Manchester United do not have enough world-class players to win the Champions League, manager David Moyes said as he effectively wrote off his own team’s chances in Europe’s elite club competition.
The English champions have made their worst league start in 24 years after Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion marked a third loss in their opening six Premier League matches.
Their only significant transfer-window signing was Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini after their pursuit of Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas failed and media reports of interest in bringing back Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid came to nothing.
“To win the Champions League, you need five or six world-class players,” Moyes told British newspapers in comments published on Sunday.
“Look at Bayern Munich, they have it. Look at Barcelona, who had it in the past and Real Madrid, who have maybe got it now. That’s the level you have to be at to win it. We’ve not got that yet but what we have got is experience.”
United have made a bright start to their Champions League campaign, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in their Group A opener at Old Trafford earlier this month.
Their next game is a tricky trip to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
The three-times European champions have suffered disappointment in their past two continental campaigns, going out in the group stage in 2011/12 and losing in the last 16 to Real Madrid last season.
(Reporting by Sonia Oxley; Editing by Clare Fallon)
