Man United 12/13: Arguably their best title winners ever

Rafael da Silva: The next Gary Neville?

After Manchester United claimed their 20th English title with time to spare, Christian Crowther assesses where this current crop rank...

In his triumphant post-match interview after securing the 13th Premier League of his tenure, Sir Alex Ferguson himself suggested this particular crop of title winners were arguably the best that he'd ever assembled at Old Trafford.

However, many other commentators on the game have been far more conservative in their assessments of this season's United vintage.

So, who is right? An obvious place to start is the facts. As Fergie alluded to in his interview we shouldn't let nostalgia get in the way of judgement.

This squad may not have been challenged rigorously enough by the competition, but they have reached 84 points with four games left to play, something they've never achieved before.

The Red Devils now have a shot at surpassing Chelsea's record Premier League tally of 95 points if they can claim maximum points from their last four fixtures, starting against Arsenal on Sunday.

United's chances of keeping that ambition alive at the Emirates are currently rated at 3.45n/a.

Of course, that match could well see Robin van Persie make his return to north London, his move to Manchester vindicated by a league winners' medal around his neck.

And if you're looking for more evidence of the quality of this side then the Dutchman has to be right up there with the best title-winning strikers that United have fielded.

The second goal of his hat-trick last night had Fergie purring and his 24-goal contribution to this victorious campaign cannot be underestimated. 

The Scot said: "In terms of impact, he has had as big an impact as anyone I can imagine. He's been unbelievable. His early form in the first six months was fantastic."

In light of Luis Suarez's impending suspension, RVP seems to have the Premier League top scorer market wrapped up, now available at 1.031/33 to scoop the honour. 

With virtually three generations of United players clubbing together to wrestle the title back off Manchester City, from the evergreen Ryan Giggs to 21-year-old Phil Jones, there has certainly been something special forged at Old Trafford this season.

In addition, the largely unsung Michael Carrick has finally been recognised for his efforts with a PFA player of the year nomination, which highlights how far he has come this season.

While Ferguson heaped special praise on the aforementioned players, he was particular delighted with the potential of his young players to go on winning in the future.

Whether you still pine for the class of 1999, it's kind of hard to disagree that this side aren't at least as good.