Louis van Gaal has criticised the structure of Manchester United and claims even Sir Alex Ferguson had "problems" with the way the club was run. Van Gaal announced his retirement from management  earlier this month, with his last job being in the hot seat for United between 2014 and 2016.  He took over from David Moyes and was given the task of restoring the Manchester club back to the glory days of which they enjoyed under Ferguson. The Scotsman won an incredible 38 trophies with United, but Van Gaal could manage just one during his stint at Old Trafford. During his time in charge of the Red Devils, the Dutchman guided the club to an FA Cup triumph in 2016. However, he wasn't able to mount a serious title charge with the club finishing fourth and fifth under his management in the Premier League. Van Gaal was then relieved of his duties at the club in May 2016 following his FA triumph, paving the way for Jose Mourinho to take over at the side. And the 67-year-old believes his failings at the side was partly down to the current structure in place at the club along with their focus on commercial targets rather than footballing objectives. "At the moment there is a structure with a scouting division and above that is someone at (Ed) Woodward's right hand," Van Gaal told BBC Sport . "The structure is not so bad but the right hand has to be a technical director with a football view, not somebody with a banker's role. "Unfortunately, we are talking about a commercial club, not a football club. I spoke to Ferguson about this and in his last years, he also had problems with it." United appear revitalised under current interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with the club having lost just one of 13 Premier League fixtures under his guidance. They also advanced to the last eight of the Champions League after eliminating Paris Saint-Germain from the competition during the round-of-16 stage. The club's next fixture is against Watford on March 30 in the Premier League before a tie against Wolves on April 2.

Louis van Gaal is not convinced that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has changed Manchester United's style since taking over from Jose Mourinho, and believes he is guilty of "parking the bus" just like his predecessor. Solskjaer has revitalised United's form and morale since taking over on a caretaker basis following Mourinho's departure in December. Although consecutive defeats to Arsenal in the Premier League and Wolves in the FA Cup have dented their campaign, United have got themselves back into the top-four race and are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League under their former striker. No decision on a permanent appointment has yet been announced, but while admitting that Solskjaer deserves credit for creating a more positive atmosphere, Van Gaal – who managed the club between 2014 and 2016 – believes he is guilty of tactics every bit as negative as Mourinho's. "The coach after me [Mourinho] changed to park-the-bus tactics and played on the counter," he told BBC Sport. "Now there is another coach who parks the bus and plays on the counter. The main difference between Mourinho and Solskjaer is that Solskjaer is winning. "I am not there but there does look to be a change and the atmosphere seems to be better. It is also true that Solskjaer has changed Paul Pogba's position and put him into an area where he is much more important. "But the way Manchester United are playing now is not the way Ferguson played. It is defensive, counter-attacking football. If you like it, you like it. If you think it is more exciting than my boring attacking, OK. But it is not my truth. "Solskjaer has just lost twice and he has to manage that. It is very important that Manchester United qualifies for the Champions League, as it was when I was manager. "But they can also win the Champions League because they play a defensive system and it is very difficult to beat them, which, whether you like it or not, is the result of Mourinho's work." Van Gaal has also criticised Mourinho and Solskjaer for what he believes is a refusal to give young players the opportunity to impress. The Dutchman – who announced his retirement from management earlier this month – was famed for blooding youngsters throughout his illustrious career and is less than impressed with the chances afforded to young players under his successors at Old Trafford. He says: "I read something from Mourinho saying I only did that out of necessity [playing young players]. Not true. I created the necessity. "Manchester United had over 30 players. I brought them back to 23. Then I had an open selection for the youth academy. I did that at every club. That is why a lot of young players have made their debuts with me. "A lot of trainers, like Mourinho, never give youngsters a chance. Yes, five minutes. Solskjaer, 10 minutes. That is not a chance. A chance is a game. "Too much experience is not good. Then you have an automatic pilot. You always need imagination and you cannot forget how inspiring young players can be. "If you are not willing to trust young players, you are not suitable to be a manager of a club with a youth education."

Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof has said he will be pleased if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is given the manager's job on a permanent basis. The 46-year-old took charge in December on a temporary basis and has impressed so much in his first few months that many expect him to be given the job full-time. So far, from his 19 matches in charge, United have won 14, drawn two and lost just three. The Red Devils have also turned around their Premier League campaign and trail Arsenal in fourth place by just two points, while Solskjaer’s men have secured passage to the quarter-final stage of the Champions League. It is unsurprising, therefore, that Lindelof hopes the United boss is still in place at Old Trafford next season. “If he gets the job, I will be pleased,” the Swede told Sky Sports . "It's not my job to decide in the end, but, of course, I'm very happy with the things that he has done since he's arrived. I have nothing bad to say about him. "He's a legend of the club, so he knows everything about being here as a player, so when he speaks to you, you always listen. He knows what he's talking about because he has been through it all. That's also a very good thing to have “He’s been amazing since he arrived and he came here with a big smile on his face and I think that was important for all of the players. "He spoke to me and told me to do the things that I'm good at, to show my abilities and to express myself on the pitch. That was very nice to hear.” Lindelof has extra reasons to celebrate this week after becoming a father for the first time. The 24-year-old missed Sweden’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Romania and Norway to be with his partner, but he is expected to return to the United team for Saturday’s visit of Watford. After that, the Red Devils face a tricky trip to Molineux to take on a Wolves side who beat them 2-1 in the FA Cup prior to the international break, and then they welcome Barcelona to Old Trafford in the Champions League.

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer immediately declared his intention to play attacking football when he took over as manager. The Norwegian was appointed as Red Devils boss in December replacing Jose Mourinho, whose tactics and playing style had led to reports he had become an unpopular figure with some players. However, it has been a different story since Solskjaer took the managerial hot seat at Old Trafford and, under his watch, United have scored 29 goals in 13 Premier League games. They have also progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, having overcome Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 stage. That seemed impossible just a few months ago, but Solskjaer’s offensive tactics have made a real change to United’s fortunes on the pitch. “I wasn’t there when he arrived,” Lukaku said in a Twitter Q&A session.  “When I came back he was really positive. He wanted to play attractive football, score a lot of goals and win games and, for me, it sounded like music to my ears.” Lukaku has also seen a huge upswing in his own personal form since Solskjaer’s appointment. The Belgian had scored just two goals in the last 16 games under Mourinho, but netted in both of his first two matches under Solskjaer. He has continued that scoring run into the latter stages of the campaign and, in the last month, has bagged braces in wins against Crystal Palace, Southampton and Paris Saint-Germain. The striker is currently injured and missed the Red Devils' last match before the international break - a 2-1 FA Cup defeat against Wolves. He has also been forced to sit out both of Belgium’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Russia and Cyprus. Lukaku is unlikely to be fit for United’s next match against Watford on Saturday, but it is hoped he could be back in time for their Premier League clash with Wolves on April 2. The 25-year-old could have a huge role to play in the final months of the season, with Solskjaer’s men in the hunt for a top-four spot and Champions League glory. United are currently fifth in the table, two points behind Arsenal, and face Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in April.

Gareth Bale, Philippe Coutinho, Eric Dier and Raphael Varane would be dream additions for Manchester United this summer, says Phil Neville. The Red Devils are expected to spend big when the transfer window re-opens. It remains to be seen who will be calling the shots, with no decision taken as yet regarding the future of interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. If he does stay on, it has been suggested that the Norwegian will look to make at least four additions to the ranks at Old Trafford. Top talent from around the world will be targeted, with United eager to bring in proven performers and force their way back into contention for major honours. A sizeable budget will be given to whoever is at the helm, freeing them to bring in reinforcements across the field. Various options are already being mooted, with leading lights from the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A said to be in the Red Devils’ sights. Neville believes United will look to strengthen down their spine and has named the starting XI he would be looking for in 2019-20 if money were no object. There are plenty of familiar faces in his side, with David De Gea lining up between the sticks as “the best keeper in the world”. Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot take the full-back spots, although Neville was initially keen to put Juventus star Joao Cancelo on the right having previously worked with him at Valencia. He told Premier League Today, while also talking up a raid on Real Madrid for a World Cup-winning centre-half: “The two signings in the back four would be Varane from Real Madrid and Joao Cancelo from Juventus. “Cancelo, I worked with him at Valencia and have seen him at Juventus and I think he’s top drawer.” Varane would operate alongside Victor Lindelof at the heart of the back four, with the Sweden international having impressed in his second season at Old Trafford. Moving into midfield and Neville would like to see an England star acquired from rivals Tottenham and a former Liverpool playmaker returned to the Premier League from Barcelona to fill in alongside Paul Pogba. He added: “Eric Dier as the holding midfield player and Coutinho, who there has been a bit of speculation about. “You have to have British players in a title-winning team. [Ander] Herrera, Fred and [Scott] McTominay are part of the squad. [Nemanja] Matic, this season, has had a dip.” Marcus Rashford will lead the line for Neville’s new-look United, with Anthony Martial providing power and pace on the left. On the other side, the former Red Devils defender would favour a 29-year-old on the books at Real Madrid over a teenage winger making quite the name for himself with Borussia Dortmund and England. Neville said: “I’ve gone Bale. He’s ready-made. “Ole has said he wants to buy a hungry player. I think [Jadon] Sancho is that hungry player. But Bale has won Champions Leagues and played at the top level. “I don’t think wages are an issue at Manchester United. You are talking guaranteed quality who can play across the front line.”