Eric Cantona is confident Manchester United will be challenging for all the honours soon

United are 12 points off the top four after their 3-0 reverse to Manchester City on Tuesday, and the team's only chance of silverware this season is the Champions League.

Current holders Bayern Munich stand between the Old Trafford club and progress to the semi-finals, but United fans are fretting over the prospect of missing out on next season's Champions League.

Cantona said: "Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world. They have been at the highest level for 20 years, and I think they will come back very, very soon.

"At every big club it is sometimes like this, but they have proved in the past they have the level to come back and I'm sure Manchester United will come back very soon."

And Cantona believes David Moyes will be given time to rebuild the United squad after a difficult first season in the job, having replaced Sir Alex Ferguson last summer.

"I think he has a long-term project. At the moment it is not very good, but maybe next year it will be great and everybody will see. But I think he is strong enough to handle the pressure," Cantona added.

Paul Scholes also feels United should stand by Moyes and back him in the transfer market.

Moyes has already shelled out £27.5million on Marouane Fellaini and £37.1million on Juan Mata since taking the reins at Old Trafford.

However, Tuesday night's 3-0 defeat by rivals City marked the sixth time this season that the reigning champions have been turned over at home in the Premier League.

They have also slipped 15 points behind Manuel Pellegrini's title chasers in the table but former Red Devils star Scholes, a guest pundit on Sky Sports' Football Special, is of the opinion that United must back their manager.

"You have to," said Scholes. "He's only nine months into the job. You have to stand by him.

"OK, he's made a couple of signings that haven't quite worked out yet, as he would have liked.

"In the summer, he's going to need backing - there's no doubt about that. Was he backed as well as he could have been last summer? I'm not too sure. But this summer, he has to be backed - and I think he knows he needs players."