When Louis van Gaal talked about Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney as coaches on the pitch last week, it actually revealed far more than you might at first imagine. Football intelligence is something very few people are truly blessed with. Van Gaal was highlighting these two because of their superior football intelligence. The backdrop is a season at Old Trafford where Champions League football looks likely, but at the same time it is fair to say United have only been truly convincing in a few isolated games. Louis van Gaal has identified Michael Carrick (left) and Wayne Rooney as two of his most bright players . Van Gaal demands a level of 'football intelligence' from his players at Manchester United . United now have a eight-point cushion over Liverpool and are in good shape to make the Champions League . Van Gaal revealed why United have almost stumbled into the top four this season when he praised Carrick and Rooney. He basically said too many players at United aren’t very bright. In fact they’re pretty thick. Of course there are exceptions: Juan Mata is a cultured, classy individual on and off the pitch. Carrick and Rooney have football intelligence in abundance: hence Carrick slipping seamlessly in and out of the centre-half position mid-game at times this season, and Rooney slotting into whichever position Van Gaal asks him to occupy. The Dutchman can trust these players. Let me give you a couple of examples: last summer his first encounter with Luke Shaw was to set up a separate training regime for the teenager because he was so unfit. Shaw admitted his manager was right and accepted he need to step up his mentality at his new club. Spanish midfielder Juan Mata is another cultured, classy player in United's team . Rooney showed plenty of intelligence  to turn and volley home United's second goal on Saturday . Luke Shaw had to take part in extra pre-season training sessions to reach the necessary fitness levels . Imagine signing for Manchester United and being so unfit you can’t take part in pre-season training sessions. That’s what happened to Luke Shaw. Not very bright. Ander Herrera played well on Saturday but at one point in the first-half with United pressing he launched a ridiculous pass from the right-wing position, back into his own half. It sailed over Marcos Rojo’s head and the Argentina international had to chase back to retrieve it. It was a poor pass – that can happen. But choosing to make that pass in the first place was inexplicable. Van Gaal was clearly frustrated on the sidelines by this poor in-game management from a top player. Not very bright. Look at Phil Jones bulldozing his way into challenges and getting nowhere near the ball. I’m convinced that’s part of the reason he gets so many injuries. Not very bright. Marouane Fellaini is a good footballer, but he’s had several seasons of being turned into a target man by David Moyes. He had any football intelligence hammered out of him. He regressed – he became not very bright. Ander Herrera score twice against Aston Villa but also played a notably poor pass to Marcos Rojo . Phil Jones makes himself prone to injuries by crashing into tackles . Fellaini had his football intelligence hammered out of him by the disastrous David Moyes regime . A continental colleague told me that Van Gaal is frustrated by the lack of football intelligence he has found in the squad at Old Trafford. This is a guy used to working with erudite thinkers of the game at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. At these clubs there is a true football philosophy built up over years that has stood the test of time and stands proud despite managers coming and going. Van Gaal walked into United and found a club shorn of its direction. The dictator Sir Alex Ferguson was gone and any philosophy died with the departure of Fergie, and then Moyes's reign set the club back further. The United job is clearly far bigger than just signing Angel Di Maria and thinking everything will be fine. And this issue of a lack of football intelligence in the squad and at the club needs a long-term solution. But at 63 has van Gaal got the time to impose a new philosophy on the club, to teach that intelligence needed?
Very few Manchester United players possess the intelligence demanded . Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata can claim to have it . The Dutchman suggested some of his other players lack brains . Luke Shaw wasn't fit enough when he arrived last summer . Phil Jones thunders senselessly into tackles and gets injured . Even Ander Herrera is guilty of playing senseless long balls . Durham: Arsenal only turn it on when the pressure is off . Adrian Durham: Sterling would be earning the same as Balotelli if he signed £100,000-a-week deal at Liverpool... that's the real issue here . CLICK HERE for all the latest Manchester United news .