Erik ten Hag has snubbed Premier League leaders Arsenal when naming Manchester United's biggest challengers.
Arsenal are enjoying a remarkable season under Mikel Arteta and are five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, with the season scheduled to resume on Boxing Day.
The Gunners are already 11 points ahead of Manchester United, who are currently fifth in the table – one point outside the top four.
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Ten Hag has been tasked with transforming United back into a team capable of challenging for major honours, with the club's last trophy coming five years ago under former manager Jose Mourinho.
Ten Hag names United's biggest threats
Last month, United's owners – the Glazer family – announced they are considering selling the club, with many fans hoping that new investment will catapult their side back to the summit of English football.
Ten Hag has warned the club's supporters that money does not always guarantee success, particularly in a competition as competitive as the Premier League.
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He feels there are as many as eight teams that can challenge for the title but seemingly forgot about Arsenal when naming those sides.
"There's a change in circumstances when you compare [the Premier League] with five or 10 years ago," he said.
"The competition is much tougher.
"Newcastle are coming, even West Ham, maybe not now in the table but they have huge investment.
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"Spurs definitely and I don’t need to talk about [Manchester] City and Liverpool or Chelsea. You can quickly count seven or eight clubs that can compete in this league.
"It's also about strategy not just money. But it's clear that when you don’t have the right players and quality players you will not be successful and achieve the targets you set."
United return to competitive action against Burnley in the Carabao Cup round of 16 on December 21.
They will then face Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on December 27 in their first Premier League match after the winter break.
Topics: Football, Erik Ten Hag, Arsenal, Manchester United, Premier League
Rory O'Callaghan