Five years after Manchester United should have strengthened its squad and invested heavily in the transfer market, Louis van Gaal is doing what Sir Alex Ferguson did not do before retiring.

Ferguson led United to the Premier League title in 2013 before handing over the reins to David Moyes. While United was the champion, weaknesses in the side were obvious and it was only the sheer force of Ferguson's personality and his experience that covered over the cracks in the squad. Despite the side's success, Tom Cleverley, Jonny Evans, Rafael, Shinji Kagawa, Chris Smalling and Anderson never really looked the standard expected at Old Trafford while Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were footballing pensioners.

My argument is weakened by the fact United was champion, but Ferguson should have moved most of those players out and replaced them with those who could take the club forward. He left his successor probably the worst title-winning team in Premier League history.