Manchester United will bounce back, says former defender Paul Parker

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker insists the team's current poor league form is "not the end of the world" - but admits the Premier League title may already be out of reach.

Parker, who played for United from 1991 to 1996, winning two titles, said manager David Moyes was still the man to lead England's most successful club "on and off the pitch".

Parker was in Hong Kong yesterday as part of the latest stop on a sponsor's world tour, showing off United's 20th league trophy in 25 countries.

The 49-year-old, now a football pundit in Singapore, said people have always judged United because they have been "spoiled" by the club's phenomenal success, though he admitted morale at the club was low.

"The club is quite strong in that sense and the players [will] dig deep and this comes with experience [of being] involved in championship-winning teams, so they will come through at some point. It will be difficult to come through and be successful and retain the Premier League. That looks like a battle that maybe can't be won," he said.

"It's more important now to step up performances because United have always been judged over the years on performances. It's not always about winning but how they perform in a Manchester United way, and that's something that David Moyes himself knows. He knows there's a heritage."

Parker also said one should not judge Moyes - under fire as United lie ninth in the league after two home defeats in a row - too harshly.