Photo by reds on tour

I keep hearing from media types that this version of Manchester United is not one of the “greats” of all time or even one of the best teams in Europe. There are those in the media that equate United’s current record to some lucky breaks and matches against poor competition. While the 2010 team doesn’t have some of the name power as the teams from the late 90s or mid-2000s which had Cantona, Beckham and Ronaldo, I do think it is time the media begin to look at this team differently and give them more acclaim.

As it sits right now, Manchester United has one hand on the league trophy and is playing deep into two other competitions. That alone should tell us that United deserves more credit. The pundits keep bringing up the weakness of the midfield and the poor performance of Rooney for most of the season. Those arguments are reasonable, however, even with those deficiencies, United has recorded one of the best seasons in Europe.

Also, if this isn’t one of the “great” United teams, as everyone says, then what does this mean for the Premier League? United did not lose a league game until January and outside of a short bad run against Liverpool and Chelsea, United has not really struggled much at all. Looking back further, if not for some shoddy defensive work in early matches against Fulham and Everton, the league title race might already be over. So are we supposed to believe that the competition in the Premier League is not strong? Hardly, this has been one of the most competitive seasons in the history of the league and United has been on top of the table for the majority of the year.

To constantly reference this team as not “great” does a disservice to what they have accomplished and what is still out there for them to accomplish. Comparing them to the Treble winning side of the past is unfair as that was one of the greatest teams in the history of football and they did something that no other United teams has done before or since. So will it take winning the Treble for the media to finally change its view of this current team?

Talent alone doesn’t make a great team. While this current United side is very talented, more importantly it plays with a lot of heart and plays unselfishly. A football squad that encompasses those qualities will not only be great, it will become unforgettable.