Sir Ryan Giggs

[rcoobc]

I can't believe everyone saying he had an atrocious game, he was fantastic until the back-heal. He looked better, faster, stronger, than he has done since the year 2000.

Joining in every attack gave us 5 vs 5 or 4 vs 4 time and time again. We should have taken advantage. He played as both a central midfielder and an attacking one, against one of the best midfield's in Britain and it nearly worked. They had the most possession but only about 2 real chances.

We should have soullessly buried them. Our final ball and final shot was no-where to be seen. 1 mistake and people are saying Fergie should have taken him off after 60 minutes?

Joke.

 

[Brwned]

Is that sarcasm?

He was rubbish. Lots of stupid fouls, lots of stupid passes...just one of Giggsy's off-days, it happens.

 

[ghaliboy]

I missed the last 30 minutes so I thought he was absolutely terrible before that. Always just off the pace, playing silly hollywood passes and trying to be to clever.

I also think he starts to gas out about 25 minutes into a half. A few times he just waddled back on the counter and not even trying to get back.

 

[Sixpence]

Shouldn't be playing CM against top teams in a 2 especially.

Against anyone. It didn't work against Norwich this season, not sure how it was going to work v City. His excellent recent performances over the past couple of months have come from playing wide, why Fergie decided against this is beyond me. I predicted he'd start and was happy to see it, but only on the left. Maybe needing Jones to play CB fecked it up but we still had other options to play in CM.

The backheel was fecking moronic to say the least, he is the most experienced player currently playing in world football, what he was doing then with taking such a risk with nobody behind him covering is beyond belief. I guess that's what happens with playing someone who's a creative player in the centre. Reminded me of the brain fart Ferdinand had against Bellamy in 09-10.

 

[rcoobc]

Is that sarcasm?

He was rubbish. Lots of stupid fouls, lots of stupid passes...just one of Giggsy's off-days, it happens.

No it isn't.

I must have been watching a different game to the caf. Not the first time I've disagreed with practically everyone on here. Oh well.

 

[Walrus]

Anyone expecting him to pull the strings in a 2-man midfield against City is having a laugh.

I still rate Giggsy as a player and he has definitely got a place in the squad and a role to play, but that should be as in impact sub/occasional starter (but probably not to play 90 mins other than rare cases) either on the wing (where contrary to popular belief I think he still does a good job) or as an advanced midfielder/in the hole/3-man midfield/whatever you want to call it.

The lineup today was asking for trouble. If Cleverley was fit there is no reason he shouldnt have started with Carrick, ahead of Giggs. For Ryan to play 90 minutes under the circumstances was ridiculous, but SAF needs to take the blame for this one. Giggs can take the blame for the stupid backheels/fouls etc but he was never going to have a good game in that lineup, not against a top team (which unfortunately due to their money, City now are)

 

[Ludens the Red]

I can't believe everyone saying he had an atrocious game, he was fantastic until the back-heal. He looked better, faster, stronger, than he has done since the year 2000.

Joining in every attack gave us 5 vs 5 or 4 vs 4 time and time again. We should have taken advantage. He played as both a central midfielder and an attacking one, against one of the best midfield's in Britain and it nearly worked. They had the most possession but only about 2 real chances.

We should have soullessly buried them. Our final ball and final shot was no-where to be seen. 1 mistake and people are saying Fergie should have taken him off after 60 minutes?

Joke.

What the feck is happening ?

We had Fergie saying van Persie was fantastic, you've got people claiming Young was very good tonight and that Milner wasn't good. It's like some alternate universe thing going on.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

He had one of those games where he's absolute rubbish but still doesn't get subbed.

 

[NinjaFletch]

I can't believe he was played in central midfield, I genuinely can't believe that Fergie thought that was a good idea. I'd have had no problem with him off the left, but how are we having this discussion about Giggs in midfield AGAIN?

 

[rcoobc]

What the feck is happening ?

We had Fergie saying van Persie was fantastic, you've got people claiming Young was very good tonight and that Milner wasn't good. It's like some alternate universe thing going on.

Van Persie was awful, (well no he just didnt do anything), Milner was fantastic, Young was better than he has been recently which comes out as pretty poor but Giggs was great. Thats my opinion.

I don't know whats happening either. City had all the possession but it was 50/50. We didn't make any clear cut chances but it was Giggsies "clever pointless flicks" that where opening City up like a salami sandwhich.

I think it's obvious that we surrendered the midfield as soon as the team sheet was announced.

 

[Platato]

Ryan Giggs has been a beast on the wing this season despite some woeful performances at the beginning of the season. He hasn't hit the same heights in CM that he did in 09/10 (I believe) or whenever he 'reinvented' himself.

 

[wr8_utd]

Giggs still has a lot to offer on the wings but he's really really woeful in midfield. I think pretty much everyone apart from Fergie could see that we'd struggle with him in midfield today.

 

[I'm always right]

Van Persie was awful, (well no he just didnt do anything)

Well he created our only goal of the game, set-up the chance where Rafael hit the post, had some awesome bits of hold up play, so yeah... awful, (well no he just didnt do anything).

 

[Danillaco]

Is that sarcasm?

He was rubbish. Lots of stupid fouls, lots of stupid passes...just one of Giggsy's off-days, it happens.

Not to mentions the tons of hollywood passes to nothing. People in the game thread asking if Giggs was yet to complete a short pass.

I said that I was way more worried about Giggs in the middle, than Young on the starting 11. Can't believe we still use Giggs in this position. How can we be one of the best teams in the world, and still have to rely on a brilliant ex-winger, to run the show at Central Midfield?

Giggs is an idol to me, but playing him at CM, against the second best team in the league is just idiotic. Reminds me of Park selection at City's.

 

[Danillaco]

No it isn't.

I must have been watching a different game to the caf. Not the first time I've disagreed with practically everyone on here. Oh well.

What does that tell you, robocop?

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Shouldn't be playing CM against top teams in a 2 especially.

In a 2, probably... but there's no reason he shouldn't start there as part of a 3 (which I originally thought was the case when a bogus team-sheet was announced in the match day thread). The Carrick/Jones/Giggs trio did a superb job for 60 minutes against Madrid.

Anyway, he had a very poor game yesterday... and in my opinion it was much more down to just having a poor game then being in a 2 man midfield.

 

[Ainu]

Giggs had a poor game, it happens. I'm not going to blame him, except for the backheel leading to the opening goal because that was a moment of pure insanity. But our midfield just doesn't function with him in there as part of a midfield two. Not Giggsy's fault, even if he has a good individual game there we still suffer. It's madness on Fergie's part to keep trying it.

 

[Zen86]

I do love Giggs but I was disappointed Cleverley didn't start last night.

 

[Comsmit]

If he is to start games it should definitely be further up the pitch where he can truly influence our attacking play. He was a whirlwind of purpose and energy against Real at Old Trafford. Stamina isn't really his issue it's his position on the pitch.

Still got lots to offer, without doubt.

 

[Fergus' son]

In a 2, probably... but there's no reason he shouldn't start there as part of a 3 (which I originally thought was the case when a bogus team-sheet was announced in the match day thread). The Carrick/Jones/Giggs trio did a superb job for 60 minutes against Madrid.

Anyway, he had a very poor game yesterday... and in my opinion it was much more down to just having a poor game then being in a 2 man midfield.

They didn't play together for 60 minutes against Madrid, maybe like 15 mins at the end of the first leg.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

They didn't play together for 60 minutes against Madrid, maybe like 15 mins at the end of the first leg.

I meant Cleverley.

 

[The Neviller]

Is he back to being shit again?

 

[Quinton Fortune]

I think he can still do a job in CM in the last 20 minutes of a match if we're playing a side where we are lacking the killer pass. I'm not sure he's cut out for it against the bigger teams though as they punish the mistakes.

I still think he can do a job out wide for 90 minutes though.

 

[100]

Has anyone got a list of matches where Giggs has played CM this season? I can only remember QPR that we've played relatively decent in. Can't believe he was utilised in a two last night.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Has anyone got a list of matches where Giggs has played CM this season? I can only remember QPR that we've played relatively decent in. Can't believe he was utilised in a two last night.

I don't think we played well against QPR in honesty. Just that they're so shit we were comfortable.

 

[gza the genius]

He was easily our worst player yesterday, I can't believe he stayed on the entire game. He basically just ran around, gave the ball away, fouled someone, and then screamed at the ref for 95 minutes.

He still has value to the squad, but playing in a midfield two isn't one of them.

 

[Cina]

He was woeful, and a lot of people predicted that using him in the midfield two was going to go badly, which it did.

 

[Ruud10]

I do love Giggs but I was disappointed Cleverley didn't start last night.

This sums up how I feel about what happened.

This was not a "must win" game by any means, but it's one we all wanted to win. Cleverley is no Pirlo, but as a central mid Giggs is no Cleverley. I'm really, really, REALLY disappointed in the team selection last night.

 

[wonnie]

This sums up how I feel about what happened.

This was not a "must win" game by any means, but it's one we all wanted to win. Cleverley is no Pirlo, but as a central mid Giggs is no Cleverley. I'm really, really, REALLY disappointed in the team selection last night.

Agreed. Sometimes I don't understand what Fergie is thinking. We've been knocked out of all the cups, and our players have been amply rotated throughout the season. And he throws in a pretty unbalanced XI in the derby against City. Yeah, yeah, we will still win the league, but why couldn't he save Giggs in CM for when we've wrapped up the league.

Why didn't he use Cleverley, who has been sufficiently rested throughout the season, and who has proven to be generally excellent in the big games.

Do not comprehend.

 

[Danillaco]

At least, I hope Fergie learnt for the last time, not to play Giggs in 2 man CM. If that was the case, then this loss was definitely a win.

hahahahaha, let's see who takes the bait first.

 

[Siorac]

LOL. You naive man.

 

[Zen86]

Agreed. Sometimes I don't understand what Fergie is thinking. We've been knocked out of all the cups, and our players have been amply rotated throughout the season. And he throws in a pretty unbalanced XI in the derby against City. Yeah, yeah, we will still win the league, but why couldn't he save Giggs in CM for when we've wrapped up the league.

Why didn't he use Cleverley, who has been sufficiently rested throughout the season, and who has proven to be generally excellent in the big games.

Do not comprehend.

Fergie threw out what he thought was our best team, rightly or wrongly. He wasn't out to rest players.

 

[Sojiro]

Is he back to being shit again?

Nope, just had a bad game trying to do a job he shouldn't have been asked to do.

 

[Revan]

Is he back to being shit again?

There is no place for a middle earth here, TN.

He was never shit in the first place, is not shit at all, just he isn't a central midfielder and obviously can't do a good job in a two man midfield. Still, he could be useful in the wings if he's managed correctly (like against Madrid).

 

[samabachan]

I have no issue with him in cm as long as we are chasing a game and he plays max 20-30 mins there. He's one of the few we have who can create a goal out of nothing (eg West Ham away in the cup), but he wastes too much possession to play at centre mid for a full 90 in more or less any circumstances. He's also still terrific as a left winger for short periods when he wants to be.

 

[Eriku]

Not to mentions the tons of hollywood passes to nothing. People in the game thread asking if Giggs was yet to complete a short pass.

I said that I was way more worried about Giggs in the middle, than Young on the starting 11. Can't believe we still use Giggs in this position. How can we be one of the best teams in the world, and still have to rely on a brilliant ex-winger, to run the show at Central Midfield?

Giggs is an idol to me, but playing him at CM, against the second best team in the league is just idiotic. Reminds me of Park selection at City's.

That says more about the people in the match thread, tbh:

* Ryan Giggs (central-midfield):
34/45 passing (76%), 0 chances created, 0/2 crosses, 6/9 long balls, 0/0 through balls, 0 successful dribbles, 0 fouls won, 2 tackles, 2 interceptions

Fair enough, that's not him being a revelation for us, but to say that he barely completed any passes... Giggs has always had penchant for the riskier passes, and yesterday was no different. It seems that people remember him being the main fouler on the pitch and his failed flick of the heel.

 

[Danillaco]

That says more about the people in the match thread, tbh:



Fair enough, that's not him being a revelation for us, but to say that he barely completed any passes... Giggs has always had penchant for the riskier passes, and yesterday was no different. It seems that people remember him being the main fouler on the pitch and his failed flick of the heel.

Was that supposed to be reassuring for Giggs? He missed 33% of long passes, and 76% pass completion, along with 0/2 for crosses is barely a good stat in a full game. I'm not gonna even talk about the cheeky back heel that led to the City goal. And the remark about his passes, especially the "hollywood passes" was in the first 20-25 minutes of first half, if I'm not mistaken. Didn't refer to the whole game, obviously.

He had an off game, fair enough. But he shouldn't be playing CM pair, against the next best team on the league.

 

[Eriku]

* Ryan Giggs (central-midfield): 76/93 passing (82%), 4 chances created, 0/5 crosses, 7/11 long balls, 0/1 through balls, 0 successful dribbles, 1 foul won, 5 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 shots (2 on target), 2 goals

That's his stats against Chelsea in the League cup, a match he was outstanding in. A whopping 6 per cent higher completion rate than yesterday. Now, he also did more with his passes, but the point is that Giggs doesn't necessarily have a shit or sub par match just because his completion rate doesn't match up to Xavi, Scholes or Carrick's.

 

[rcoobc]

What does that tell you, robocop?

That everyone else are moany idiots.

 

[Ash_G]

The problem with Giggs when he plays centrally is that it seems that most will either say it was an inspired choice or a mistake. There's never just a view that, it just didn't happen for him/us. Or that they could see what Fergie was trying to do. If Jones had been available to play centrally he probably would have and the set up would have been different. But he couldn't and so the choice became either Giggs who's slightly risky in terms of positioning but has plenty of experience and has been in good form recently or Clev who has the legs but is less experienced and has looked off his game recently. It was an understandable if not ideal choice and the game just didn't come of for us for a number of reasons, not just cause it was Giggs and not clev or ando.