His crossing was far better yesterday than all of our three wingers have produced this season. Says a lot.
Sir Ryan Giggs
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His crossing has always been good - when compared to Valencia, Young, Nani on average.
In terms of reliability to produce a cross at key moments I'd say:
1. Giggs
2. Nani
3. Young/Valencia
Nani has the ability to deliver a peach of a cross yeah, but I'd back Giggs due to his consistency with his crosses. Young is not too bad but because he plays on the left he is disadvantaged in that most of his out swinging crosses hit the first man.
In terms of reliability to produce a cross at key moments I'd say:
1. Giggs
2. Nani
3. Young/Valencia
Nani has the ability to deliver a peach of a cross yeah, but I'd back Giggs due to his consistency with his crosses. Young is not too bad but because he plays on the left he is disadvantaged in that most of his out swinging crosses hit the first man.
Thought he looked really lively in the second half and set up some good opportunities that we should have capitalized on. I don't buy into the whole "his legs are gone" mantra. He said himself in an interview a while back that his aerobic fitness, if anything, has improved as he's got older. Its that intensity that, say, Cleverley has that he's lost. In home games where we get a lot of possession he has ability to create a good number of chances. I thought he and Carrick looked the most likely to create something today.
I really don't have a clue why fergie has played giggs in central midfield over the last couple of years. He is not and was never was great at CM. Sure, there were a few games where he played brilliantly there, but that was in his early thirties and only as a stop gap measure now his legs are gone he can't even be decent at CM, but somehow he's been played there on and off over the past 2-3 years.
He is however, still a very big threat from the left wing, if only for his ability to cross dangerously. He can still play a very big part in our team, but only at Left Wing. In fact, playing left wing, i would have no issue with him starting.
But CM??? Why does fergie still continue to do it?
He is however, still a very big threat from the left wing, if only for his ability to cross dangerously. He can still play a very big part in our team, but only at Left Wing. In fact, playing left wing, i would have no issue with him starting.
But CM??? Why does fergie still continue to do it?
He's played there twice this season not counting dead rubber ties in the CL and the texas-match vs Chelsea in the Carling Cup.
I'd say it's because SAF has put us in a position where we don't have any real choice if we're not going to run our three only functioning midfielders into the ground.
He was bossing top quality midfields just two years ago.
Indeed. He was brilliant in our CL run of 2011 alongside Carrick. Bossed the Chelsea tie where he was up against Lampard, Essien & Ramires.
Even if that were so which personally i consider a bit of an exaggeration, it is no longer the case. Also 2-3 years ago the team in general had a more assertive nature, the emphasis on our midfield is so much greater these days.
The best Giggs has ever done in central midfield was oddly enough alongside O'Shea, can't remember which season it took place but they put together a decent run there when circumstances called for it.
Of course its no longer the case, it was two years ago!
He did boss the Chelsea, Schalke and a few other midfields at that time though, I don't think it's an exaggeration and was widely accepted.
A few years back he was but one cog in United side widely more efficient than we have today, i fail to see the relevance to where we currently find ourselves.
The relevance:
Someone said he doesn't know why Giggs has played in CM for the last few years, and that he only produced good performances there when he was in his early thirties.
I pointed out that it was acknowledged that he bossed the Chelsea and Schalke midfields in huge CL games just two or three years ago, aged 36.
Yes ok he might be great as a cm anymore, but let's not re write history and make out as if he never was any good when it's blatantly untrue.
Also, I don't know if we were widely more efficient. Personelle is largely the same aside from VdS and RVP.
Someone said he doesn't know why Giggs has played in CM for the last few years, and that he only produced good performances there when he was in his early thirties.
I pointed out that it was acknowledged that he bossed the Chelsea and Schalke midfields in huge CL games just two or three years ago, aged 36.
Yes ok he might be great as a cm anymore, but let's not re write history and make out as if he never was any good when it's blatantly untrue.
Also, I don't know if we were widely more efficient. Personelle is largely the same aside from VdS and RVP.
True that, he was good in CM, but yes that was at 36. He did boss some games but even then he wasn't the midfield general capable of making that position his own. As another poster said, its irrelevant any way since he cannot perform there any more.
My issue though, is that i feel he still has a lot more still to contribute if he is stuck out wide on the wings. The difference between when he is placed in central midfield and when he is placed out on the wing is so significant. When played in CM he is a 40 year old once great legend on his last legs, when played on the wing he transforms into this wing wizard who's lost a bit of pace but is still capable of embarrassing full backs.
that's my observation of him this couple of seasons anyway. Stick him back out on the wing, fergie, where he can still put in performances that turn back the clock.
He was good in season 2010-11 in the second half of the season in CM. Brilliant against Chelsea in the CL tie.
Good again today. Play him on the wing, it's clear that he can still do a good job there.
I thought Giggs was excellent today. Clearly much better out wide ghosting in and out than he is in a two man midfield, but we all knew that anyway.
His crossing 
I almost had forgotten what its like to have a consistently brilliant delivery from out wide.
I almost had forgotten what its like to have a consistently brilliant delivery from out wide.
Yeah he had a good game, clearly can still be effective in the right games/teams. Getting some form at a good time for us.
His crossing
I almost had forgotten what its like to have a consistently brilliant delivery from out wide.
It's one feature of his wing play that I'd always still rated even when he was in the centre and it's great that it's still there now. I'm still not sold on him being a regular, but it's clear he'll be able to do some sort of job for us on the wing.
Good game from Giggs. Showed he still can contribute when called upon
When another player isn't performing well = Off form.
When Giggs isn't performing well = HE'S LOST IT, GET RID OF HIM FERGIE!
Played well today - he still has ounces of class to offer.
When Giggs isn't performing well = HE'S LOST IT, GET RID OF HIM FERGIE!
Played well today - he still has ounces of class to offer.
Play him out wide and he'll still contribute as we witnessed today. Hopefully SAF will continue this trend and not stick him in central midfield ever again.
I didn't think he played that well. Thought he went quite for large periods of the game. Saying that he didn't do anything negative either that made him stand out. Just one of the average games where nothing either way has stuck in my head about his game.
Yeah, it was a decent performance all over sprinkled with a couple of delightful balls and crosses.
He really is a very, very good crosser though. A breath of fresh air compared to the crossing from the likes of Valencia this season.
He really is a very, very good crosser though. A breath of fresh air compared to the crossing from the likes of Valencia this season.
Agreed.
I love the CAF, we still were trying to kill him when we lost to spuds at home...
And Giggsy was atrocious that day.
Still, Giggsy isn't our long term solution, we should be trying to play our new potentially WC winger if we had the chance like how we oozed Nani and Ronaldo in. Shows that our lack of potential in this department has still yet to be solved and we were linked heavily to Hazard and Lucas for a big reason.
I'm still thinking SAF has something up his sleeve in the LW department, Young doesn't seem like a prime candidate to take the baton off Giggsy.
We'll see in the summer.
And Giggsy was atrocious that day.
Still, Giggsy isn't our long term solution, we should be trying to play our new potentially WC winger if we had the chance like how we oozed Nani and Ronaldo in. Shows that our lack of potential in this department has still yet to be solved and we were linked heavily to Hazard and Lucas for a big reason.
I'm still thinking SAF has something up his sleeve in the LW department, Young doesn't seem like a prime candidate to take the baton off Giggsy.
We'll see in the summer.
Although he predominantly plays in a LAM role when on the wing, I think it's still amazing he can have a very positive influence for us on the wing position at his age.
Much prefer him on the wing.
Had a very good game. He looks far more effective when he is not constantly trying to put in long through balls.
He should stop taking steroids completely
Brilliant when he came on... and what a pass!
"Should Retire"... feck right off!
"Should Retire"... feck right off!
What a fecking ball to RVP
Should've scored with the header but that pass was sensational!
That's Giggs all over - from FFS Giggs in the 90th minute to Giggsy you absolute beauty in the 92nd.
On a dime, on a fecking dime.
I feel really bad about making that thread to suggest he should
But I am delighted he keeps making me look retarded.
Came on, messed a few passes up, got a few right, missed an absolute sitter and then set up the goal with a wonderball.
Mixed bag, but overall worth it
Mixed bag, but overall worth it
Absolute fantastic pass. Only a square yard to put in on there, and that's where he put it.
I didn't realise it was you that did it! But yeah, shame on you!
Came on, messed a few passes up, got a few right, missed an absolute sitter and then set up the goal with a wonderball.
Mixed bag, but overall worth it
He did, his passing looked spot on from what I saw. Almost the first thing he did was knock a superb ball down the line from Welbeck and he went on from there.
Tik a boo