Manchester United Manager Louis Van Gaal Can Silence Doubters with Liverpool Win

Manchester United have everything to gain at Anfield on Sunday. Not quite nothing to lose, because defeat would lengthen the odds of Louis van Gaal's side finishing in the top four. But still, they have everything to gain.

It's not yet must-win for United. But by the end of the weekend, they could have beaten their most fierce rival in their own backyard and opened up a five-point gap between themselves and Liverpool with eight games to go.

The race for the top four and next season's Champions League won't be decided until the final weeks of the season. But it would be a statement of intent ahead of what will be a pressurised run-in, while at the same time putting a dent in Liverpool's ominous momentum.

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None of this will be lost on Van Gaal. He's astute enough and experienced enough to know a big game when he sees one. 

He doesn't like talking about individuals, preferring instead to always focus on the group. But of everyone in United's party who will make the short trip to Merseyside this weekend, he has perhaps the most riding on the result. 

Wins at Anfield are valued by the fans above anywhere else. United used to win at Manchester City regularly, while Chelsea and Arsenal are, relatively speaking, new rivalries. 

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In the buildup to this latest clash with Liverpool, most United fans will insist the game is still their biggest of the season, despite the two teams sitting fourth and fifth in the table. It might not be a cup final or a title decider, but the loathing is as strong as ever.

The atmosphere would still be fierce if this was a mid-table dead rubber. But United have a chance to puncture Liverpool's hopes of getting back into the Champions League, as well. Five points is a big gap when there's only eight games to play.

It would be the kind of result that could change the perception of a season. Van Gaal hasn't won too many friends since taking over David Moyes. But masterminding a win at Anfield, especially one that would mean this much, would go some way to remedying that.

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Winning at Anfield would not only keep United on course to finish in the top four, Van Gaal's primary target this season, it would also show signs of progress. A hint that things are better than than they were last season. Evidence of that has, at times, been a little hard to find.

A place in next season's Champions League won't be won or lost on Sunday, despite what the hype might suggest. United can take a big step in the right direction, but nothing more than that.

It would, though, go some way to convincing the doubters Van Gaal is the right man to lead United next season. It's hard to argue with a positive result against the league's form team in this kind of pressurised situation.

The success of United's season depends on finishing in the top four. But to do it with a bit of style would buy Van Gaal more goodwill with the fans. Wins at Anfield can do wonders for United managers, especially when there's a little more riding on it than usual.