Gary Neville believes that Manchester United should buy a new keeper to have a chance on a top six finish.
Sky Sports Pundit Neville won eight Prem Crowns as the right back of Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.
But Neville, 50, is rejecting from United's prospects to get this period close to the top of the tree.
And he suggested that even earning Champions League football was outside the comparison, unless Ruben Amorim can land a new no. 1.
Neville said: “The top six would be healthy for United.
“We have now passed the point where we say that Manchester United has to win the competition. That is unrealistic.
“My feeling is probably seventh, eighth is what I am looking at now.
“But without Europe they can get to the top six if they have a good run, if they get a keeper. But many things have to go their way.”
Neville, whose criticism of the last term of the United States was constantly founder as the club fell to its worst top flight finish in half a century, feels that the summer expenditure on the front has made a difference.
United, linked to PSG Gloveman Gianluigi Donnarumma – who is determined to leave the European champions – has poured out £ 200 million to land Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and now Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.
Casino Special – Best Casino Bonuses of £ 10 deposits
All three will start to start when United opens their campaign against Arsenal on Sunday.
Neville spoke at the launch of the Sky Sports Season: “If after that last defeat of the Europa League you told me that Manchester United would have a forward line of the three they have signed, I would take that, I would have broken your hand.
“I didn't think they had £ 200 million to spend.
“So the fact that they have signed those three players is good.
“I love the profile of those players, whether they are setting up, is clearly the big question.
“Two of them are proven Premier League players, although they have to increase a level.
“Mbeumo is quite solid, he is robust, he plays at Premier League level.
“He and Cunha know the Premier League, they have been on all grounds, there are no shocks for them.
“And Sesko in front. He is young, he has potential, but can he start well? That is important for him.”
He added: “Can they embed themselves at United? Can they probably get the 35-40 goals that are for those three players par?
“If they can get 40 goals – and the total of United in total last season was terrible – they have the chance to get to the top six.
“But they have to arrange those three players, and we can no longer take that for granted at United, I don't think.
“United will look at Champions League, that will be the ambition.
“Not playing in Europe should help, because there is in fact more training time, less pressure on the players, fewer injuries.
“It means that the best players can play in the competition more often and do not have those demands of a Thursday evening match.
“But we have to start the season well – and there are a number of difficult matches in the beginning.”
Sky Sports and now this season will broadcast more than 215 Premier League matches