That is the view of the man who had the best view on earth of Sir Alex Ferguson's history-making team - the man who left the club at the point of its greatest triumph, Peter Schmeichel.
And he says that the single biggest factor in that improvement is Cristiano Ronaldo, a player he feels adds a dimension to the team which the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs could not.
But the big Dane still feels the Reds' campaign for the European Cup, and the Premier League, are on a knife-edge, as both competitions have improved greatly since that marvellous night at the Nou Camp.
Schmeichel, speaking at a training event in Trafford Park organised by Ford's feelfootball.com, was asked if he could compare the current squad to that Treble squad of 1999 and the Double winners of 1994.
He said: "I have learned from experience never to compare. This is a completely different time - the Premiership and the Champions League are both a lot better than they were in 1999.
"The game has developed and we have a different kind of players in the Premiership. The technical level has improved since I played, and the pace has increased as well so that most of the players in the Premiership now are pacy.
"One of the first things managers are looking for are players with pace. We had fantastic players in our team but we had no-one like Cristiano Ronaldo, someone who could do the stuff that he does at the pace at which he does it.
"He splits teams apart and his contribution at the moment is incredible, and he creates goals and scores goals. He is sorely missed when he is not playing - they have a fantastic team, no doubt about that."
One problem the young United squad does face is the hot breath of history, and with the years being ticked off since that second European Cup triumph in 1999, that burden is beginning to grow. But playing at United is all about bearing such burdens.
Story
"The problem of playing at Manchester United is that you have history breathing at the back of your neck all the time. It is something which hits you when you first walk through the door," said Schmeichel.
"I first came to Old Trafford to speak to Martin Edwards, who was then chairman, and was supposed to do my contract. We went up to his office, shook hands, and he took me straight away to the museum.
"He wanted to make sure that I knew the story - that I knew about Duncan Edwards and the Munich plane crash, and everything else. It was very important for him, and that's what the club is. There is so much history there, and you always live with that as a player.
"When I came it was all about 25 years of not winning the championship and eventually the next year we did win. The signs of relief were incredible.
"But you looked at the players who had come before and wondered why they hadn't won the league. Once the championship was won, it was about the European Cup, and from the day I came to the day we won it, was eight years.
"For six of those years, we thought we were good enough to win it, but we had 1968 to compare to, and those comparisons are there all the time. You know you have that respons- ibility to continue the success the club has had.
"They did it again last year with a magnificent championship win. I loved watching them play last season, but now they will be feeling the presence of 1999, because it is not that far away and there are still players at the club who won the European Cup then.
"When you start talking about the greatest squads in the world, you can only judge it by one thing and they are starting to get that. They nearly caught Chelsea the year before, and were magnificent last season.
"It has been a pleasure to watch. The style of football now is what we want from United and what, in our arrogance, we sometimes expect of them.
"We are entertaining and winning games, and that is what attracted me to United as a kid. There have been one or two lean years when we wondered whether it was over, whether we were losing our grip on the top of the league, but last year put that all right."
Schmeichel presents a Champions League show on Danish television, along with several other media commitments, including his own quiz show and a series of documentaries about the world's dirtiest jobs which will be screened on the Discovery channel next year. And he says United are good enough to win the competition this year, and now just need a little good fortune.
"The Champions League has now matured after 15 years and is the greatest competition in the world," he said. "And the level of competition is amazing. Once you get to the semi-finals there is nothing between the teams, and it is about something that happens to tip the game.
"It would be nice to say this is United's year but I can only be hopeful. They are more than good enough to win it but the level of performances they have shown so far with five games, five wins, has to continue." Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Peter Schmeichel,I agree, you will no doubt be pleased to hear. Lots of players at this level have loads of skill. To execute these skills whilst running at almost the pace of an Olympic sprinter, is indeed a gift from heaven. Its the pace Ronaldo does his stuff at which makes him truly exeptional, and truly impossible to defend against at times. Pace and his two footedness. The problem a defender has when Ronnie runs at him is this: He's doesn't know if Ronnie will go on his left or his right because he's so good at both. So the defender can't second guess him and therefore can't anticpate his next movement, and be ready to block it. Add to that the speed Ronnie is tarvelling at whilst the defender contemplates all this, and the only conclusion is that the defender is doomed! The right back Nicky Hunt at Bolton has fared worst against Ronnie in the past, because he doesn't have much pace himself. Ronnie has demolished him every time. Which makes it even more baffling the decision to "rest" Ronnie against the Trotters.
I agree Khaled he has always been awesome against Bolton ever since his debut and leaving him out was a big mistake.
You can't jump to such conclusions when all we've won is the Premiership title in one season. Give the current boys time.
i agree with schmeichal but we could do with better right back and a replacement for giggs. anderson has the ability to be the best tevez&rooney will be much better than cole&yorkie.
CR is today the world's best player no doubt. Kaká will win everythink this year but just because he was in a club that was fighting for one title only and could save him for the big matches. united used Ronaldo in three, four diferent competitions and like this year when rested united lost. Champion league tells wich player is the world's best( wrong in my opinion..a player should be judge by the season performance, that icl. national team, league and cups), if it was like that than CR would be world's nr 1. United will have a better chance to win the CL if they are out of the PL title. I don't believe that you will win both. the squad still not mature enough and some key positions like CF, RB need proper back up.
How in the world can Ronaldo be the world's best when he isn't United's best. If he could stop slipping into selfish play, he could certainly be considered for that lofty title. Having skills is not enough, it is knowing how to employ them. If anyone can take this team to glory, it will be Wayne Rooney.
anybody can buy the best team in the world which sir alex as done it's a shame for the young players.
Schmikes does talk a lot doesn't he? However, I'm excited about this team's future. The only problem I can envisage is Fergie suddenly selling Vidic to Lazio and signing Stam instead. After all, Stam's current age is the same at which Laurent Blanc was when he was bought to replace the Dutchman. Just think about what we missed out on by selling Stam in 2001.
and next year's team will be better than this and the next goalie will be better than the last...zzzzzzzz.........and next year's money making scheme will squeeze more money out of the custom..sorry fans than the ACS...and so on, and so on
until they win the treble they cant compare; to be better they would need to win a quadruple or 2 trebles!!
They have to win the the Premiership or Champions league every season over the next 10 years. Its not about one off's its about retaining, thats what class is.
Does it really matter?9 premierships,5 fa cups ,2 league Cups,European Championship ,European Cup winners Cup ,European Super Cup,World Club Championships,all by virtually 3 different teams.
Vintage soccer to fill enough memories under Fergies tenure at OT,without the comparisons.
How in the world can Ronaldo be the world's best when he isn't United's best. If he could stop slipping into selfish play, he could certainly be considered for that lofty title. Having skills is not enough, it is knowing how to employ them. If anyone can take this team to glory, it will be Wayne Rooney.
I'm guessing you missed the news of who the Worlds top 3 players were?, I'm also guessing you missed who was the Prems top player last season. I guess you miss a lot of things.
it is clear to me that canada dont show premiership football on tv after that last comment!!!
Don't give me that bilge(better team)
Where does this idea come from. SAF. Look at the position now, and look at the teams leading the League. All these teams could finish in front at the end of the season. We haven't got a cat in hell'chance if we dont do something in December.This time I disagree with SAF thinking he has a good team, yet we play lowly teams like Bolton and get beat. We are missing something, there are no Busby Babes now and the players of 1999 are not the same as todays.
We idolize the players now like gods, and yet look at Saha,even Tevez,Carrick,Scholes, and Griggs, Fletcher and the Irishman all a dead loss. We need a new striker probably a Dutchman, and a good defender and then we might have a chance to overhaul the leaders. Otherwise say goodbye to the Premiership this season. Does anyone agree with me. Use your brains UTD fans.Get that new striker quick and defender quick before we get so far behind we can never catch up. I have been watching for over 60 years and I am wiser than a lot of you.
Bill69.