Opinion: United Are Built For The Biggest Games

For some Manchester United fans, the Barclays Premier League is the be all and end all when it comes to looking at tables. And of course, despite Sunday's excellent win at Anfield, the Reds are still in fourth position behind Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.

However, the head-to-head rankings between the top five clubs, including Liverpool, makes for satisfying reading with Louis van Gaal's men sitting at the summit despite playing less games than City and the Merseysiders.

I have had a lingering suspicion that van Gaal's footballing philosophy was designed with a longer-term view in mind. A tactical plan that would win matches in the Champions League and ensure the team can compete on the grandest of occasions.

Of course, this has taken time to perfect - as the manager warned it would from the outset - and some frustrating draws on the road were arguably a result of controlling games rather than going for the kill in time-honoured fashion.

Yet, in the biggest games this term, United have done remarkably well. A single loss came in the derby at the Etihad Stadium when Chris Smalling's dismissal left the visitors down to 10 men but, even so, a spell of pressure was unlucky not to yield an equaliser.

Robin van Persie might have left it late to ram in a leveller against Chelsea but van Gaal's men looked the better side for long periods against an outfit currently edging closer to champions-elect status. A superb double has, of course, been achieved over Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool, who were unbeaten in the period of 13 league games in between the two meetings, and Arsenal suffered their only home loss of the domestic campaign to the Reds in November.

Tough obstacles are still to come, which might render such conclusions premature. A journey to Chelsea often looks daunting but, right now, that would be the wrong description. Arsenal will be Old Trafford's final visitors this season, having already emerged victorious at the same venue in the FA Cup. Furthermore, eight days after Aston Villa come to town, there is the small matter of another Manchester derby on 12 April.

This is no time for crowing but the signs look extremely positive that United are fully prepared and ready for any big fixture. The fact that van Gaal's charges would be three points clear of Arsenal at the top of another table - one that's based only on the last 20 league games - and there is even more cause for optimism. Heading into an international break, there is confidence around the club and a belief that we are fully capable of beating any rival in the division.

Credit: manutd.com