Manchester United overseas friendlies: Louis van Gaal backs plan

With no European football on the agenda, United are looking into plugging the gap

Louis van Gaal has fewer points than David Moyes had accrued at the same stage last season with United – and Moyes had faced Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City (PA)

Louis van Gaal is fully supportive of Manchester United's plan to play midweek exhibition matches in the new year.

Managing director Richard Arnold confirmed earlier this week that United are discussing the possibility of playing glamour friendlies abroad at the start of 2015.

The matches, which could take place in the Middle East, would provide Van Gaal's team with some kind of action during the weeks when their rivals are in Champions League action.

And it could, in theory, help the 20-times English champions recover some of the money they have lost by failing to qualify for Europe's biggest club competition last term.

Van Gaal raised concerns about United's lengthy travelling during their pre-season tour of the United States, but he has no concerns about taking the squad away next year.

"We (Arnold and Van Gaal) have spoken last week with each other and also (executive vice-chairman) Ed Woodward, so I fully agree.

"I'm used to playing midweeks but I have said in the first three months (of the season) we have to wait because it's difficult enough for the players to adapt and adjust to the new play organisation and style and they shall honour that also but we shall play midweeks.

"It's good because I like to play games against high-level opponents."

PA