United we stand — on top

NO TITLE-WINNING Manchester United team in history has been so starved of praise as Alex Ferguson’s current vintage, but when they lift the trophy at Blackburn on Saturday, as they surely will, Nemanja Vidic believes the team’s army of critics will finally be stripped of ammunition.

United, who will clinch the championship if they gain at least a draw at Ewood Park, looked every inch natural champions during Sunday’s demolition of second-placed Chelsea, but that performance has been a long time coming.

Earlier in the campaign, despite an unbeaten start that lasted until February, Ferguson’s side found praise as difficult to come by as an away victory, being described at various stages of the season as boring, stuttering and fortunate.

Those adjectives were not unwarranted at the time but on reflection they were utilised too quickly and certainly are no longer appropriate given the way United have matured just at the right time; so Vidic has a right to feel piqued.

“I would like to win a trophy this year — because no-one could say we were a bad team then,’’ he said. “Obviously, we listen to what people say but we don’t think much about it. We just try to focus on ourselves. We know our target is to win trophies and we are nearly there. If we do that then we have proved to everyone we are a good team.

“Mathematically it is not done, but six points is a big advantage with two games left so we have to focus. We don’t want it to go to the last game; we want to win at Blackburn to win the title.’’

United’s hunger for trophies has always been their biggest asset so perhaps it should come as no real surprise that pride was hurt by suggestions this current crop is not one of the club’s greatest.

That analysis now has to be reviewed; Wayne Rooney’s return to form, especially in a deep-lying role, determines that — as does the emergence of Javier Hernandez as a real goalscoring talent, Ji-Sung Park’s remarkable transformation to terrace hero, Nani’s growing maturity, Dimitar Berbatov’s goal ratio, Ryan Giggs’ remarkable form and Michael Carrick’s consistency.

And that’s before we even discuss a defence that when fit is the most talented in the league.

“It has been a great season for us so far and we just have to finish it off now,” said Giggs, who has seen it all over two decades at Old Trafford

“The fighting spirit is there for all to see. We have played some great stuff in the second half of the season. In the first half we stuttered a little bit. But in the second half we have put in some great performances and got some great results.

“I was never nervous. We have had the odd stutter; like against Arsenal and City and we have had the odd draw but overall we have played well. We knew Chelsea would come back to us and Arsenal would be there or thereabouts so we just had to concentrate on our own form.

“In the end, what people say about us doesn’t bother us. We all concede that we weren’t playing brilliantly in the first half of the season. But we were getting results. In the second-half of the season our performances and results have been brilliant. We know the quality that is in the dressing room, so does the manager.”

There does remain, of course, a mathematical chance that United could still lose the title should they fail to pick up a point in their final two matches of the season, including a home game against Blackpool on May 22, and Chelsea beat Newcastle and Everton to steal it at the death; but given the team’s momentum and form it has to be the longest shot in Premiership history.

“I’d be surprised if we don’t win it now because we need one point from two games and the last game is at home,” said Ferguson, who has masterminded the campaign so expertly. “If you had said to me a the start of the season you’d need one point from your last home game I would have snapped your hands off to be in that position.

“We will give every respect to Blackburn and Blackpool because they are local teams to us. They are great football clubs and we will make sure we don’t underestimate them. That is a dangerous thing to do and we have come too far to do that.”

Once the title is in the bag, of course, the Champions League final against Barcelona at Wembley remains; giving United’s 2011 vintage an opportunity to go from under-appreciated under-achievers to history-making legends in the space of a few months.

It just goes to show; never, ever, underestimate Manchester United.