United aren't great right now but they will be great again, and those saying otherwise will need to prepare for that painful moment in their lives

But those criticising them are the United-hating keyboard warriors

It's a tragic life when all you live for is to hate Manchester United.

There are some strange people around but I think the strangest of all must be those who can't wait for the weekend so that they can totally ignore the reality of what's actually happening, and instead work overtime to twist and fabricate anything Manchester United do into some sort of massive failure.

These people belong to a special sect – ABU. Anyone But United.

Louis van Gaal's Manchester United have three more points than they did under David Moyes last year

Moyes was sacked by United after one season - Van Gaal's points tally was identical up to last week

The United haters have come out in force to laugh at the Premier League giants during their struggles

It's a world where you have no love for anything in particular, but you do thrive and flourish off an irrational hatred for Manchester United.

It's a peculiarity of the insecure English nation that results in a dislike of anyone who does well for themselves. It also results in a display of an abnormal level of pleasure when those who achieve happiness or success fail or stumble.

In the weird world of these people Louis van Gaal is no better at football management than David Moyes. I could end the column here and leave you to ponder on that for a moment, but contractual demands and a desire to hammer home the point will force my hand and compel me to continue.

In case you're not aware, Van Gaal has won titles with every club he's managed (including a remarkable and unlikely success six years ago with AZ Alkmaar), he's won the Champions League and he's been to a World Cup semi-final. He's not the greatest coach the world has seen, but he isn't far off, and you don't have to have played the game to work out that his record stands up against that of Moyes.

Then-Barcelona boss Van Gaal speaking with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 1998

So, this debate has developed – are United better off under Van Gaal? Has he done better than Moyes did?

'He's only got the same number of points,' the United-haters cried last week, ahead of the QPR match - Van Gaal now has three more - before following up with the inevitable: 'And he's spent way more than Moyes did.' (Probably because Moyes didn't know who to sign, and even if he did those players didn't want to play for him).

Points totals are irrelevant to United this season. Van Gaal will be judged solely, and rightly, on whether they finish in the top four. So even if United finish with fewer points than Moyes accumulated last season at Old Trafford, it will not matter at all, so long as they finish in the top four.

It really is that simple. And so far Van Gaal's record stands up to Moyes' record: the Scotsman took United from first to seventh, Van Gaal has taken them from seventh to fourth.

I've watched the film The Theory of Everything and I'm inspired by Stephen Hawking, so I may have some sort of subliminal advantage. But in truth I'm a proper maths duffer who scraped a B at O-level, yet even I can work out Van Gaal has improved things so far this season.

LOUIS VAN GAAL AND DAVID MOYES AFTER 22 MATCHES MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER P W D L GF GA GD PTS Under Van Gaal (2014-15) 22 11 7 4 36 21 +15 40 Under Moyes (2013-14) 22 11 4 7 36 27 +9 37

Van Gaal pictured during the Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich in 2010

Van Gaal (high-fiving Robin van Persie) went to the World Cup and got to the semi-final with Holland last year

And yes he has spent a lot of money, but offset that against the fact that all of those new signings have been injured - often large parts of the season - and you'll see it's not been straightforward.

Unless of course you sit in a room and play football on your computer all day (highly likely in the case of haters up and down the country – your mum will bring your tea up on a tray soon).

Apparently on these games you can be manager of Eastleigh or Forest Green, you can put a £60million player straight in your line-up and take your team from the Conference to the Premier League title and even win the Champions League.

I've never seen these games – I prefer the real thing. And I can reveal some shocking news to these keyboard clowns - 40 years of going to games has confirmed to me that real football doesn't work like it does on your monitors.

The ABUs have found plenty of sticks to beat United with this season, so let's take a look at a few more and rip them to shreds.

On Saturday it was the fans who apparently forced Van Gaal's hand as he changed tactics at QPR. He's changed tactics before during games, he will change them again I'm sure.

James Wilson watches on as his shot goes past QPR goalkeeper Rob Green to make sure of the three points

The 19-year-old striker (left) came on as a second-half substitute to wrap up the 2-0 victory for the visitors

Wilson celebrates scoring United's second goal of the game to open his account for the season

It was the fans who apparently forced Van Gaal's hand as he changed tactics at QPR, or so they say

You must either be incredibly stupid, or passionately hate Manchester United if you think this experienced coach, who's navigated his way to three Champions League finals in his career, was lost for ideas until the away fans gave him some tips.

Listening to pundits after the game you'd think United hadn't won on Saturday at Loftus Road. But they did. Rangers showed their normal fight, and heaped on the pressure at the end, but United won 2-0 at a ground where even the champions couldn't win this season. Credit where it's due? Not likely. This is Manchester United, they won't get any credit.

And the one that has had the ABUs dribbling saliva from the corners of their mouths: Radamel Falcao. The Colombian is a United-hater's dream. He's costing a fortune.

QPR's goalkeeper Green (left) rushes out to deny Falcao when the Colombian takes a shot at him

Karl Henry (left) and Clint Hill of QPR challenge Falcao during the first half at Loftus Road

He's on big wages for sure, but that's what a player like Falcao commands in the current market. It seems the Falcao critics are unaware of his existence before he arrived at United.

He scored nine in 13 for Colombia in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup and I was gutted he wasn't there in Brazil. But his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury has been long and slow.

United took a chance on his fitness, but it was a reduced risk – they didn't have to hand out a four-year contract. Before the injury, Falcao was undoubtedly one of the finest players in the world.

You must have been sleeping through his time at Atletico Madrid if you can't acknowledge that. A 100 per cent fit and sharp Falcao would surely be devastating in the Premier League. And yet ABUs are trying to convince us he's useless. Why?

At Rangers his finishing was poor, but the quality of his runs passed by the eye of the uneducated (or wilfully blind).

Falcao was on fire during the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup for Colombia

Falcao smashes a shot towards the QPR goal for United but the striker could not get on the scoresheet

Here are just a couple of examples from the highlights alone: In the 13th minute, Falcao drops off his marker, Juan Mata finds him with a great pass and he's through on goal. Rob Green saves.

Ten minutes into the second half and he sprints as United counter, finds acres of space on the edge of the box but Marouane Fellaini chooses the wrong pass and goes wide. When the ball comes in, Falcao has cleverly held his run, stays on side, heads on target, but Green saves.

When Fellaini opens the scoring, Falcao is unmarked in the six-yard box.

And in the last minute, Falcao has sprinted into the box, left Karl Henry for dead to find space, but James Wilson elects to shoot, his effort is saved but fortunately for the youngster the ball falls back at his feet and he fires home.

The runs are there, but the finishing isn't. He's back to his best in his mind, and needs to follow it up in all aspects of his game.

Van Gaal's record speaks for itself and it proves he can become a better coach for United than Moyes

Fellaini (left) scored during United's 2-0 win at QPR though you would never know judging by the punditry

'The worst miss of the season' declared so many on Twitter (always the best place for educated and considered reflection on the day's football – by Saturday night this social media hate-spot has descended into a stream of four-letter words and musings on Celebrity Big Brother) after Falcao had seemingly swung his foot and missed the ball three yards out of Green's virtually empty net.

I suppose if you choose to totally ignore the crucial intervention of Steven Caulker which deflected the ball out of Falcao's path at the last minute then it would be a terrible miss. But then why would you distort the facts and not report it properly?

Probably because it's enjoyable for some to knock Manchester United when they have nothing better in their lives.

I don't know if United will finish in the top four, but I do know they're not perfect, and they look a long way off a title challenge.

But I'll give you some facts: Manchester United were great. They aren't great right now, but they will be great again.

Some strange people will need to steel themselves for that painful moment in their lives.

Van Gaal's United aren't great at the moment but they will come good in the Premier League once again