Teddy Sheringham hits out at Man Utd chief Omar Berrada's ‘dreamlike' comments
Rivals Liverpool rubbed salt into the wound by equalling United's record of 20 English league titles – their second since the Old Trafford club last lifted the Premier League when Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out as champion in 2013.
Ruben Amorim's side look some way off challenging and fulfilling the club's 'Project 150' vision to mark their 150th anniversary in 2028 by winning both the men's and women's league titles.
Chief executive Berrada this month underlined his confidence in fulfilling the goal and told United We Stand 'I firmly believe that we can do it' – but Sheringham thinks such a timescale can be unhelpful.
'Omar Berrada's comments are dreamlike,' the former United striker told Sky Bet. 'In football clubs, you've got to have small steps to get to places and if you see those small steps and are encouraged and moving in the right direction, that's when you start looking positively (at the future).
'But when people come out with quotes like that, it can be pie in the sky when you've got to give the manager time to get things right.'
Quite whether Amorim will get that patience and belief is another thing given the Portuguese's struggles since taking charge in November.
The United head coach retains the hierarchy's backing, but Sheringham says he can ill afford a slow start to the season.
'For Manchester United, the results must improve,' the 1999 treble winner said. 'It can't go on like this.
'The way the talk is – 'it's alright, we're gearing for next year, everything is OK for next season' – but I think they're a long way off being anything like the Manchester United of old and the pressure will be on Ruben Amorim, without a doubt.
'If he starts the season like the end of last season, there is only one way things will go.'
Sheringham hopes United come out 'all guns blazing and rip Arsenal apart' in their season opener on August 17, when Amorim will be hoping to have more firepower in place.
Matheus Cunha has joined from Wolves and the Red Devils are pushing to sign Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, but questions remain about the striker position given Rasmus Hojlund's struggles
'We've been speaking about Rasmus Hojlund for a good couple of years now,' Sheringham said. 'First and foremost, I still think he's a decent striker, I just think he's been starved of service at Manchester United.
'The way they play, they play with two out-and-out wingers, no real support apart from Bruno Fernandes getting forward. It's all about the service for centre-forwards and he's had none.
'I struggle to think about any striker that you could put in there, that would suffer from the same service and still score goals.
'You'd have to be some player like Didier Drogba who did things on his own at times, to score goals. Being a young man as Hojlund is and coming into a new country and into the Premier League, trying to understand it, I think he's had a tough ride.'
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