The Dutchman says it will be too late once Van Gaal realises his mistake

Gullit says United's defensive weakness was obvious and that their new manager has 'the wrong idea about the Premier League'

In his De Telegraaf column Gullit says he is amazed by United's transfers

Ruud Gullit has launched a damning critique of Louis van Gaal’s transfer strategy at Manchester United, claiming that his compatriot has badly mis-judged the nature of Premier League football by signing mainly attacking players.

Former Chelsea manager and European Footballer of the Year Gullit has previously been a supporter of van Gaal, notbaly duirng the World Cup when he backed the manager’s tactics for the Holland national team when van Gaal was under attack from the likes of Johan Cruyff.

But Gullit is perplexed by the signings of Van Gaal at Manchester United, with the likes of Angel Di Mario, Radamel Falcao, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo coming in for £170million even though United have neglected to sign central defenders.

Louis van Gaal has had a rough start at Manchester United and is suffering a defensive crisis

Ruud Gullit says Van Gaal made big errors in the transfer window and doesn't understand English football

And the former AC Milan player thinks that van Gaal has put too much faith in the attacking insticts of Dutch football, failing to understand the Premier League.

Gullit said: ‘How on earth is it possible that such an experienced and successful manager thought he could start the season at Man United without buying a couple of really strong central defenders?

‘I am still amazed by his buying and his transfers. If you only strengthen the midfield and the attack, than you are underestimating the level and the power of the Premier League. If you want to survive in the top flight of English football you start with the foundation and you build the roof of your house last. Van Gaal has done it the other way round.

‘After the departure of Nemanja Vidic to Inter, and Rio Ferdinand to QPR it was obvious that new central defenders were needed. And he had 200 million in his chequebook to spend. If you don’t use part of that to buy strong, experienced central defenders you have the wrong idea about the Premier League.

Van Gaal has managed the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich but this may be his toughest task

Gullit says he wants his countryman to be successful but it will take at least three months to sort things

‘Now matters are even worse because of all the injuries in his defence. He is having to fill one gap after another. And if you have so many injuries and you have not bought the defenders, than you are doing something wrong at your club.’

And Gullit, writing in his Dutch newspaper column in De Telegraaf, claimed that by the time Van Gaal has realised his mistake and fixed the team, it will be too late. ‘I do want him to be succesful at Man United, but by the time he has repaired his team at the back, it will another three months down the road.

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic both left United in the summer and have not been replaced

‘I feel that his transfer policy at United and his choice to buy only midfielders and attackers is down to his Dutch background. In Holland he grew up only thinking about attacking football.

‘Van Gaal is learning lessons right now. He sees that his defenders are having to deal with the strongest strikers in the world. They bash into his young defenders. In England there are different laws in football. Just look at Gerard Pique. At Barcelona he has become one of the best defenders in the world. At Man United he could not get a look in.’