Van Gaal: I’ll see out contract

Louis van Gaal is adamant he will see out the entirety of his Manchester United contract despite an indifferent start to his Old Trafford reign.

Predecessor David Moyes was given just 10 months by the board as he failed to lead United to the Champions League after replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm.

Van Gaal claimed just eight points from his first six Barclays Premier League games and oversaw a humiliating 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the Capital One Cup.

But the Dutchman, who penned a three-year deal in the summer, is certain he will be given time to get it right at United and is sure he will lead them back to the Champions League before 2017.

“I didn’t have to come here to Manchester United. They asked me,” he told national newspapers.

“And I will take United back into the Champions League yes, but not at once.

“There is a trajectory and a process of three years. I have signed a three-year contract. Believe me, I shall finish that.”

United’s defence has come in for much criticism since Van Gaal’s arrival, but the manager was candid in admitting that it is experience and leadership that is currently a major factor lacking from his dressing room.

“At the time I was coming to the club, big leaders were leaving – (Patrice) Evra, (Nemanja) Vidic, (Rio) Ferdinand,” he said. “They were big leaders.

“Also, leadership is a process – you don’t go from one day to the next and become a leader.

“It’s a process and now a lot of players are in that process.”

Fellow Dutchman Johan Cruyff believes Van Gaal will bring the necessary structure to United’s game but believes the key to his success will be how the new recruits such as Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao adapt.

“They need to be organised because they were totally disorganised and normally Van Gaal is a very good organiser to put things his way and in the way that (they) should be,” he told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme.

“That’s creating the basis. From then on you have got to build.

“It depends how quickly the other players adjust themselves.”

The former Barcelona boss also believes the United hierarchy made a mistake in appointing Moyes last summer after 11 years spent in charge of Everton.

“Moyes is a very good coach because I’ve seen many many years in Everton but he’s not a coach which should fit with Manchester United because the focus for both teams are totally different.

“That’s why the biggest mistake is to ask Moyes to come to Manchester United because it’s a totally different team, a totally different mentality.

“The basic mistake was to sign him on. I think he is a great manager but not for Manchester United. He’s just a great manager for another type of team.”