Jamie Redknapp has claimed that Manchester United do not have enough quality players to finish inside the top four of the Premier League this season.

The Red Devils suffered a 2-1 defeat against Swansea City this weekend during Louis van Gaal's first game in charge of the club.

"It doesn't matter what formation United play, it's about the quality of the players and at United that quality is sorely lacking at the moment," Redknapp wrote in his column for the Daily Mail. "It sounds simplistic, but how many of the United team who started on Sunday would get into the Man City or Chelsea teams? Maybe Wayne Rooney at a push, but that's about it.

"In a way having a decent pre-season was the worst thing that could have happened to Van Gaal as all it did was raise expectations. The good news for him, though, is that he still has time to bring in some new faces, but who is going to want to come in?

"The way United are at the minute you could get Van Gaal, Bob Paisley and Jose Mourinho to manage them together and even they would have a job getting them back into the top four."

Man Utd return to league action with a clash against Sunderland on Sunday.