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 Sunday in the Premier League .