Former England striker Alan Shearer has warned that Manchester United could be dragged into a relegation battle following what he described as a disastrous start to their campaign.

The Premier League legend expressed concern over the club’s performances, arguing that there were few signs of improvement despite the pressure mounting on the manager and the club’s leadership.

Shearer said United’s position, just one point above the relegation zone, was worrying and placed them among the teams potentially at risk of dropping out of the Premier League.

Speaking during Manchester United’s Champions League encounter with AS Roma, Shearer said the club’s poor league position and disappointing performances had placed them in a dangerous situation.

“You have to put them in the bracket where they are in danger of relegation. They have had a disastrous start. I think they are one point off the bottom three,” Shearer said.

He added that the absence of visible improvement had increased pressure on manager Michael Carrick and the club’s directors, describing United’s decline as incredible.

United had slipped to 17th in the Premier League after a nine-match winless run, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone.

The warning came as United fell 2-0 behind Roma at Old Trafford, with Matias Soulé and Donyell Malen scoring early for the Italian side.

However, United produced a dramatic comeback to win 3-2, with Bruno Fernandes scoring from the penalty spot before Matheus Cunha struck twice late in the game.