Ander Herrera, Manchester United’s outgoing midfielder, has issued a blunt assessment of the scale of the rebuilding job facing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

Citing Liverpool’s continuing wait for the league title, despite the impressive work done on and off during Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Anfield, Herrera believes Solskjaer faces a “tough” task that will require time and patience from supporters and United’s owners.

Herrera does not believe United are at risk of a 30-year title drought like Liverpool, and he is convinced that Solskjaer is the right man to lead them club forward, but the Spaniard made no attempt to downplay the size of the challenge facing the club’s fourth manager in six years.

United’s woeful 2-0 defeat at home to Cardiff on Sunday ensured they finished sixth, 32 points adrift of champions Manchester City. The players were due to hold a season debrief with Solskjaer and his staff at the club’s Carrington training base on Monday but that ended up being cancelled.

“I really believe in Ole,” Herrera said in a final interview before his impending departure for Paris St Germain on a free transfer this summer after five years at United. “I really believe in [his coaching staff] Michael [Carrick], Kieran [McKenna], Mick Phelan, Demps [Mark Dempsey], but I think there is a tough job ahead.