Louis Van Gaal unveiled: Van Gaal fears Manchester United's cash drive could damage the team

New manager expressed fears in his first press conference that commercial obligations could hamper on-field performance

The new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal (Getty Images)

The new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has immediately stamped his authority at Old Trafford by expressing fears that the club’s commercial obligations will damage their on-field focus.

United embark on a two-week United States tour on Sunday which includes a heavy commercial workload including a stop-off in Detroit to mark the new £53m per season kit sponsorship deal with locally-based Chevrolet.

“Can I fulfil their expectation? I think I can do,” Van Gaal said of his new club. “But because of the greatest of this club it’s also much more difficult than another club.

“This club is also guided in the commercial way and we have to fulfil that also. [It] is not always possible, to fulfil the commercial expectations or the football expectations. That is my biggest challenge. Maybe it will change after the US tour. I don’t know, but I don’t think so.”

United, who this week announced a £750m kit deal with Adidas, will also reap revenues from playing coast to coast in the International Champions Cup, playing LA Galaxy, AS Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Van Gaal will be without Michael Carrick for up to 12 weeks after he chipped a bone in his left ankle in training on Tuesday.