respect, but once that does happen, when Guardiola and Klopp leave, then be ready to strike, with a team that’s capable of winning the league.
Even for the most realistic United fans, just getting closer to Liverpool and City would be the aim this year.
“How long has Ole been there now, almost two years? You look at Klopp at Liverpool, he improved every year. Then it was in his fifth year that he won the league.
“So you want to see improvement – that’s what United fans want, as well as exciting
football, which we’ve seen at times. But just get closer and then have a real go at the
Premier League.”
Neville and Giggs – part-owners of League Two Salford City – know United still have work to do to close the gap on the top two, despite last season’s third-place finish.
Asked if United could mount a title challenge this season, Neville said: “It’s out of the question for me, if you ask me today, with the squads that they’ve got.
"If United were to sign two outstanding forwards, an amazing centre-back and a fantastic left-back in the next three weeks, then maybe.”
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