Louis van Gaal’s sobering response to those that believe Manchester United and Liverpool are on the slide

But the past is such a warm, cosy place to live.

Manchester United and Liverpool will meet twice in Europa League action over the next week. Barring a late Premier League surge, the cup competition represents their best chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Right now, however, the prospect of doing that, by winning the whole competition, has taken a back seat to competitive rivalry. Ahead of Thursday's game, van Gaal was asked if both team's playing in Europe's second-tier competition was a sign of both United and Liverpool's demise. He responded:

"You live in the past. You need to live in present."

At present, United are sixth in the league with Liverpool a place further back. Respectively, they are 13 and 16 points worse off that Leicester City. Returning to the recent past, van Gaal simply purred when his four-match winning streak over the Reds was brought up.

"When I beat teams like Liverpool then the appreciation is higher. “I hope we shall beat them for the fifth time and the sixth time but more for the fans than myself."

Van Gaal told reporters that Antonio Valencia should be fit for the game but it is too soon for Bastian Schweinsteiger to return.