RENE MEULENSTEEN believes Manchester United remain a shadow of the club he and Sir Alex Ferguson left behind.
The Dutchman won the Champions League and three Premier Leagues during his six years as No 2 to Fergie, who retired in 2013.
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He says one look at Jose Mourinho’s teamsheet — and the eight-point deficit to leaders Manchester City — proves United are far from being back to their past best.
Ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby, Meulensteen said: “At the start of the season, I think a lot of people were thinking United were closer to being back up there than they actually were.
“You constantly have to compare them with their biggest competitors and within the Premier League that’s City and probably Chelsea.
“Then take the best European teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and look at individual for individual. Would you change David De Gea for any of their goalkeepers? No, he is world class.
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“But are there any of the back four you would change for any other players? Yes, there would be.
“In certain areas, United have got some good quality — but they are not there yet.
“In the time of Ferguson, we had quality in every single position.”
Meulensteen, who now manages Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters, also thinks there is “instability” at Old Trafford which was never there during his time.
He said: “Do not underestimate the strong foundation that Ferguson put into place over 26 years.
“There was stability, continuity. The expectations are still there but the level of football isn’t.”
Meulensteen reckons Mourinho will come under scrutiny if City pull further ahead in the title race.
He said: “That gap with Man City can’t go any bigger because otherwise you are going to get: ‘Oh, here we go again’.
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“And then a lot of speculation starts to surround the club and Mourinho — and it’s not good. That’s what I mean by stability and continuity.”
Nobody would be surprised if Mourinho parks the bus against City tomorrow.
But Meulensteen says being solid at the back was also a big thing for Fergie.
He added: “Mourinho is pragmatic. He calculates things, he minimises risk.
“Ferguson was the opposite — he maximises opportunities from the attacking sense. But we didn’t neglect that defensive side at all.”
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