Manchester United are still two years away from returning to the top, according to Andrew Cole, who says his old club must rediscover their consistent streak.
United have slipped down English football's pecking order since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the latest man charged with trying to rediscover past glories.
David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho all failed to guide the Red Devils back to the promised land, and Solskjaer is now in danger of suffering a similar fate after a poor start to the 2020-21 season.
The Manchester outfit are bidding to avoid a fourth successive trophyless campaign, but have already slipped to 14th in the Premier League table after seven fixtures.
Solskjaer's side are eight points behind leaders Leicester having played a game less, with a must-win clash against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford up next after the international break.
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Positive signs have been shown in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, but United have yet to show the same kind of form which saw them storm to a third-place finish in the top flight after returning from lockdown last season.
Cole doesn't think the Red Devils will compete for the title again before 2023, and has stressed the need for Solskjaer to continue adding to his squad in order to close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City.
Asked how long it will be before they get back to challenging for the top honours, the treble winner told The Mirror: “Two years. You watched the game on Sunday, Manchester City and Liverpool, that’s the level Manchester United have to get to and that’s not going to happen by next season.
“Everything is a process. It’s about consistency. In football it’s consistency and confidence and if you marry those things together then football won’t change.
“You have to be consistent in that as well. The gaffer always used to say that if you had eight or nine playing well of course you can carry the team. If you’re all playing well then who is going to beat you? You need that belief.
“We used to beat teams in the tunnel. They’d want to keep us quiet for 20 minutes but we’d want to score two in the first 20 minutes - and, from there, everything is possible.
“It’ll take two years because you have to add players, improve, add two or three players and really improve the team. That’s where you find the consistency.
“Ole is a Man United legend and of course he knows what it takes. I hope he gets as much time as is needed. When United get it right, they get it right and they dominate because they got it right.”