Former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish believes that Manchester United will finish third in the Premier League this season.

United kicked off the David Moyes era with a 4-1 win away to Swansea City yesterday.

However, despite the winning start to the new campaign, Dalglish feels that Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement will leave the champions significantly weaker than they were last season.

"The changes will make United vulnerable and I think both Chelsea and Manchester City will finish above them, probably in that order," Dalglish wrote in his column in The Mirror.

"The return of Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge will have given everyone at the club a lift. City should be strong, too, if Manuel Pellegrini can adapt to the Premier League. They've bought well and my guess would be that their spending is not yet over.

"I'm sure United won't fall off the edge of a cliff. Moyes is too good a manager for that to happen. He would have liked to sign someone but is probably just being a bit cautious at the start of his spell in charge at a new club."

Dalglish left Liverpool in the summer of 2012.