Van Gaal’s title vow and pledge to rule Europe

United suffered one of their most humiliating results in recent memory on Tuesday when they were thrashed 4-0 by MK Dons in the Capital One Cup.

For the supporters who made the long trip down to Buckinghamshire, the idea of soon participating in a Champions League final will probably seem like nothing but a pipe dream.

But Van Gaal is sure that is where United are heading under his stewardship.

The Dutch coach, who has won European football’s biggest prize with Ajax, is sure he can pick his team up this year and finish in the top four despite their poor start.

Van Gaal wants to win the Premier League in 2015-16 and he then has his sights set on being crowned European champions the following May.

“I hope we are in the top four this season because the Champions League suits a club like United, and then maybe the next step is to be champions and then the next step is to be the winners of the Champions League,” the United manager said.

Given the way that his team crumbled against League One opposition three nights ago, Van Gaal clearly has a lot of work to do. But that does not deter the 63-year-old, who is used to proving his critics wrong.

At Barcelona, the club stood 10th after 14 games of the 1998-99 season but ended as champions. With Bayern Munich 11 years later, Van Gaal’s side were seventh after 13 matches but won the Bundesliga. And not two months ago Van Gaal defied a wave of public pessimism to lead the Netherlands to the semi-finals of the World Cup, where they lost on penalties to Argentina.

“When I started with the Dutch national team [in 2012] no-one believed we could qualify [for the World Cup],” Van Gaal said.

“After that they said we wouldn’t have any chance to get through the group stage, and after that [they said] ‘we’ll lose against every opponent’.”

Speaking in Carrington ahead of today’s meeting with Burnley, Van Gaal issued a very blunt response to a question about whether he has ever had any doubts in his own ability.

“No,” he said, before then taking aim at his critics.

“I have read your articles and I was the king in the United States [where Van Gaal won five consecutive matches on tour].

“Now I am not, but I am the same Louis van Gaal with the same record and same philosophy.”

But despite Van Gaal’s optimism, and the record-breaking €75m transfer of Angel di Maria, the facts paint a very bleak picture about the first three weeks of United’s season.

In fact, United’s start has been the stuff of nightmares. Confidence within the squad has been hit by the draw at Sunderland and defeats to Swansea and MK Dons. And Van Gaal thinks the task ahead of him will not get any easier when he takes his team to Burnley.

“They will play with a lot of passion, a lot of long balls, but you have to fight against it,” he said.

“It will be a very difficult game but we have to show we can play football, that we can pass the ball in spite of the pressure of Burnley.”

Van Gaal will leave any transfer business in the hands of Ed Woodward this weekend.

United are expected to be among the busiest clubs in the market before the transfer window shuts at 11pm on Monday. But Van Gaal will play a very limited role in the comings and goings at the club’s training ground. Instead, it will be the club’s executive vice-chairman who will be negotiating any deals.

“Ed Woodward is doing the transfer market so I don’t interfere in that process,” the United manager said. “I am not the one who can choose. I am the sportive side, he is in the buying and selling side.”

He expects to have a new-look squad available to him on Tuesday once all the deals have been completed.

The former Dutch coach revealed on Thursday he has informed those players who he feels are surplus to requirements

Van Gaal will not force those on the periphery out of the club if they do not want to go, though.

“I gave my opinion and the player can do what he wants with that opinion,” he said.

For his part, Burnley manager Sean Dyche believes it will take time for United to adapt to van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation because it is so “radical.”

“I think the word ’crisis’ is harsh looking at their players,” said Dyche. “They’ve got some fine players. With tactical formats, I do think the 3-5-2 is the most radical change so it takes time for that to work. The power of Manchester United and the market means he may have ideas and designs over the next few days to get certain players who can do roles he feels that are not being done as well.

“I don’t know him, I’ve never worked with anyone who knows him. It will be interesting to have a coffee with him and ask him (about 3-5-2). I don’t know whether I’d get that chance but I would be interested in that. I’m a young manager learning and I’m always interested to hear what they have to say. If we do get that time I will ask him. From the outside it looks like he’s strong in that philosophy, he believes it can work and he’s going to mould the team accordingly and possibly add to it as he sees fit.”