Not since the 2007/08 Double-winning side have United had a side as well equipped to challenge as Jose's current rampant Reds. That was a remarkable team, one of our greatest ever with a world class keeper in Edwin van der Sar and rock-solid defensive lynchpins Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.
Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick gave United a grit and guile midfield partnership, spearheaded by the rampaging trio of Messrs Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez. It was a team that went on to win both the Premier League and the Champions League and were only denied a Treble chance by plucky Portsmouth's freakish Old Trafford FA Cup win. It's hard to imagine a United side that will ever emulate or surpass what that team did, but our swashbuckling start to the season has fuelled belief that we're on the verge of something special.
Formidable and free-scoring, the Reds have been ruthlessly clinical and have scored four goals in five of their ten competitive outings so far. A team blessed with potency, pace, power, quality and depth with Jose at the helm, we look capable of going the distance in the league and deep into the latter stages in Europe.
This team possesses a world-class keeper in David de Gea, a strong and watertight defence and an attacking quintet (Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial) to strike fear into the very best of opposition. Granted, it's difficult to assess our longer-term Champions League prospects based on the 4-1 win in Moscow, because CSKA were so lamentably bad.
We may have won the league in Fergie's final flourish in 2012-13, but that was mainly due to the failure of others and the brilliance of Robin van Persie. In reality, the title win papered over the cracks for an ageing, inadequate squad that was in desperate need of investment and renewal. Although we won by eleven points, it was a side in poor shape that was dragged over the line almost by Ferguson's willpower alone.
That team was one that became adept at scraping wins and just about getting the job done with countless dramatic, late come-from-behind victories.
Not a patch on the vibrant, attacking style that has seen us blow teams away in emphatic style to set the (joint) Premier League pace after six games so far. In the 2015-16 season under Louis van Gaal, United scored a meagre 49 goals in the 38 league games - after two months of this campaign, we've already amassed 29 in all competitions.
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