Van Gaal needs time to succeed at Manchester United - Pelle.

The 29-year-old - who won the Eredivisie title with the Dutchman when both men were at AZ Alkmaar - insists it is too soon for his former boss to be fairly judged.

Louis van Gaal's work at Manchester United cannot be judged after just two months, according to Southampton striker Graziano Pelle.

United are languishing in 12th in the Premier League and boast just one win from their first six matches, despite splashing out over €190 million on new players over the course of a busy summer transfer window.

Pelle, meanwhile, has made an instant impact in English football, scoring four goals in his first seven appearances since completing an €10m summer move to St Mary's Stadium from Feyenoord.

But the 28-year-old - who won the Eredivisie title under Van Gaal in 2008-09 while the two men were at AZ - insists it is far too soon to accurately assess the effectiveness of the Dutchman's methods at Old Trafford.

"I say that even to managers you have to give time," the Italian told Gazzetta Dello Sport.

"You cannot judge a manager after two months of work, even if they are established professionals such as Van Gaal."

Pelle also had words of praise for Saints boss Ronald Koeman, the man he followed from Feyenoord to England, with the former Barcelona star galvanising the Saints after a turbulent summer and leading them to second in the Premier League after five matches.

"He's doing well," he added. "I had no doubt. I followed him to England because with him at Feyenoord I made the leap.

"They say that scoring in Holland doesn't have the same weight as in Italy, England, Germany or Spain, but the size of the goals is the same at all latitudes, and if you mess the aim, you don't score...

"Football is a paradise here. Stadiums filled, people who incites you from the first minute, games in which you can never give up, correctness in the field. We go from the Premier to League Cup and the script is the same: play, attack and possibly win."