United need three top players, admits David Moyes

Boss braced for more pain as he claims last season's title stroll flattered Red Devils.

David Moyes has admitted he may have to suffer "many more blows" this season as he takes control of a Manchester United squad he believes are two elite players short and less imperious than last season's run-away title suggested.

In a brutally honest assessment of the squad that was torn apart by Manchester City at the weekend, Moyes said that the form of other sides in the Premier League race, which United won by 11 points in May, had contributed to the mistaken impression that the job he took on was ready-made for him.

The fact he felt forced to play Michael Carrick in midfield at the Etihad on Sunday, despite the player suffering flu, provides an insight into the strictures he feels he has.

Moyes said ahead of another forbidding clash, against Liverpool in tonight's League Cup third round, that "a lot of people" thought the title race was only about Manchester United last season. But "it was probably the (form) of other teams that were poor," he said. He does not feel he is short of squad players but he does feel the need to secure "two or three" players who can go straight into his starting XI, during the first transfer market he will have a genuine run at, in January. United are ready to go back for Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera.

Moyes refused to discuss yesterday's claims from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that United had also been in the hunt for Gareth Bale, as was reported last month.

"I don't think it's actually the squad," Moyes said. "I think we've got numbers. I think maybe where we've got work to do is bring players in ... to go right into the team – so that's the slightly different equation. We needed one or two who might have just gone in (to the team). But that will happen.

"Going back to that (summer) transfer window, we always said it was going to be a tough one and it was going to take a little bit more time."

Moyes clearly feels he is short of players, the fact that he preferred an ill Carrick to Tom Cleverley and Anderson says most about the latter two, while Shinji Kagawa and Luis Nani – who might get an opportunity at Old Trafford tonight – are seemingly individuals in whom he does not have faith.

It means there may be more punishment to follow Sunday's 4-1 defeat to City, he said.

"Yes, it does mean I may have to take a few more blows, definitely. Maybe even more than that. Maybe all season I have to take a few blows. But I knew this was going to be the case because I was taking over from a great manager and it was always going to take time for me to get my own ways and change things round a little bit. It doesn't mean big jobs but there are some things ... so we have to make sure we are right and get ready for the next game."

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