Ginola is about as close to competition as he had. Pires or Overmars later.
How good was Ryan Giggs?
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You shoved up Robben as an example and for me he isn’t genuinely world class as I would probably only have 20 players from the last 20 years who were. I get this is a Utd forum but to the neutral I guess he wasn’t as great as you think he was and I get it as we are blinkered to our own team.
Does world class have an era? For me he was never the best player in any Utd team he played in and was never considered instrumental like Cantona was and was just another cog in the machine .
So where would you rate him in the ‘world class’ scale?
I say again he was a great player but I would have Bale above him personally.
His legacy has been tainted for me by the fact he's a massive cu*t.
Fan of another team here and you can compare Giggs to anyone you want, he was one of the very best in the world. He was easily the best player to come through United’s youth system in the early 90s and that’s saying something. But as others have said there wasn’t a club anywhere at the time that wouldn’t have given everything to get him.
He should have played for England, our record through the 90s and early 2000s would ha e been very different if we’d had a world class left winger.
Any fans saying he wasn’t that great, either didn’t see him, took him for granted or are actually his brother!
Yes I remember seeing it then. I would have to look for it now.
1 player a year then? There were no world class wingers in the 90’s? That’s nonsense and it’s got nothing to do with bias and complaining about a wide player having a 1 in 6 record over a 23 year career is ridiculous.
What world class scale? I think if you’d play for 99.99% of the football teams in the world then you’re world class. Giggs would easily have done that.
He's not English mate.
Zidane wasn’t much better than a 1 in 6 player. Don’t think he can be considered world class.
Don't you think that playing until you're 40 affects your goals per game rate? Not to mention moving into central midfield. "Good player"? Stupid post.
Yes, but there are some fans closer to home who probably think they have a winger or two better than Giggs was
.Yes British.
I guess anyone who doesn't remember football pre 2005 ish won't have any idea how it used to be. It was never a wingers job to score goals, nor was it the job of the attacking midfielder. Whilst they had to chip in with a handful of goals each season, their main priority was to ensure the two forwards got 20 goals each.
In the modern game Giggs would be a right sided forward expected to cut in onto his left foot and get 20 odd goals a season.
And, he'd be the best about. Very special player, and in my opinion the pick of the CO92.
I knew what you meant
Unplayable at his best and was one of the most dangerous players in a team that won the lot.
He would’ve walked into any XI in Europe in the late 90s, of course he was world class.
He would’ve walked into any XI in Europe in the late 90s, of course he was world class.
Giggs was the definition of world class, just look at his performances in the Champions League.
Robben and Giggs are not World Class? That's some real high standards.
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What?? you cant be serious?? Not world class? not on the upper echelons football? Good player with some brilliance? He was easily one of the best wingers in the world for at least 10 years I honestly cant believe what you have written.
Haha, how can people not just admit he was world class and could have played for any club in the world, easily. Ffs.
He was absolutely incredible. He was a pacey left winger with tricks, crosses, great passes and he'd average about 10 goals a season (give or take).
When the ball was at his feet the crowd was excited, he'd always make something happen - like when Messi starts to dribble (but of course nobody is like Messi).
He did suffer from hamstring injuries which I think stopped him being even more ridiculously good.
Back then we played 442 so the two wide midfielders primarily dribbled, crossed and tracked back, not like wide attackers today who are essentially strikers.
As he grew older he moved into central midfield and also became a squad player towards the end, but he was magnificent in that role too. Great vision and passing.
Very /thread.
Just a cog? Would that make Xavi and iniesta not world class? After all Messi was the MVP.
Like with Scholes, the incredibly skillful and intelligent things Giggs could and would do became commonplace simply because they were doing so in front of our eyes for about twenty years. Ryan Giggs didn’t hit Ronaldo’s peaks but he is a Premier League legend for sure.
Exactly.
Zidane, Giggs, Robben and Figo were not world class?! 
The shit you read on this forum. feck me, I'm going to bed. Clearly school can't start soon enough.
The shit you read on this forum. feck me, I'm going to bed. Clearly school can't start soon enough.
Outrageously talented as a dribbler and chance-creator...pure lightning in a bottle — think of someone with mesmerizing ball control, a sharp mind and wand of a left foot, the overwhelming pace of Gento and snake-like agility of Rensenbrink, and a knack for repeatedly ghosting his marker(s). This goal sums young Giggs up perfectly, methinks...the stunned opposition had no chance:
Yep, the only winger or wide midfielder you would take over Giggs from the '90s was Luís Figo, and that selection is redundant because he operated on the opposite flank. And even in an All-Time context, Giggs is up there with the best-of-the-best at his position. If I recall correctly, Lippi always maintained that Giggs was United's deadliest weapon and specifically game-planned around him — high praise coming from someone who reached 3 Champions League finals in the mid '90s and was probably Fergie's biggest adversary in the competition. In fact, the entire Juventus organisation admired him deeply, including their crown jewel...
Would make the starting XI of every elite club from the period, unless their tactics didn't call for wingers.Tweet
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For me, he did as much for the Number 11 shirt as Best did for the no. 7.
I always thought he was eligible to play for England as he had played for England schoolboys as Ryan Wilson and I have spent years blaming Mark Hughes for convincing him to play for Wales instead at a time when there was nothing England needed more than a left winger!
A quick check it turns out he played for England schoolboys because his school was in England, but he was born in Wales, to welsh parents with welsh grandparents. I'm thinking very differently about Mark Hughes now!
Prat.
Fully agree, I can't think of a single left winger who'd have displaced him during his time playing out there for United. Probably the best player in his position in Europe. Had he played for Barca or Real he'd have received more individual awards. If he couldn't beat his full back for pace, he'd simply use his skill.
His records alone would explain why he is one of the best players to ever play in the premier league.
Arguably the best left winger we ever had.
Arguably the best left winger we ever had.
He scored some fantastic goals, his goal vs QPR is one of my favorite goals. That goal looks similar to the one scored by Best.Outrageously talented as a dribbler and chance-creator...pure lightning in a bottle — think of someone with mesmerizing ball control, a sharp mind and wand of a left foot, the overwhelming pace of Gento and snake-like agility of Rensenbrink, and a knack for repeatedly ghosting his marker(s). This goal sums young Giggs up perfectly, methinks...the stunned opposition had no chance:
Yep, the only winger or wide midfielder you would take over Giggs from the '90s was Luís Figo, and that selection is redundant because he operated on the opposite flank. And even in an All-Time context, Giggs is up there with the best-of-the-best at his position. If I recall correctly, Lippi always maintained that Giggs was United's deadliest weapon and specifically game-planned around him — high praise coming from someone who reached 3 Champions League finals in the mid '90s and was probably Fergie's biggest adversary in the competition. In fact, the entire Juventus organisation admired him deeply, including their crown jewel...
Would make the starting XI of every elite club from the period, unless their tactics didn't call for wingers.Tweet
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Very good player. Arguably great. Certainly had a great career. Wouldn’t make my all-time United XI (from players I saw), but would definitely make the bench.
At his best he was fantastic. When he was poor he was really poor.
Legend.
At his best he was fantastic. When he was poor he was really poor.
Legend.
He was excellent.
Clearly world class.
I'll always remember him running Richards ragged during our 4-3 win in the derby in the 2009-2010 season.
One of Giggs' best ever performances IMO. Set up 3 goals including the Owen winner.
Clearly world class.
I'll always remember him running Richards ragged during our 4-3 win in the derby in the 2009-2010 season.
One of Giggs' best ever performances IMO. Set up 3 goals including the Owen winner.
i think giggs best time as a winger was in his early years. he scared defenders everywhere in the early 90s, before the hamstring injuries etc.
he was still effective after and being able to turn into a creative centre midfield just shows the real talent he had. He always produced at the big games, only one big game i can remember him being very quiet was munich in 99 cause he played from the right.
I do believe he should go down as our greatest ever player due to service ability and success, I do believe he should also get a statue.
he was still effective after and being able to turn into a creative centre midfield just shows the real talent he had. He always produced at the big games, only one big game i can remember him being very quiet was munich in 99 cause he played from the right.
I do believe he should go down as our greatest ever player due to service ability and success, I do believe he should also get a statue.
Was probably 20 / 21 scoring them 2 goals. I dont remember a point where people were talking about potential with him. He was just effective right off the bat really.He scored some fantastic goals, his goal vs QPR is one of my favorite goals. That goal looks similar to the one scored by Best.
When people say Giggs wasn’t world class you know their opinion is worthless.
Giggs was a footballing genius and this was more evident in his latter stages of his career which was when I really started following and watching matches. His explosive pace and wing play in his prime have all been mentioned, but even from 2005 onwards when his pace was declining he was always at least 1 step ahead of everyone else on the pitch. Scholes was the same too. It says a lot that Giggs and scholes were still relied upon as regular starters to win matches into their mid 30s.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned a lot is how great of an understanding he has with his teammates. He's linked up so well with pretty much every outfield player we've had and has created decisive winning moments season after season. His understanding with Rooney, Ruud, Park, Scholes, RVP, Ronaldo, Evra, Carrick, Berbatov, Chicharito, and even Michael freakin Owen was a pleasure to watch. Just watch some of our big match highlights from his last several years and you'll see how involved Giggs was in many of our best moments.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned a lot is how great of an understanding he has with his teammates. He's linked up so well with pretty much every outfield player we've had and has created decisive winning moments season after season. His understanding with Rooney, Ruud, Park, Scholes, RVP, Ronaldo, Evra, Carrick, Berbatov, Chicharito, and even Michael freakin Owen was a pleasure to watch. Just watch some of our big match highlights from his last several years and you'll see how involved Giggs was in many of our best moments.
would love to see how he'd develop if he broke through today, as an inside-forward no doubt
he'd be absolutely devastating in that role
he'd be absolutely devastating in that role