Louis van Gaal has admitted he is surprised by Liverpool's struggles this season, but believes Manchester United's arch-rivals have been unfortunate.
Whereas United have won their last five matches, Liverpool, who visit Old Trafford on Sunday, have only triumphed twice in their last nine games in all competitions.
Brendan Rodgers' side finished as runners-up in the Premier League last season, 20 points ahead of United, but are now seven points behind Van Gaal's side and crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage in midweek.
And the Dutchman conceded he did not expect to see Liverpool struggle, saying in a news conference: "I thought that also but the Premier League is not so easy.
"I knew that in advance and I have also the experience because every game we have to play against clubs at the bottom of the league, it is very difficult to beat [them].
"In the last matches of Liverpool they were a little bit unlucky. You have to survive that. You have to manage that.
"And we have managed [to win] our first five matches [in a row] so I am very pleased with that in spite of our list of injuries. That is very good and as a manager you have to give a lot of credit to the players."
Sunday's match will be Van Gaal's first competitive encounter against Liverpool, but he is in no doubt that both he and the club's new players will be prepared after Ryan Giggs -- who spent 23 years as a United player -- briefed the team.
"I have Ryan Giggs as an assistant manager and he presented the analysis of Liverpool and he did it in a marvellous way. I am very pleased," he said.
The former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager ignored the criticisms of former captain Gary Neville, who said United played like a pub team in their win at Southampton, and ex-assistant manager Mike Phelan, who wondered if he was responsible for their injury list.
"I don't think that somebody who is living outside the community of Manchester United can judge on how we are doing so it is based on no facts," he added. "I analyse everything and it is based on no facts."