Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville has admitted that it is a "big ask" for the club to retain their Premier League title.
Going into the festive fixtures, David Moyes's side are eighth, some eight points behind current leaders Liverpool.
While Neville has insisted that their position would improve greatly with three victories over the Christmas period, the pundit and England coach has conceded that there is probably too much ground for United to make up.
"If there's one team that has to falter you can put pressure on them but for four or five is a big ask and that's assuming that United are going to go on a long unbeaten run themselves and that's yet to be seen," he told Sky Sports News.
"I think there are too many questions at this moment in time. However, if they were to win the three games in the next week with Chelsea playing Liverpool, Liverpool playing City, Chelsea have played Arsenal, they're all going to take points off each other so you could argue that they might be six or seven points off at the end of this period."
On Boxing Day United travel to Hull City, before taking on Norwich City at Carrow Road two days later.
