Liverpool vs. Manchester United: Key Louis van Gaal Comments from Presser

Louis van Gaal had some excellent news for Manchester United supporters ahead of their crunch clash with Liverpool this weekend, confirming that midfielder Michael Carrick has signed a one-year contract extension with the club.      

The 33-year-old remains one of United’s best midfield men, and his display against Tottenham Hotspur last time out in a 3-0 win proved he still has what it takes to play a vital role for this Red Devils team. It’s a perspective Van Gaal shares, per the club’s official website:

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He (Michael Carrick) is for me my second captain behind Wayne Rooney and he can also read the game as a team player so that’s very important.

He has also an excellent pass forward. That's very important for me.

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Carrick’s display at the base of the United midfield in the aforementioned triumph was a masterclass in playing a holding role. His reading of the game was excellent, he was strong in the tackle and his leadership in that area of the pitch is something Van Gaal clearly values.

As noted by Squawka Football, he remains far and away the best passer at the club, too:

These are qualities that are going to be so important when United take to the Anfield turf on Sunday against their most ferocious rivals. Van Gaal thinks the almighty challenge that awaits his players is the perfect chance to build on the improvements that were so prevalent against Spurs, per BBC Sport:

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I think we played very good in the first half—it was also good to have an evolution that is very positive.

[But] it says nothing when you lose the next match. Liverpool is not a ground where Manchester United have won a lot.

When we have won at Liverpool, that will have shown we have improved further.

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Liverpool can go ahead of the Red Devils and into fourth place with a win, but there is so much more on the line when these two eternal enemies square off.  

Obviously, this is a game that commands worldwide gravitas; even those on the cusp of the football stratosphere will be acutely aware of that. Being immersed in the buildup, it seems as though the Dutchman is also beginning to realise quite how significant a game it is for everyone involved with United, per the club's official website:

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I have the cook, Mike, saying that every day to the players and me. I like that as it shows that it is a very particular match, especially for the fans of Manchester United.

It also helps us to concentrate on this match.

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With tough fixtures to come in the weeks following this titanic tussle, a defeat at Anfield would put the United’s top-four chances in major jeopardy. As such, Van Gaal also revealed in his pre-match press conference that the game is quite simply a case of "must not lose":

The Dutchman also had some updates on the fitness of some important players for United. It doesn’t look as though Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo or Robin van Persie will be ready for a full 90-minute run-out on Merseyside this weekend:

Van Gaal was also quizzed on English football’s recent failures in Europe. Everton’s recent elimination from the Europa League means that this season will be the first time in 22 years that no Premier League teams are among the last eight of a major European tournament, per Infostrada Sports.

The Dutchman believes that the top sides from England need to look to the rest of the continent for templates on how to improve, per BBC Sport:

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The world is changing, it's not the same world as 20 years ago. Twenty years ago the English Premier League was up here, had a lot of money, a lot of players came to the Premier League because you are paying well and the Premier League is a high standard.

But the other countries are developing themselves also—but they also have a winter break while we have to play four or five matches in two weeks and they have a break of two weeks.

Then you have to play those after how many matches you have already played. How many matches have Bayern Munich played in the meantime, for example? That's the difference. They are much fresher than players of Arsenal or Chelsea. That, in my opinion, is the difference because players need rest.

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Van Gaal will almost certainly be able to test his mettle in European competition with United next season, but the calibre of the tournament they’ll be competing in will have plenty to do with how the game on Sunday pans out.

A loss at Liverpool would hand their fierce rivals a one-point advantage in the race for fourth but also some added initiative to the stunning momentum that Liverpool have built up throughout 2015. Van Gaal will be well aware that his side—provided they play as they did at Old Trafford last time out—have a fair chance of spoiling the party, though.