New head coach Ruben Amorim says Manchester United are “a massive club but not a massive team” as he tries to steer them back towards the top of the English game.
United have improved since Erik ten Hag was sacked on 28 October.
But Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat at Arsenal, combined with results elsewhere, means they have climbed just one place in the Premier League table to 13th since Ten Hag’s exit.
Amorim, whose team host Nottingham Forest on Saturday (17:30 GMT) admits his side were second best at Arsenal – and that the game provided a reality check.
“That is very clear,” he said. “We are a massive club but we are not a massive team. We know it, so there is no problem to say it.”
That, however, does not mean the club should reset their targets, according to Amorim, who began work as United boss on 11 November.
He said he accepts the storied history of the club means the demands will always be sky high.
“We’re not one of the best teams in the league,” he said. “We have to say and think that clearly.
“But [in] our past, our club is maybe the best one in the league. So here we have a problem. We have to focus on the little details, then we will improve as a team.”
At the start of his reign, Amorim said he wanted his players to work hard.
United’s players have, over the past few years, faced accusations of lacking effort, during a turbulent period which has brought the arrival and departure of a series of managers.
The issue presently is the number of games they are playing. Amorim has started his time at United with 11 games in 37 days – his old club Sporting have seven in the same period – which makes it impossible to develop fitness.
And not until that happens can supporters expect their team to be challenging again.
“If we want to win the Premier League, we have to run like mad dogs,” said Amorim. “Even with the best starting XI on the planet, without running they will win nothing.”