Speaking exclusively to DAZN, former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi reckons it’s just a matter of time before major silverware returns to Old Trafford and that Erik Ten Hag’s team could even challenge for the Premier League title next season
The ex-Italy international has also urged the club to consider Roy Keane as their next manager as the Irishman hints at a return to the dugout.
Rossi thinks Xavi has been restricted at Barcelona following their Champions League exit and admitted that Lionel Messi would be the best player in the MLS at the age of 80.
Is it a matter of time before Manchester United’s return to major honours?
“It's just a matter of time before Manchester United start winning major trophies again. When you have a club of that size with that sort of financial backing, it will happen.
“There will be more errors along the way, just look at all the managers that haven’t been able to have major success since Sir Alex Ferguson in Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Erik ten Hag, there have been trophies but not the ones we want.
“United need to find the right person that fits the bill, the right person that understands the culture and doesn’t try to make it unrecognisable. Their history of winning is something that you need to respect and try to adapt into your own.
“They won the Europa League under Mourinho but that’s not a Manchester United trophy, they still haven't found the right fit and that needs to be the priority.”
Can Manchester United challenge for the Premier League title next season?
“I don't think it will be a long time until Manchester United start competing for the Premier League title again. United have something that other clubs don’t have and that is their rich culture. That plays such a big part.
“They just need to appoint a manager that buys into the culture and lets that do the talking, then the players will buy into it and they will have success from that.
“That’s something you can find in players if you’re willing to spend and if United already start thinking about it and start building for next year, they can challenge next season.
“If they end the season strongly, they can again fight for the important titles from next year which the fans deserve.”
Should Manchester United consider Roy Keane as their next manager?
“When I think about potentially having Roy Keane as manager at Old Trafford, that sounds like it could be really great. It would be something very cool.
“The club should definitely think about it if they have a change in management. A man who is a legend of the club and helped build their culture, that’s exactly what is needed.
“Maybe some of the players that are not playing for the shirt would understand it more. Maybe you need someone to go into Manchester United and clean the house so to speak and build from there. It could be a great situation.”
Have Manchester United lost their identity under Erik ten Hag?
“I really don’t know if Erik ten Hag is the right man to bring glory days back to United because there has been too much inconsistency.
“For me it’s of course about the results but more because of the playing style. There doesn’t seem to be an identity to his team. The best teams always have an identity no matter who they are playing or who is on the pitch.
“We see a different Manchester United against Luton Town to the one we see against Bournemouth. Losing to the big teams now and again is normal but the identity of Manchester United has been lost.
“He’s clearly very knowledgeable and understands the game, we saw that at Ajax, but you have to look at the facts. We get glimpses and then it’s back to square one.
“He deals with the stuff off the pitch very well and all respect to him for that, but we need to see the United identity on the pitch.”
Is there too much pressure on Marcus Rashford at Manchester United?
“I said at the start of the season on my podcast that Marcus Rashford needed time to get back to his world class level, but he’s had a lot of time and he’s still not performing.
“There’s something missing and I don’t think we should blame the players around him. He needs to play at his best level so his team-mates can rise up to that standard.
“When you think about the best players in recent years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, they maintained their success and always elevated the players around them.
“Marcus Rashford just seems a bit distracted at the moment and that doesn’t help when he needs to be taking on more responsibility. Sometimes players are scared when playing for the biggest clubs in the world.
“He has to start being the leader again and demanding the ball. I hope we haven’t but we might’ve seen the best of Marcus Rashford last season, I hope not.
“When you have that opportunity to be on a big team like Manchester United every day is a blessing. If Marcus Rashford could grow into a leader then United could find themselves in a different spot next year.”
Do you still recognise the Manchester United you played for in their current form?
“I’m not sure if I recognise the old Manchester United in the current side, but the fans and their love is always the same and that’s beautiful to see.
“They’ll never give up on the club because of the joy it has brought them in the past and the culture that was created, all thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson.
“They're trying to maintain certain standards at the club, but football has changed. It’s no longer about keeping a core group of players to maintain a team and a culture.
“It’s about who’s going to be the next best player for two or three years and then they’re gone. It’s harder for players to feel attached to the shirt when things change so quickly.”
How would you compare Spanish and Italian football to the Premier League?
“Other leagues have a long way to go to catch up to the Premier League. Mainly in regards to marketing and bringing their product to the consumer. They’re doing a great job when it comes to growing the league and the product has also been great to watch.
“In Serie A, for instance, it's a very old school world. You still have a lot of old Italian owners who want to hold on to the past and not innovate or evolve because they are too scared of the new ways.
“You do have a few ownership groups with Americans who love to work fast and bring in new ideas, but sometimes there is resistance when it comes to building new stadiums and things like that.
“But I think in Serie A the product itself on the field is very appealing. Many people care about Italian football because it has such a rich culture itself too.”
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini has been linked to Liverpool, is that a good fit?
“Gian Piero Gasperini has been a very good manager for Atalanta for so many years and he's done very, very well for them and changed their culture.
“It's different because I know how Gasparini works and I know his personality and he likes to impose things on players which every manager should. But when you reach a big club the main thing you have to respect is the culture that is already there.
“And if you don't respect it, then you're gonna find a lot of resistance. That’s what happened during his time at Inter Milan. Maybe that’s why things didn’t work out.
“But he would’ve learned from that experience and he’s an intelligent manager, he’s been doing amazingly at Atalanta so he could be a good fit for Liverpool.”
Which Serie A players would you love to see at Manchester United, maybe Victor Osimhen or someone else in Italy or Spain?
“Manchester United already have so much talent and a young number nine in Rasmus Hojlund, he took so long to score and then scored so many, he needs to find that consistency.
“Another young talent in Alejandro Garnacho and these are the players you can build around. Bringing in players doesn’t always work because they don’t fit the culture.
“Look at Casemiro, he is one of the greatest defensive midfielders of his generation but does he fit the culture?”
Xavi looks set to leave Barcelona, has he been a success?
“Xabi just understands Barcelona. He helped build that team and that culture and ever since Luis Enrique they were looking for someone to sustain that way of playing, that type of winning.
“They needed somebody like Xavi who understood the culture to bring back those ways of doing things, which is relying on La Masia and bringing in other young players who have the same approach to the game.
“The financial situations of the club kind of restricted him from getting players that fit his needs and his way of playing. Overall he has done a phenomenal job.”
Was the Manchester United culture back under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bringing the culture back to Manchester United was the way to go. I trained under him for three months and I felt certain things like the old days coming back.
“He was a product of Sir Alex Ferguson and you could feel it, staff around the club told me it was night and day compared to Jose Mourinho’s tenure. Everyone was so happy to have a Manchester United that felt like Manchester United again.
“So in my opinion they don’t need a big name manager like they had with Mourinho, they don’t need Antonio Conte or someone like that they need the right type of person.
“Look at Roy Keane, or imagine having Paul Scholes, he wouldn’t do it but that’s the type of person they need, someone to understand the culture. That will lead Manchester United back to success.”
What impact has Lionel Messi had on the MLS?
“The expectation of Lionel Messi coming to the MLS has nothing to do with performance on the pitch - it’s all about the league performance off the pitch.
“It was about how much Messi could generate from his short period at the time and I think they've done it.
“If you look at the TV rights and the merchandise it has skyrocketed, everything is going just as they planned it.
“If you look at him on the pitch, he could be 80 years old and still be the best player on the field in the MLS. Everyone loves to see him because he is the greatest of all time.
“The problem is about when he's done and he wants to hang up his boots, who is going to fill that void in the MLS? I feel like that is going to be a problem.”
You played with Cristiano Ronaldo, would you put him above Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate?
“They both bring different things to the game, that’s why it’s so hard to compare them. The positioning is different, the style of play is different. The interpretation of the game is different.
“Ronaldo went from a winger to being the best number nine on the planet, scoring goals is all he cares about. Messi is a goalscorer but he facilitates and I appreciate that as a player who likes to come deep and get the ball.
“He's a more cerebral player, Messi and therefore some people don't understand that part of the game, right? Those who do appreciate it more.
“So that's why I lean more towards watching Messi play. It's all about preference, it's all about preference.
“I was lucky enough to have had the privilege of playing against them during that era in Spain.”
Would you change anything about your time at Manchester United?
“It would’ve been great to continue at Manchester United after going on loan to Parma, unfortunately, it wasn't Sir Alex Ferguson's decision.
“It was more of a decision by Carlos Queiroz, who brought in his own players. From a conversation I had with him I could tell that he wouldn't be relying on me.
“He had a big influence on decision-making and would lean on the players he wanted and I understood that, I wasn’t going to continue to grow as a player there.”
What would you consider the best season of your career, did injuries get in the way?
“Back in 2013/14 I scored 16 goals in 21 games for Fiorentina and that was one of the best, I felt unstoppable in certain moments and you get addicted to it.
“I also felt that three years earlier when I scored 32 goals in a season for Villarreal. It’s just a shame that my career was always interrupted by injuries.
“But I did have that feeling of being invincible and I just wish it would’ve lasted. It was broken up by injuries but you can only control what you can control and that’s what I did. The rest you have to learn to live with.”
Live on DAZN PPV: Canelo vs. Munguia on May 4. Click here for details.