Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson backs the appointment of Louis Van Gaal and has backed the Dutchman’s decision to overhaul the team.
Coming into Old Trafford to replace David Moyes, Van Gaal has cut 14 players, many of whom were put in place by Ferguson, and spent over $200 million pounds on new players. It’s a personnel change many assumed Ferguson would be against but the former manager has remained quite quiet since the changing of the guard. That all ended Wednesday when he backed Van Gaal’s decision to “clear the decks.”
Speaking to MUTV in a show called Sir Alex: Life After Management (due to air next Monday), the United legend said he fully backs the Van Gaal’s approach to the job.
“Louis van Gaal has made a lot of changes and, thinking about that, actually maybe he’s doing the right thing, to clear the decks and build his own team,” Ferguson said. “Because he’s got the experience and coaching ability to do that.
“The way he’s approached it I think has been brilliant.”
After a rocky start that included a 5-3 loss to newly promoted Leicester City, things have improved at United with two wins on the trot (against West Ham and Everton), good enough for a place in the Top 4.
Throughout the interview Ferguson repeatedly insisted he has no regrets about his decision to step down from United, content on pursuing off the pitch interests and settling into his role as United director. Not that it’s been an easy adjustment, however, as last December he did have some misgivings while on vacation in the Middle East.
“It was the first time I’ve ever had a holiday in my life in December,” the Scot said. “And I’m sitting there at pool side in Abu Dhabi and I said to Cathy, ’I should be at Carrington!’”
