Marching towards history: Fergie's United have more points now than Shankly's Liverpool, Wenger's Invincibles and Clough's Forest... and they are on course to become the greatest EVER team

Writing in his programme notes on the eve of Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over West Brom just over two weeks ago, Sir Alex Ferguson described his current squad as 'a group as good as any I have had in my time at Old Trafford'.

Few were rushing to agree with his sentiment, given his side’s obvious defensive deficiencies and their reliance on Robin van Persie. But upon closer inspection, the statistics reveal the United manager may be leading not only one of his greatest squads but in fact one of the most relentless winning machines in the history of English football.

By beating Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday and moving on to 55 points at the top of the Premier League table, United eclipsed the highest points haul that they have recorded in the opening 22 games of a season since the introduction of the three-points-for-a-win system in 1981-82 – overtaking the previous record of 54 points secured by the same stage of the 2006-07 season.



Dominant: United are already seven points clear at the top of the Premier League

The 55 points gained – with 18 victories, one draw and three defeats – overhauls many of the impressive tallies amassed by previous great United sides.

The class of 1993-94, considered by some to be Ferguson’s most polished side - with Peter Schmeichel, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Roy Keane, a young Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona providing its core - had two points less than this current batch from their opening 22 games, while Fergie’s Treble winners of 1999 were incredibly 11 points worse off at this stage of the season, with just 41 points.



If we look further back, to before the Ferguson years, it soon becomes apparent that this United crop are notching up points at a faster rate than at any other time in the club’s history. If we convert the league tables from before 1981 into the modern day three-points-for-a-win system, this United side has more points after 22 games of a season than any other since the club was renamed Manchester United (from Newton Heath) in 1902.

Title No 2: Ferguson and former assistant Brian Kidd (right) lift the Premier League trophy in 1994

United's 19 title-winning seasons:

Season Points after 22 games Final points tally 1907-8 53 75 1910-11 43

73 1951-52* 40

80 1955-56* 39 85 1956-57* 49 92 1964-65* 47 87 1966-67* 44

84 1992-93* 38 84 1993-94* 53 92 1995-96 41 82 1996-97 41 75 1998-99 41 79 1999-00 50 91 2000-01 50 80 2002-03 41 83 2006-07 54 89 2007-08 51 87 2008-09 50 90 2010-11 48 80 2012-13 55 Projected: 95

NB: In seasons when two points were awarded for a win points tallies have been converted into today’s equivalent

*42-game season



The Busby Babes, featuring Duncan Edwards and Dennis Viollet, had the equivalent of 49 points from the opening 22 games of their 1956 championship-winning campaign while Sir Matt Busby’s next famous side, starring the ‘Holy Trinity’ of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, secured just 44 points from their first 22 games of the 1966-67 season – the year before they won the European Cup by defeating Benfica 4-1 at Wembley.

But it is not just the great United sides that Ferguson’s squad is seeing off in their seemingly unstoppable pursuit of a 20th Premier League title. They have equalled the points haul amassed by a Jack Walker-funded Blackburn in 1994-95 and are three points better off than the Arsenal Invincibles were at this stage of the 2003-04 season.



However, Jose Mourinho’s 2005-06 Chelsea team are the only side in the Premier League era to better the standards being set by this United team - having gained 61 points from their first 22 league games of the season

But should United continue to gather up the points at the same rate as they have done so far this season, Ferguson’s men will be on course to match the record (set by Chelsea during the 2004-05 season, when they were also on 55 points at this stage) for the most points won during a Premier League season, with a projected 95 points, and a ratio of 2.5 points per game.

When we delve further back in time it is revealed that United’s haul of 18 wins from the opening 22 games has only been matched or bettered on four occasions – by Preston in 1888-89, Sunderland in 1891-92, Tottenham in 1960-61 and Chelsea in 2005-06. Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool only secured 17 wins from their first 22 games of the 1987-88 season, but five draws saw them on to 57, two points better off than United today.

Record-breakers: Chelsea amassed 91 points in 2005-06

This places this much-maligned United squad in a better position than all but one of Liverpool’s championship-winning sides, and comfortably sees off the points hauls secured after 22 games by Don Revie’s title winning teams at Leeds and Brian Clough’s league winners at Forest.



Teams to have won at least 18 of their opening 22 games of the season: Team

Season

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points

Chelsea

2005-06

20

1

1

61

Tottenham

1960-61

19 2 1

59

Preston

1888-89

18

4

0

58

Sunderland

1891-92

19

0

3

57

Man United

2012-13

18

1

3

55



It seems difficult to believe that this United side is comfortably seeing off competition from some of the most celebrated sides in the history of English football.

United have already conceded 29 goals, leaving them on track to break the club’s worst defensive record in a single season in the Premier League era – the 45 goals conceded in the 1999-2000 title-winning campaign.



Class of 2000: Ferguson's sixth title was won at a canter

Doubts remain over the goalkeeping position, with David de Gea and Anders Lindegaard being rotated once again this season, while question marks hang over the defensive capabilities of full backs Rafael and Patrice Evra with Nemanja Vidic still being eased back in after long-term knee injury.

Further forward, many spectators still believe United to be short of a player with the drive and determination of a Roy Keane or Bryan Robson in the centre of midfield, while on the wing, Nani has fallen out of favour and Antonio Valencia has failed to produce anything like his best form for some time now.



Man Utd v the best teams in history (all points totals are three for a win):

Team

Season

Points after 22 games

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd

2012-13

55

Don Revie’s Leeds United

1973-74

54

Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal

2003-04

52

Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest

1977-78

49

Bill Shankly’s Liverpool

1963-64

47

Brian Clough’s Derby

1971-72

40



Injury and sluggish showings have hindered Wayne Rooney’s season this time around, with the striker having scored just eight goals, compared with the seventeen he had this time last year. Fellow England forward Danny Welbeck may have impressed with his work rate and pace against Liverpool on Sunday but he must improve on his solitary United goal so far this term.



In spite of all the frailties, there is no doubting the integral contribution being performed by Michael Carrick in midfield and Van Persie, of course, up front – while Tom Cleverley and Javier Hernandez have also been in sparkling form.

More to come: Rooney (centre) has been far from his best this season

And whatever this United squad may lack in quality, they make up for with their strength of character and determination to win – a trait undoubtedly drilled into the squad by Ferguson. United have beaten Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea away from home and Liverpool and Arsenal at Old Trafford – edging all five games by the odd goal – demonstrating their ability to find a way to win a match.