It's a bold claim but...

[BladeFisher]

At full time last night, I was thinking..... Is this the best United team I've ever seen? (1989 onwards before you 70's old farts all chip in )

Certainly technically without a question this is the most talented group of players United have ever had. Every single United player is so comfortable on the ball its unreal; we have centre halves adeptly performing 1-2's with cultured midfielders and at ease with getting crosses in the box.
Where there may be a debate is the heart and spirit when compared to say, Bassett's 90-92 team and the 02/03 side - but to comprehensively take apart this Wolves team a few days after the high of the Derby takes some doing. It would have been easy to slack off and blame it on the day after the Lord Mayor's Parade.

I was thinking of the other top Div 2 sides we've had in my lifetime (89/90, 97/98, 02/03, 05/06) - and I think the others all had "better" individual units IMO:
GK: either 89/90 or 97/98
Defence: 97/98
Midfield: Close, it's a gnat's chuff between 02/03 and this season's - possibly 02/03 might just pip it due to the cup runs
Attack: either 89/90 or 97/98

But where this team excels is the unity - this side is clearly more than the sum of it's parts - the interchanging that they all can do on the ball gives them the edge over all the others in my view.

Old fart chipping in.

Chris Wilder = John Harris + Dave Bassett + Neil Warnock

Those who have lived through those eras will get what I mean.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

At full time last night, I was thinking..... Is this the best United team I've ever seen? (1989 onwards before you 70's old farts all chip in )

Certainly technically without a question this is the most talented group of players United have ever had. Every single United player is so comfortable on the ball its unreal; we have centre halves adeptly performing 1-2's with cultured midfielders and at ease with getting crosses in the box.
Where there may be a debate is the heart and spirit when compared to say, Bassett's 90-92 team and the 02/03 side - but to comprehensively take apart this Wolves team a few days after the high of the Derby takes some doing. It would have been easy to slack off and blame it on the day after the Lord Mayor's Parade.

I was thinking of the other top Div 2 sides we've had in my lifetime (89/90, 97/98, 02/03, 05/06) - and I think the others all had "better" individual units IMO:
GK: either 89/90 or 97/98
Defence: 97/98
Midfield: Close, it's a gnat's chuff between 02/03 and this season's - possibly 02/03 might just pip it due to the cup runs
Attack: either 89/90 or 97/98

But where this team excels is the unity - this side is clearly more than the sum of it's parts - the interchanging that they all can do on the ball gives them the edge over all the others in my view.

This sort of topic is always fascinating and ultimately pointless. On the thread currently going on about Jimmy Hagan, there is some film of him playing for The Football League; the pitch is frozen and partly snow-covered, the players have nothing like the physical conditioning of nowadays, the ball weighs a ton, their boots are heavy, etc. You can only be the best of your era - imagine Hagan on the Desso pitch with a light ball and the physical fitness of our current squad. Ultimately results are all we have, apart from our opinions, so the discussions are never conclusive - but always interesting. For what it is worth, I don't remember 12 months which have felt better (I first went in 1953). To be the best ever, in my book they have to achieve at a higher level. The progress so far is amazing - last year we had about 14 players, and might have struggled with injuries and suspensions; last night we had a great starting 11, and similar standard players not playing who could cover just about every position. But this is United...

 

[BladeFisher]

Yes, it's the best since the 70's team. If Brooks develops further and becomes the new TC then it will be better than the 70's team. I can't fucking believe what I'm seeing.

No it won't. We haven't got another Alan Woodward. Now he was legendary. Just looking at those videos, the way he strikes the ball, bloody world class.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Old fart 2 chipping in..................I was lucky enough to see the United side early in the 70's.

One thing is for sure, if CW had THAT team of the 70's (Currie, Woody, Badger, Salmons etc) we could have done an early Brian Clough job. Perhaps CW was made for that era and not the money of the Prem now, but If UK managers like Pullis and Hughes can do a decent job, then so can Wilder and Knill. Our star cannot keep rising and there will be some set backs along the way, but as long as it's 2 forward, one back, then 2 more forward - we just have to try and keep this management team and see how far it takes us.

Take last night - we were just fucking relentless in our pursuit of the Wolves players when in possession.

UTB

 

[1danewhitehouse]

In so much as before you build a Rolls Royce the parts are good but when you put them all together you have a luxury car. I could buy a Rolls Royce part and put in my car and make it work and it would work perfectly well but few would notice it was a Rolls Royce part. A few years laterIcould fit it back in Rolls Royce and then it could do so much more because it would be doing what it was designed to do in the right environment.

In terms of your analogy, I think Wilder seems to provide our lads with the equivalent of an injection of nitrus oxide to further enhance performance.

 

[bertieblade]

I would pay money to watch this team even if I was not a Blade!

 

[1066blade]

In addition to being the best footballers they work the hardest. Since Wilder came I basically leave every game thinking we noticeably worked harder than them. Never had that before.
Just mentioned that to a Burnley fan colleague. He said it means you're going up.

No one will thank me for this, but what happened against a very average Norwich then? (who Millwall spanked 4-0 a week or so earlier).

 

[GaryHamsonsLeftBootLace]

Pre-1989 but Porterfield's Division Four winning side was pretty awesome in terms of how they played and dominated and had strength across the whole pitch. However, I'll concede that that was Division 4 and they didn't quite match those dizzy heights afterwards. I think CW's side is very close and possibly better considering the level it's playing at.

 

[Benny and the Blades]

But aren't we all judging a team that will hopefully keep on improving against memories of teams and managers that reached their peak ?