Sir Alex Ferguson Talks Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Luke Shaw and More

Sir Alex Ferguson's absence from the Old Trafford dugout is still felt by many fans. The Scottish manager's era of success is yet to be replicated, but since Louis van Gaal took over from David Moyes, an injection of cash has seen United lay the groundwork for future triumphs.

This splurging of funds is something the Red Devils needed, according to Ferguson. He spoke in an exclusive interview with Jim Rosenthal for MUTV, discussing new players Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Luke Shaw, among others.

On the subject of Di Maria—who has impressed the most out of Van Gaal's signings—Ferguson acknowledged his British record £59.7 million fee was unavoidable in the modern age, noted by the Daily Mail:

"

That's the way the game is going today with fees like £85 million for Gareth Bale. I think when you can identify ability like that needed by Manchester United, they have the resources to do that. They are fees I never quite equalled but nonetheless they were needing quite a big injection this year.

"

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Di Maria has scored three goals and contributed three assists during his five Premier League appearances, per WhoScored.com. This excellent return has gone some way to letting Falcao regain full fitness without pressuring him in front of goal. The Colombian recently netted the winner against Everton, but Ferguson believes the club were right to lure him on loan before committing to a permanent deal, per the Daily Mail.

"The big one is Falcao who we're all waiting to see," said Ferguson. "Obviously, he has fantastic goalscoring ability. He had his injury so getting him on loan is the right thing to do."

Ferguson admitted United had previously tried to sign Shaw. The former Southampton star emerged to prominence during the 2012-13 season, when he was subject to interest from the Theatre of Dreams, reported by Kevin Palmer of the Sunday World:

The Daily Mail reported further comments from Ferguson on Shaw.

"Of course, Ed Woodward has carried that through and we got him for, I think it was £30 million," said Ferguson. "He's a talented boy, a good footballer who likes to get forward all the time."

Michael Regan/Getty Images

The former United boss also outlined Daley Blind as "one of those common-sense footballers" and Ander Herrera as a "talented young player" who's "quite aggressive" despite his lack of size.

All of the aforementioned new signings have shown their quality already for United, albeit in different manners. It's encouraging to see Ferguson backing Van Gaal's decisions, particularly because it helps distance the current manager from the former boss.

The Dutchman has stamped his own vision and authority over the squad. Although United have struggled for consistency and possess an obvious lack of world-class centre-backs, the team heads into the next run of Premier League fixtures having won its last two matches. Van Gaal is encouraged, per United's official Twitter account:

It was always going to take time to bed new players in and to find the right individuals for a successful future. Moyes was unable to follow Ferguson's tenure, and although Van Gaal is likely to receive more leeway, he will be desperate to qualify for next season's Champions League. This is the absolute minimum expected of all United managers, particularly when great funds have been deployed.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Although it is unlikely Van Gaal's tenure will come to an end if he fails this task, the experienced manager will need to use the January transfer window wisely. In a year's time, it will be telling to hear what Ferguson thinks of the current manager's tenure.

Ferguson's comments will always create headlines, but it's encouraging to see the Scot acknowledge the work being done without discussing how he he'd go about things differently. He is wise to allow Van Gaal to get on with the challenging task at hand and to distance himself. It is particularly difficult for eras of success to be followed, but with Ferguson confirming he has moved on, the fans will find it easier to do the same.