Ruben Amorim has confessed that he was unaware of the extent of the issues at Manchester United when he took over as manager, nor does he know how long it will take to set things right.
United will end the season in turmoil following a deeply disappointing term that spiralled further downward after Amorim left Sporting Lisbon to replace Erik ten Hag in November. The Red Devils will finish just above the drop zone if they lose at home to Aston Villa and Tottenham get a point against Brighton tomorrow - just four days after losing the Europa League final to Spurs who stamped their Champions League ticket.
Amorim expressed: "I don't have regrets, but I suffer like any Mancunian suffers to see all the things. Yes, the problems for me are deeper than I was thinking because I watch, I can feel it during training at Carrington, through all our organisation.
"It's about the stability in our club. Everything is changing, all the departments are changing. In six months, we are doing everything, so everything is more difficult.
"I think we are taking some steps to improve things. You cannot see that because results are so poor, but we are in a better place now, that I can guarantee. It's not about (transfer) windows. Sometimes we just don't know.
"Things can change fast but to reach that kind of level we need as Manchester United is going to take time. I cannot say how many windows, how many years to reach that point, but we can improve. That is clear."
United's form has been woeful under Amorim, with a mere six wins out of 24 Premier League matches and a worrying 14 losses. Only the relegated trio of Ipswich, Leicester, and Southampton have notched up fewer victories in the same timeframe.
Nevertheless, Amorim remains optimistic about the progress being made off the pitch, particularly in terms of player recruitment. The club have splurged over £1.5billion on new signings to help former managers David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ten Hag.
Amorim emphasised the importance of getting recruitment right, in a subtle dig over past decisions in the transfer market: "We need to get the recruitment right, that is clear. Some players played here and had opportunities - and then they go away and they flourish. That can happen.
"We need to look at our team, imagine a way of playing and put the right players in position to improve. I believe we are improving. We have a rule that it is not just the manager that chooses players.
"No player comes here without my approval, but the opposite is the same. That is important for not just one manager to control everything.
"We are putting all these things in place to improve the recruitment. For me, the important thing in recruitment is to know how we are going to play.
"If you have a clear idea of how to play, you can point to specific players that you want by using the data. We are making steps to improve on that aspect of our club."
Amorim went onto add that Utd are in a better state now than when he took over: "I think it's healthier. You cannot see it with the results - we now have worse results - but I think we are in a better place as a club with the small things that will be big things in the future.
"It's hard to explain everything. I don't want to touch on every point, but yes, we are in a better place. I am not happier because it's impossible to be happier, especially after Wednesday and with our results in the league.
"I am suffering like everybody, but I know what we are doing and that gives me positivity and confidence for the future."