Agreed. Complaining that FT members take power from friendship and the bounds they have with others is complaining about the core of the manga.
The story showed, early on, that like in One Piece (albeit in very very different ways), bounds with your team mates, your friends is what drives the plot and the characters.
It actually makes for a very positive message but also quite befiting of FT's position as a beacon of hope, good and all that is pink and fluffy in the world.
Still, lets not forget, Minerva is basically ridiculing all that right now. The writter just did something very not like him. So, from here on out we are a bit on unknown territory. Is Erza going to beat Minerva? Dunno. Perhaps not. I think the question with Minerva will be a bit more complicated than a simple "win or lose" situation.