Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United face a "big uphill task" to finish in the Premier League's top six while goalkeeper David de Gea was at a loss to explain the team's struggles after the 1-0 loss to struggling Newcastle United on Sunday.
Matthew Longstaff's second-half winner proved the only goal of the game at St James' Park as United's miserable run of form continued. The 20-time English league champions are now 15 points behind leaders Liverpool heading into the international break.
Solskjaer's side had plenty of possession on Tyneside but lacked any end product, with England striker Marcus Rashford barely having a sight of goal all afternoon.
A United line-up missing the likes of Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard looked powder-puff against a defence that leaked five goals last week against Leicester City.
While Solskjaer rightly pointed to the absentees, he said there was no quick fix for United's current malaise which stretches back to the latter stages of last season.
"It will take as long as it will take," he said when asked for a realistic time frame for the club's fortunes to revive. "I can't give you a time but we will get there. We have given ourselves a big, big uphill task to get in the top four, never mind the top six.
"We need to get a run together and get the confidence back. If you only walk on sunny days you will never get to your destination.
"It's disappointing, but we know where we want to get to."
Solskjaer said he would try and "evaluate" the opening eight Premier League games, from which United have only nine points - their worst start to a league campaign since 1989/90 -during the two-week international break.
"We are disappointed, of course," the Norwegian said. "The boys worked their socks off. But we don't create enough chances to win a game of football."
De Gea, meanwhile, said it was the worst moment for the club since he joined in 2011.
Asked what was missing, the Spaniard said: "Everything. There is lots to improve. We just try to keep trying and fighting, improving every day. It's a hard moment for us.
De Gea also admitted this was as tough as he had known it at United since moving from Atletico Madrid, saying: "Yes, it probably is the most difficult time since I've been here.
"I don't know [why it is tougher than before]. I don't know what is happening, we cannot score even one goal in two games. It's difficult to say something, sorry to the fans, we will keep fighting for sure, we will come back, but at the moment we are in a difficult situation."
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Richard Jolly's Premier League team of the week
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Newcastle moved out of the bottom three and are only a point behind United. Manager Steve Bruce, a former United defender and captain, had never won as a manager against his old club but did so at the 23rd attempt.
"I've waited something like 20 years for a result against Man United. I'm delighted for everybody," he said.
"I hope this is the turning point. I know I'm not going to be everyone's cup of tea but the nonsense that flies around is insulting. Hopefully this helps the cause."
United's next game is at home against Liverpool who have a 100 per cent record after eight games and lead the table by eight points. The Reds have won their past 17 league matches stretching back to last season.
"That's a perfect game for us," Solskjaer said. "The international break is also at the perfect time because their heads need a bit of airing."
