United legend Hill says 'mediocre' side is worst he's seen at Old Trafford in 30 years

By OLIVER WILSON

Published: 05:55 EST, 18 January 2014 | Updated: 05:55 EST, 18 January 2014

Former Manchester United midfielder Gordon Hill has slammed his former club, calling this season’s United side ‘mediocre’ and the worst side he’s seen at Old Trafford in three decades.

Hill also believes that Sir Alex Ferguson knew that trouble was around the corner at United last season, and was happy to jump ship leaving someone else to deal with this average group of players.

'We’d call [the position Ferguson left David Moyes in] high and dry', began the 59-year-old.

Slammed: Former Manchester United midfielder Gordon Hill (left, in the 1976 FA Cup final defeat to Southampton) has slammed this current team as the worst in three decades

Struggling: Hill says former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has left David Moyes 'high and dry'

Work to do: United are currently floundering in seventh place in the Premier League table

'You’re looking at players now, at United, that are coming to the end of their life cycle in the game and I think Alex Ferguson knew that. 

'He left Moyes with a side that won the league, but there was a lot of dead wood that needed to be sorted out and I think David has inherited so much of it that he’s getting bogged down with the way he’s playing, with who he shifts, who he moves, who he goes for.'

Hill, who made more than 100 appearances for the club between 1975 and 1978, was part of the FA Cup winning side of 1977 along with other United legends such as Sammy McIlroy and Steve Coppell, but rather than reflecting past glories from his heyday, Gordon reflected on the current crop of players at the club.

Coming to the end: Sir Alex Ferguson left the club because he knew the best players were getting past their peak, says Hill

Silverware: Hill (second from right) was part of United's 1977 FA Cup winning team

'I think this is the worst United team I’ve seen for 25-30 years,' continued Hill. 

'We haven’t got the calibre of player. We can’t keep relying on [Wayne] Rooney. Once you isolate Rooney the game stops. [Robin] Van Persie’s got injuries and that’s a question mark.

'You’ve got Danny Welbeck who sometimes looks as though he’s the finished product, but he’s not the finished product. You’ve got Smalling, who has got to learn that Man United is Manchester United.

'Are you telling me Smalling is better than Wes Brown? Are you telling me Smalling is better than John O’Shea? Now all of a sudden, we’ve got mediocre players, and if you’ve got a mediocre player who can’t step up, you can’t challenge in the Champions League.

Improvement? Hill says that Chris Smalling (left) is not an improvement over departed players like Wes Brown

'You’ve got Nani, who should be a winger. Ashley Young, he’s neither here nor there, and what’s happening at the moment is it’s like chaos completely in the club, to find out what is the best way to play, the best system to play and who are the best players to get results.

'Every single game it seems to be a different formation, a different style, a different player out there. It’s like it’s a toss up on a Friday to find out whose going to go into the team.'

United head to Chelsea on Sunday looking to finally put themselves in the Premier League spotlight for the right reasons this season. 

However, with Jose Mourinho’s side looking to keep up with both Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table, three points won’t come easily to the Red Devils on their trip to London.

Tough task: Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face Jose Mourinho's title-challenging Chelsea

'It’s a mammoth task,' added the sympathetic Hill, who still stands by Moyes as being the right man for the job. 

'United supporters are very patient, very demanding and very loyal. Now they might come to terms with the fact that the club wont get any silverware [this year] and that it’s a rebuilding process, but how long are they going to wait for this rebuilding process to take place and take shape?

'I think the second part of this season is going to be the most important part of the season David Moyes has ever faced.'