Manchester United Show Progress Under Louis van Gaal in Tottenham Draw

It is a sign of the progress Manchester United are making under Louis van Gaal that draws at places such as Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are now considered "missed opportunities."

United should have won at White Hart Lane. And had Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata taken any one of their chances, they would have done.

The second half was turgid. But maybe that's to be expected when you're playing two games in under 48 hours.

United, though, should have had the game won by the time the half-time whistle sounded. 

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It prompted Louis van Gaal to say that the first-half performance was one of United's "best of the season" while the second was "not football but a battle for life."

Overall, the Dutchman concluded it was two points dropped. And he was right.

But that shouldn't cloud the fact his team are noticeably improving every week. Not so long ago, United were fortunate to draw away to Sunderland and Burnley. Then, they collapsed at Leicester City.

Now, however, home games are being won with a swagger not seen since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. They are doing enough to win away from home too, if not quite getting over the line.

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They were the better team at White Hart Lane, especially in the first half. But they are still without Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini. There is a lot still to come. 

United are now unbeaten in nine games, a run stretching back to the derby defeat to Manchester City in the first week of November. With Stoke City, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester, West Ham United, Burnley and Swansea City to come in the next seven Premier League games, there is a chance to put pressure on Manchester City and Chelsea at the top of the table.

It's still unlikely they'll end the season as champions. But if they were to stretch their unbeaten run through January and into February, they would have at least demonstrated some title-winning form. 

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The bonus is that they would be able to play without pressure in the second half of the season. Their target this season is to qualify for the Champions League, which is starting to look like a certainty. But with no European football in the new year and players coming back from injury, United have given themselves an opportunity to end the season with more.

Van Gaal branded the draw at Tottenham as "disappointing," just as he did the one at Aston Villa before Christmas. He was right, and it is proof of how far his team have come, in terms of both performance and expectations.

Quotes obtained first-hand.