New Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick doesn’t expect to be challenging title-chasing Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea any time soon.
Rangnick's reign at Old Trafford, which is set to last until the summer, begins today as Manchester United welcome Crystal Palace.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was put under increasing pressure after suffering humbling's at the hands of Liverpool and City recently - pushing the former United boss towards the exit.
The German is keen for United fans not to get carried away with what they can achieve in his six months at the club.
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“I am more than optimistic, but I also have to be realistic,” said the new United boss.
“Five weeks ago, our team lost 5-0 against Liverpool - and it could have been a lot more if we are honest.
“Against City it was 2-0 - but it could also have been more.
“It was important to win the point at Chelsea but the performance? I don’t know. They had 24 shots on goal and we had three.
“So right now, to say I will challenge the top Premier League managers in the next few weeks or months, is not realistic.
“Right now my focus is on Crystal Palace and then on Young Boys, then Norwich, then Brighton and then Brentford.
“The games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City will be in March and April - and that’s when I will answer the question about challenging them.”
Rangnick has been an inspiration for Jurgen Klopp and the former RB Leipzig manager highlighted the similarities between Klopp’s high-energy tactical approach and his own.
Although, the 63-year-old knows he can’t expect his player to become ‘pressing monsters’ in the early days of his time at Old Trafford.
“Well my football is definitely not a slow waltz!” Rangnick said when asked if he can replicate Klopp’s ‘heavy metal football’.
“Jurgen and myself have known each other since 1997. I was not his mentor - that was a coach called Wolfgang Frank - but we have always been in contact and had a good relationship with each other. We respect each other and that will continue.
“I am not that far apart from Jurgen in terms of our ideas about a style of football. That’s no secret.
“But you have to be aware of what kind of players you have and where they stand.
“I cannot ask them things that they can’t deliver right now.
“I have to take them and accept where they currently are. They are experienced and smart enough to know that.
“I cannot turn the players we have into the pressing monsters I want them to be within two, three or four weeks.
“The same happened to Jurgen when he came in the middle of the season and they finished eighth or ninth.
“Liverpool had a lot of injuries in that time - muscle injuries - because they were not used to that kind of training.
“So we have to be smart.”
