League positioning isn't relevant here, you were a whole 28 points better than us last season, that's the difference- not league places.
As I posted in the Liverpool thread:
How far behind or ahead United we are isn't relevant, you finished the league 28 points better off than us last year, surely the fact you are 12 points behind where you were this time last season and we are 10 points better off than we were last season is a better barometer- the only team you can measure againstto show improvement or decline is yourself.