The signings of Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria have led some to question how Van Gaal will go about selecting a side from a squad that already includes Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and club captain Wayne Rooney.
And Cruyff believes his fellow countryman will find it difficult to manage the various egos in his squad as he looks to improve on a start to the campaign that has seen the Red Devils fail to win any of their four competitive fixtures.
"There should be a logic always but the big problem is to manage all these players," he told The Guardian.
"It's the same thing with Barcelona. They now have Suarez, [Lionel] Messi, Neymar – how do you play them together?
"If you see them individually then, of course, they are great players. It's the same at Manchester United. Individually they are great but they have to play like a team.
"So then you get another problem. They are all famous. They earn a lot of money both on and off the field. How can you create a team and bring all these egos together?
"The main goal for Manchester United is for them to play well – and not have a player saying, 'I play well, I scored two goals'. Because if I score two goals but three goals go into our net then we lose.
"They provide [Van Gaal] with a lot of good players but he has to turn them into a team. And you can't arrange the chemistry of the team in two weeks. It needs time."
Van Gaal has previously stated that he could require up to three months to mould the 20-time English champions into a side that is able to play at the required level to challenge for silverware as they look to adapt to a new 3-5-2 formation. And Cruyff is in agreement that the former Bayern Munich coach will need time to impose himself on the team, though he does not feel that it will take a whole season to improve the side sufficiently.
"No, no [it will not take a season]. That's too long. But it doesn't mean they will win the league.
"You can see a better performance every week and you can aim for a better fit as a team in the details. And [Van Gaal] is a person of details. So it could be possible that things work.
"But, once again, can these people develop their own game for the sake of the team? It's not easy."
Van Gaal took over the helm at United following the sacking of David Moyes in April, and Cruyff admits that the former Everton boss was not the right fit after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
The 67-year-old feels that Moyes did not have the experience to handle the calibre of player available to him while at Old Trafford, though he does feel the Scot can still be seen as a fine coach after the work he did at Goodison Park.
"I still like Barca very much. I also like [Real] Madrid. Barca also went back a little because of the people they put as coaches.
"I'm not saying they're good or bad coaches but it's very difficult to control a Messi and a Neymar. If you don't control them it's a problem. It's the same thing with David Moyes and Manchester United.
"Some people can control certain players and you need that – otherwise it will not work. Moyes is a good coach – just not for Man United."
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