Van Gaal unhappy with pre-season arrangements

One week, he's been in the job. One week, and not only has Louis van Gaal already decided to take on the might of Manchester United's sprawling commercial arm, but he's taken it on and won.

Asked in a press conference whether United's pre-season schedule was have a negative effect on his preparations for the coming season, he replied:

More or less, yes. We have to prepare the season and when you have commercial activities and dreadful distances, having to fly a lot and the jet lag, it is not very positive for a good preparation. The tour was already arranged and I shall adapt.

Then later, when asked whether next pre-season would be shorter, he replied:

Yes, I hope that. But they have already said that to me and I am very confident that it shall be.

Checkmate, Eddy boy. Checkmate. Hard to imagine David Moyes saying anything of the sort. Or, indeed, Alex Ferguson ... no, let's leave that thought there. The players are apparently training well ...

I have to say that is has been fantastic. Maybe you think that every trainer-coach will say that when they are new, but I mean it. The players are very anxious to do what I say and follow the instruction of my assistants. The focus of what I have seen in training sessions is top level, but we have to see if the performances are also top level.

... which is nice. United play LA Galaxy at the Pasadena Rose Bowl at 4am tomorrow morning (or 11pm tonight, if you're on the east coast of the US, or 8pm tonight, if you're on the west coast, or 5pm in the afternoon, if you're in Hawaii). At this point, anything less than a ten-goal victory will feel kind of hollow.