How old are you? Have you seen Giggs play in the 90's? Just google best wingers ever and Giggs will come up every single time in every single page. We cant all be wrong.
If you turn one of our current golden oldies into their prime, who would it be?
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How old are you? Have you seen Giggs play in the 90's? Just google best wingers ever and Giggs will come up every single time in every single page. We cant all be wrong.
Due to longevity, not being the genuine best player in his position at any point, during his career. He has never even entered the top 20 in Ballon D'Or voting. Whereas Bale has already broken the top 10, despite only having 3 years at the top thus far.
I conclude that some of the opinions on here about Giggs can only stem from not having watched him in the mid 90s.
Or perhaps my opinions are clouded by my youth. I'm almost certain its the former.
Or perhaps my opinions are clouded by my youth. I'm almost certain its the former.
Giggs is the answer to the op, Bale may well become as consistently good as Giggs but he's got a fair bit to go yet.
Ronaldo, Best, Ribery, Gento, Blokhin, Nedved, Czibor, Barnes, etc.
League goals only;
You mean those mid 90's where he scored 1 in 29 in 1994/5. Or those mid nineties where he scored 3 in 26 in 1997? Or those nineties where he scored 3 in 24 in 1998/99? He was hardly the epitome of consistency. Of course he had excellent seasons too where he scored around 1 in 3,...(2 of them), but I am almost certain there is significant nostaliga/only remembering the good in play. Bale would be ridiculed for putting up such pathetic goalscoring productivity in the modern era.
Anyway, the point is that he's never been the best players in the world in his position at his peak, whereas Rio was.
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You never answered the man's question: did you ever see him play during the 90s?^
Incidentally, Ballon D'Or's don't necessarily count for much... what was Scholesy's best placement in that?
As a small kid, sure. Not as an adult. Went to some games each season from 96-99(since we're talking about the nineties) and watched season reviews until the tape wore out. So there's your answer. But that doesn't mean I haven't since watched key games again or seen him play during those years. Nor does it render my opinion invalid - since I'm able to look at his career without nostalgia, which obviously the more experienced members of the site will find hard to do.
In any case, I'm abandoning this thread. It's clear we all have entrenched opinions that are unlikely to change; and so be it.
I hope he didn't miss that Arsenal goal, it sounds like he might have.
Giggs was just as good as any of those bar Best and Ronaldo in my opinion, and honestly have you ever seen Gento play except from some you tube video? And are you talking Liverpool's Barnes?
Rio
Fair enough... just a key question that you ducked or missed in your responses.
I would still maintain that your focus on goals scored and Gold Ball nominations is a bit misguided, though. His assist record is astonishing, and always has been.
Not IMO. I've seen a bit of Gento, but it's hard to watch extensive footage of him. Yes, John Barnes was better. The thing that puts Giggs up there was longevity. Obviously he was an excellent player, just not as good as any of the wingers I've listed.
Giggs in his prime was one of the best left wingers in the world. Perhaps not the outright best but certainly one of.
I'm not sure how this can even be argued.
I have no problem with people selecting Rio over Giggs for this thread btw.
John Barnes 
Christ is no thread safe Barney can squeeze an overweight ex Liverpool player into a thread anywhere anytime.
Christ is no thread safe Barney can squeeze an overweight ex Liverpool player into a thread anywhere anytime.
Has to be Giggs. But Rio would be a fantastic choice too of course.
I'd like to count Scholes however, just so I can pick him.
I'd like to count Scholes however, just so I can pick him.
Scholes would easily win it for me if he were eligible.
John Barnes
Christ is no thread safe Barney can squeeze an overweight ex Liverpool player into a thread anywhere anytime.
Most natural talent in a British player I've seen (I just missed Best).
Yeah I misstated that. I meant to say the best player in the world in his position, rather than one of the.
Why are you so obsessed with goals? Beckham didn't score a lot of goals either apart form free kicks. We used to play 442 with classic wingers, wingers that provided goals to our two strikers that's the football we used to play.
Well I never said that he was best left winger in any of my posts. I said he was one of the best left wingers in the world. You on the other hand were the one that said Rio was THE best center back in the world.
Come on! Barnes Nedved better that Giggs? why?
We're talking football though, not pies and pints.
At this point, an Evra in his peak will be the best for this team. We don't even have a capable left back, at this stage, and an Evra in his peak will improve us, massively.
Giggs comes a close second, for me. He will provide us with extra options out on the left side rather than just cut in and get involved in the middle or just stay out wide. He'd also provide us with an added dimension and massively improve our wing play from the left side.
I see many people mention Rio, but I don't think Rio at his peak will massively improve us. We still have a midfield that isn't as defensively strong as they used to be, back then, and I don't think Rio can do it all by himself, regardless of how good he is.
Giggs comes a close second, for me. He will provide us with extra options out on the left side rather than just cut in and get involved in the middle or just stay out wide. He'd also provide us with an added dimension and massively improve our wing play from the left side.
I see many people mention Rio, but I don't think Rio at his peak will massively improve us. We still have a midfield that isn't as defensively strong as they used to be, back then, and I don't think Rio can do it all by himself, regardless of how good he is.
Just to put things into perspective:
Giggs has 30 assists in the CL.
Robben, who is 30 now, has 13.
Xavi has 17
Figo has 10 (Nani too!)
At 27 goals, there are no wingers that have more goals than he does. So much for the not scoring goals as a winger. There are no wingers who have scored more goals than Giggs in the PL (there are central midfielders who have).
When I say contribute to the team, why talk about the utmost top level a footballer can reach? Are you talking about a season, a month, one game? If you are talking about one game, I would almost be tempted to put Giggs ahead of Ronaldo. For top level consistency, Giggs isn't up there with Ronaldo, Messi etc, but for quality and contribution over a career, very few can better him. So who would you want? Robben who has put in a few good years but at least as inconsistent as Giggs ever was?
Of course, Giggs has more games than any other player in the CL and the EPL. However, do you think he got those games because he has a hairy chest? He got them because he delivers time and time again, even when people have written him off. BTW, he only has 8 more appearances than Xavi and has almost twice the assists. Then we all know that Giggs has contributed in many more ways than just assisting or scoring, maybe not to the extent that Xavi does, but more so than most wingers. Saying he hasn't scored enough or been productive enough is ridiculous, imo.
Giggs has 30 assists in the CL.
Robben, who is 30 now, has 13.
Xavi has 17
Figo has 10 (Nani too!)
At 27 goals, there are no wingers that have more goals than he does. So much for the not scoring goals as a winger. There are no wingers who have scored more goals than Giggs in the PL (there are central midfielders who have).
When I say contribute to the team, why talk about the utmost top level a footballer can reach? Are you talking about a season, a month, one game? If you are talking about one game, I would almost be tempted to put Giggs ahead of Ronaldo. For top level consistency, Giggs isn't up there with Ronaldo, Messi etc, but for quality and contribution over a career, very few can better him. So who would you want? Robben who has put in a few good years but at least as inconsistent as Giggs ever was?
Of course, Giggs has more games than any other player in the CL and the EPL. However, do you think he got those games because he has a hairy chest? He got them because he delivers time and time again, even when people have written him off. BTW, he only has 8 more appearances than Xavi and has almost twice the assists. Then we all know that Giggs has contributed in many more ways than just assisting or scoring, maybe not to the extent that Xavi does, but more so than most wingers. Saying he hasn't scored enough or been productive enough is ridiculous, imo.
Bale was the focal point for Tottenham and shot at will. Giggs has always looked for the pass. How many assists rid Bale have for Tottenham? He has improved that tally a lot for Real, but his goal scoring has slightly decreased.
Giggs scores one goal in every 5,5 matches he plays. Not too shabby for a winger actually - count the assists and he creates or scores a goal quite frequently. A winger in the nineties was about creating, not scoring - first you must realize that.
Evra. Our current problems are in midfield and left back. Evra would solve one.
Through no fault of his own. Why do you always pick out a tiny part of my posts?
There's nearly always a tiny part that's plain daft, or deluded. John Barnes
even Bale has it over the big lad.Some fans get very touchy about Giggs. The idea he never reached the peaks we assumed he would in the early 90s is completely fair. A lot of this was due to injury tbf, but his longevity has bolstered his reputation a huge amount in the last 3 or 4 years. He was the least important member of the treble midfield and blew hot and cold all through the early to mid 00s. I'd never put him above Charlton as our greatest player just because he's played more.
Obviously he's a brilliant, wonderful and mercurial player, but he never was the best player in any one season at this club, let alone in his position in the entire world.
Also, his peak was 1992-94, when he was a tricky winger with great dribbling skills but an inconsistent delivery. He was a better version of Janusaj. I'm not sure a team who's main problem is a shite defense and a crap CM would need that first and foremost. So, yeah, Rio probably.
Obviously he's a brilliant, wonderful and mercurial player, but he never was the best player in any one season at this club, let alone in his position in the entire world.
Also, his peak was 1992-94, when he was a tricky winger with great dribbling skills but an inconsistent delivery. He was a better version of Janusaj. I'm not sure a team who's main problem is a shite defense and a crap CM would need that first and foremost. So, yeah, Rio probably.
There's nearly always a tiny part that's plain daft, or deluded. John Barnes
That's shite.
Yeah, but we'd get another seven billion games out of him and the elixir of life. You can't put a price on that.
Right now, I'd take Rio at his prime. Would solve our defensive problems for years.
Giggs.
I would love to see him deployed more as a luxury player. I think his footballing brain would have matured quicker.
20 -30 year old Giggs in 4-3-3 would be up there with the best players in the world today. Most of Giggs prime athletic years were spent in 4-4-2, where is provided incredible protection for the left back, which was incredibility understated to him as a individual.
I would love to see him deployed more as a luxury player. I think his footballing brain would have matured quicker.
20 -30 year old Giggs in 4-3-3 would be up there with the best players in the world today. Most of Giggs prime athletic years were spent in 4-4-2, where is provided incredible protection for the left back, which was incredibility understated to him as a individual.
Giggs. We lack a player who can dribble past players and Giggs in his prime used to do that with ease.
Anybody that laughs at the suggestion of Barnes being better than Giggs obviously has mental issues
But the Bale comment, my God, Gasmanc is a special breed.
Barnes, is everything Giggs wanted to be, the archetypal winger of the 80's who thrived as a playmaker later on in his career. I don't even need to argue about the mans ability, United greats like Robson or Ferdinand would tell you themselves(Barnes was his idol growing up).
I don't think its an exaggeration to say from 87-90 he was top 5 players in the world, honestly.
Giggs is a great player as well but i don't think he reached the peaks Barnes did.
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Probably Evra. Would say Rio but I've faith in Smalling, Evans and Jones. I've significantly less faith in Buttner.
The perception of Giggs is skewed by his longevity. His peaks are not as high as quite a few of the contemporaries mentioned in this thread. It really depends how much you want to value longevity and consistency vs periods of brilliance. One can make an argument for either imo.
Disclaimer: None of that is a comment on Barnes, I've never seen him play. Just talking about Giggs in general.