There is also the challenge of winning the Premier League by a record margin and eclipsing the United team of 1999-2000, who ended the season on 91 points, which was 18 points clear of second-placed Arsenal.
So rather than focus simply on getting the job done, United are determined to keep their foot down for as long as possible.
"If you look at the 15-point lead, you have to say it is a big gap and we shouldn't let that change," said United captain Nemanja Vidic.
"We have the title in our hands, but we still have games to play and we have some tough games as well. Nothing is finished yet, but we are in a good position. I think last season is the reason why sometimes you can feel the fans in the stands get nervous and they think about what happened, but I don't think we should allow that to happen again. We can't allow that to happen again.
Chris Smalling, who endured last season's collapse which saw United finish second after holding an eight-point lead with six games to play, admits that memory is driving the team on.
"It's massive incentive to make sure we hold on to this lead," Smalling said. "We can't rest on our laurels and we have to make sure we finish it well before the season is over.
"The manager told us that, at this time of year, there can be a lot of 1-0 wins which can be ugly and you just need to get the three points. So it is just a case of moving on from this game.
With Reading owner Anton Zingarevich sacking manager Brian McDermott five days before the trip to Old Trafford, United had to overcome a team who were playing with a sense of injustice following the dismissal of the man who had guided the club back into the Premier League last season.
So while Rooney's 21st-minute goal, made by Rio Ferdinand's adventurous burst forward, gave United a platform to record a comfortable victory, the reality proved somewhat different.
Hal Robson-Kanu went close to equalising for Reading with a curling shot from 20 yards and the visitors enjoyed lengthy spells of possession in the second half as United made heavy weather of it.
Rooney went close to a second and Robin van Persie had a couple of near misses, but Reading – on 23 points with bottom club Queens Park Rangers – were hardly pummelled into submission.
Defender Nicky Shorey is not about to give up the fight and insists the players can overcome McDermott's dismissal and escape relegation under caretaker-manager Eamonn Dolan.
"We just want to get on with things," Shorey said. "We had a good week with Eamonn and I'm looking forward to working with him – however long that will be.
"We're still positive. We have nothing to be fearful of and we can definitely get a result in our next game against Arsenal."
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