Louis van Gaal has been deliberately antagonising his Manchester United players in training so that they learn to keep their cool in the white-hot atmosphere of Anfield on Sunday . United ’ s volatile clashes with Liverpool have produced 15 red cards in the Premier League — second only to the Merseyside derby — and Van Gaal has already seen Chris Smalling and Angel di Maria sent off in big games against Manchester City and Arsenal this season . The Old Trafford boss has been testing his players ’ temperaments by giving incorrect decisions in training matches to wind them up . Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has been deliberately antagonising his players in training . Van Gaal has been teaching them how to keep their cool in the white-hot atmosphere of Anfield on Sunday . ‘ I am the referee in the games that we have had on the training pitch and I have whistled in the way that they have to control their aggression , and to prepare them for the atmosphere , ’ he said . ‘ And I have mentioned that to them after lunch . Control of emotion is also a talent. ’ Sunday 's meeting is set to be even more highly charged than usual with both teams competing for a Champions League place and just two points separating them in the Premier League table . United have a poor recent record away to Liverpool , winning just one of their seven games there . Typically , though , Van Gaal does not lack confidence as he prepares to take charge of a team at Anfield for the first time in his career . Van Gaal ( left ) goes head to head with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers ( right ) on Sunday . Steven Gerrard pictured scoring against United in 2011 at Anfield , where they have a poor away record . England striker Daniel Sturridge will look to keep up United 's poor recent away record at Anfield on Sunday . ‘ It ’ s the most difficult ground for Manchester United , I have heard , ’ he added . ‘ But now I ’ m the manager here maybe we can change that. ’ Meanwhile , Michael Carrick has signed a new one-year deal at United . The 33-year-old , who joined from Spurs for £18.6million in 2006 , was due to be out of contract in the summer but the club have exercised an option to extend it by another 12 months . The England midfielder has emerged as a key figure under Van Gaal despite missing the first two-and-a-half months of the season with an ankle injury . Van Gaal said : ‘ He is important . He can read the game as a player on the pitch so he can coach during the game. ’ England midfielder Michael Carrick has signed a new one-year deal with Van Gaal 's United . The 33-year-old Carrick has made 17 appearances for United this season following his ankle injury .
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has got tough in training . He has been teaching his players how to keep their cool in a hot scenario . United ’ s clashes with Liverpool have produced 15 red cards in the league . United face Liverpool at Anfield on one-year in the Premier League .