Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson believes Van Gaal is the right man for the jobReuters

Sir Alex Ferguson has been pretty quiet since leaving Manchester United at the end of the 2012-13 season. The manager was not that vocal during David Moyes' the-sooner-forgotten-the-better-say-the-Manchester-United-fans tenure, and the legendary manager has been quite quiet following the appointment of Louis Van Gaal as well.

The new Manchester United boss has not had the greatest of starts to his managerial career at Old Trafford, but there have been signs of improvement of late, with the new signings – and there have been several of them – slowly getting integrated into the side.

Manchester United, after all, spent an unprecedented amount of money in the summer transfer window as Van Gaal looked to pick up the pieces from the Moyes era, and the club are expected to be a little more busy when the transfer window opens in January.

Ferguson, though, understands the need for an overhaul of the squad, which he guided so brilliantly to the title in 2013, and believes Van Gaal is the right man for 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 told MUTV during a show which will be aired later this week called 'Sir Alex: Life After Management'.

"Because he's got the experience and coaching ability to do that. The way he's approached it, I think he has been brilliant."

While Ferguson insisted he has absolutely no regrets about calling it a day after a remarkable career in management, the Scot admitted there was one time when he missed the rigours and the Premier League.

"It was the first time I've ever had a holiday in my life in December," Ferguson said. "And I'm sitting there at poolside in Abu Dhabi and I said to Cathy [his wife], 'I should be at Carrington!'

Ferguson will be watching on keenly as Van Gaal looks to get Manchester United, at least, back into the top four, after a disastrous season last time out, when they finished a meagre seventh.

The Dutchman will hope the injury worries, which have caused him a few headaches since coming to Old Trafford, will ease up, while the exciting attacking line continues to blossom.