Last updated on .From the section Man Utd

Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Louis van Gaal's approach to overhauling the Manchester United squad

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Louis van Gaal is "doing the right thing" by building his own team at Old Trafford.

Speaking to MUTV, external-link Ferguson backed the Dutchman's decision "to clear the decks" at the club.

Ferguson said: "He's got the experience and coaching ability to do that."

Van Gaal spent more than £150m on new players during the summer transfer window, including a British record £59.7m on midfielder Angel Di Maria.

And 14 players, including striker Danny Welbeck to Arsenal for £16m, have been offloaded since Van Gaal's arrival.

Ferguson retired in May 2013 as Manchester United manager, but his successor David Moyes lasted just 10 months in 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 said.

Van Gaal had a difficult start to his Old Trafford career, including a dramatic 5-3 defeat at Leicester last month.

But since that loss, United have overcome a mounting injury list to secure successive wins over Everton and West Ham and move up into the top four in the Premier League.