Louis van Gaal has insisted that he remains unfazed at the criticism levelled at him from former Manchester United players-turned-pundits Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.
Scholes, who played 718 times for United, has become increasingly critical of the club in his role as a pundit for BT Sport, recently said that the Dutchman's teams lacked "creativity and risk" and that his tactics made life harder for out-of-form captain Wayne Rooney.
Both Scholes and Neville played alongside -- and remain good friends with -- Van Gaal's assistant Ryan Giggs in United's revered Class of '92, but the manager says that it not a topic that he discusses with his No. 2.
"We don't discuss this subject because it is not interesting for me," Van Gaal told the Mail.
"You know as a manager of Manchester United, or another big club, that it shall always be like that.
"I think it is not only the friends of Ryan Giggs, it is all the ex-players that are doing that. I think the ex-players were never managers that are giving commentary, they are ex-players and that is a different profession."
Van Gaal says that copping criticism from former players is part of the Man United job description, and that comparisons to legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson are inevitable.
"When you have to compare a manager with Ferguson it will always be difficult because he has made incredible results," he said.
"It is nothing new that ex-players say things. I had it at Bayern Munich. It is society and then people shall judge. And they [pundits] are well paid to do that which is also remarkable because they don't have any responsibility, only their own words."
Van Gaal and Giggs will return to the dugout on Tuesday when Man United face CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.