Paul Scholes has offered another withering assessment of Manchester United’s future, claiming that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will require “four or five transfer windows” to turn them into title contenders following a 1-1 draw with 10-man Southampton.

It left United on five points, their worst total from the opening four games of a season since they earned just four at the start of the 1992-1993 season, in which they went on to win the first Premier League title.

The United manager was again forced to address speculation about Paul Pogba’s future after the midfielder left St Mary’s limping following another forgettable performance.

Speaking on Premier League TV, Scholes said: “United are United. I think you almost have to write United off for the next two years, this team. I think until Ole Gunnar has cleared everything he wants out, there’s four or five transfer windows, United are going to be behind Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.”

A consistent critic of the failings of every regime since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Scholes is still yet to be proved wrong in his generally gloomy predictions for his former club. United took the lead through Daniel James, their top goalscorer with three this season, before defender Jannik Vestergaard equalised. New signing Kevin Danso was sent off in the 73rd minute for a second yellow card but Southampton held out for the draw.