He's on that medicine Mr Burns takes. He'll be playing when he's 105.
Sir Ryan Giggs
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@AdamSMarshall: Wayne Rooney tells MUTV even the Bayer centre-half was asking how Giggsy keeps playing so well at his age!
So many people are critical of him. Sure, we shouldn't be in a position where we rely on a 40 year old. Sure, we should have replaced him. But irrespective of that, I can't understand why people are critical of him when he's picked because I can't think of any of our other midfielders other then Carrick who can play some of he through balls he still can. Also today he proved he has the engine for 90 minutes still (although obviously he can't do it week in week out).
This man. 
I never get this thing about having to rely on a 40 year old. He's still one of the better players in the league and certaint one of the best squad players around. What's ahead of him isn't good enough but having someone like giggs as someone who can come in with our first choice centre mids out through injury and suspension (even if fellaini shouldn't be first choice) is more a sign of our squad strength than anything. If giggs left us but wanted to play on I can't think of a team that would reject him. He's not asking to be a key player but he'll come in and have an impact.
Personally I agree completely. But I know there are people who think him staying kept Pogba out and hence irritated him (though I don't buy that story). There's also the chance that because we have him, we haven't strengthened the area as much as we should have because of the "oh, we have Giggs" idea. Personally I think forget about age. Just how you would play a 17 year old if they're mature and good enough, you can play a 40 year old.
Well there were probably mistakes with Pogba but whatever they were I don't think giggs was a part of him. Fergie did seem to show a reluctance to involve him over some other players in the middle but don't think it would be fair for anyone to say giggs held him back. Either way youve got to earn your spot in the team. It's a shame giggs played te 90 as he's unlikely to start against spurs but fellaini being dropped when carrick isn't available, and clev for that matter might make them step up their games.
But year agree on age, as they say its just a number, performance is all that matters.
But year agree on age, as they say its just a number, performance is all that matters.
Indeed. He is guaranteed now basically not to play against Spurs. With Fellaini though he was suspended today rather than dropped.
Yeah I know sorry wasn't very clear, I meant if giggs hadn't played the 90 he might have played with jones again over fellaini or clev which might have been a wake up call for them, he still might but not likely I'd imagine.
I want to say he never ceases to amaze me, but I can't. This has been going on for years, where he's written off and then comes out with performances like tonight and makes us shut the feck up and look like idiots for doubting him. Long may it continue.
For all the talk about what type of midfielder we need, I think Giggs tonight and the Cardiff game amongst others has shown us exactly what we need. Someone with balls who has the confidence to make forward passes and be a creator rather than someone who is so worried about making mistakes they shift responsibility to someone else.
For all the talk about what type of midfielder we need, I think Giggs tonight and the Cardiff game amongst others has shown us exactly what we need. Someone with balls who has the confidence to make forward passes and be a creator rather than someone who is so worried about making mistakes they shift responsibility to someone else.
Agree completely, and said it in the matchday thread. Presumably Giggs will eventually one day retire, and Anderson isn't fit/good enough to merit a place in the team, so it's that kind of player we should be looking at.
I think it's important to note he wasn't put under any pressure whatsoever tonight. He was given free reign and played similar to vintage Scholes. You can't expect him to play the same at Cardiff or Southampton away. He won't be given the time.
Anderson will retire before Giggs.
Yeah. I get you.
I think the Jones Giggs partnership works well too to be honest. Jones makes up for any defensive or energy liabilities Giggs may have, and Giggs can concentrate on his passing and through balls.
Assuming Moyes did his research on the opposition and how they play (which from everything you hear about Moyes, I would expect to be the case) then I would say that from a tactical point of view, playing Giggs was a masterstroke.
The performance last night was fantastic but against better opponents who will press the ball rather than sit back, Giggs has shown to be very ineffective. I have been one of the many calling for him never to start in a CM role again for us - but in this sort of a match he showed how good he can still be, when given a bit of time and space to work with and with good movement ahead of him from the front four, and when given a defensively robust and mobile CM partner like Jones.
The performance last night was fantastic but against better opponents who will press the ball rather than sit back, Giggs has shown to be very ineffective. I have been one of the many calling for him never to start in a CM role again for us - but in this sort of a match he showed how good he can still be, when given a bit of time and space to work with and with good movement ahead of him from the front four, and when given a defensively robust and mobile CM partner like Jones.
Just wow from Giggs, seriously, he is a freak.
Forget about the age, what he offers, what he used to play like on the wing and all that. He is an amazing footballer, simple as that. His composure on the ball is world class.
Forget about the age, what he offers, what he used to play like on the wing and all that. He is an amazing footballer, simple as that. His composure on the ball is world class.
Now I will just sit back and enjoy him while he's with us, no complains, no arguments when he gives the ball away just enjoy it because I'll probably be talking about him with my kids in 30 years.
It's hard to believe this is the same guy people wanted to sell a decade ago because he was 'finished'. Not criticising them necessarily, just amazed at how Giggs has continued to prove his critics wrong. Imagine if we'd sold him to Inter back then!
He will get pressed a lot more by the best teams in Europe and England but still, to control any game in the Champions League takes some doing and he did it with ease.
Just imagine if he didn't have his hamstering problems when he was younger, he might have been awefully close to 1000 now!
That performance just shows that, when he's picked in the right matches at the right time, he's still absolute class. But it doesn't make him any better at helping us protect a lead when we're being pressed, of course.
Continues to make posters here look stupid as well. The ones who are the first in here when he plays bad are nowhere to be seen when he puts in yet another top performance.
To be fair, Leverkusen are 2nd in the Bundesliga ahead of Dortmund, and were undefeated at home this season until yesterday. By any stretch therefore, a 5 nil win is a tremendous result. Under no illusions though, they obviously aren't better than Dortmund or one of the top top teams in Europe and ultimately yeah, we wouldn't get the space we got.
I find this sort of argument really poor to be honest.
Yes, he's still capable of brilliance. But it happens every fourth match and he needs to be used in the right kind of matches if he's to be effective.
Subbing him on has hurt us a couple of times this season. That's Moyes's issue more than Giggsy's, but still.
It's fine to criticize him when he plays poorly and praise him when he's good, isn't it?
Well he could have won the game against Cardiff if Rooney didn't fluff his lines, so yes used at the right times, he will be deadly, especially in Europe.
That is fine, of course. It's the criticizing only I was having a go at. Some can't bring themselves to admit it when he plays well. Sad really.
I still think we use him too much, and sometimes at the cost of points.
In some matches he simply can't hack it anymore.
In others he's brilliant, like last night. Unreal performance really.
In some matches he simply can't hack it anymore.
In others he's brilliant, like last night. Unreal performance really.
Not only that, it's the "ZOMG HE IS 40 HE SHOULD RETIRE HE IS BEING SELFISH" argument that really gets on my tits. Age is just a bloody number. He clearly still does a job for us.
I think it's very dependent on who he is playing with though. There are obviously shortfalls in his ability to continually track back, and he does sometimes lose the ball because he is at least positive in looking for the aggressive through balls. Maybe energy wise he also lacks a bit too. If he plays with someone like Jones, he has that defensive cover and the energy around him to just focus on what he does, and that's be a playmaker and play his through balls. If on the other hand he is with someone like Fellaini or even Carrick, a lot more is expected of him going back too and possibly this means he struggles.
Moyes needs to choose the matches that he plays in carefully. Against Leverkusen who sat back, he's brilliant. Against a team like Southampton, suicide.
Ha yeah very true. The hyerbole when he plays bad is unreal. "He should never play for the club again!"
Just can't stop smiling thinking about this performance. Amazing to think how big a role he looks like he could have on our season now.
Best performance - from any midfielder for us - this season.
Man of the match performance without a doubt. Let him keep playing, roll-on.........
fecking legend, makes it all look so easy. That pass to Nani for the fifth
I seriously wonder what opposition supporters, in general, and what the Leverkusen supporters, last night must be thinking. Seeing this living legend bossing a Champions League with seeming consumate ease.
Wish he was 19 again.
Wish he was 19 again.
fecking legend, makes it all look so easy. That pass to Nani for the fifth
That's what puts him apart from all our other midfielders, except Carrick I guess. That pass was sublime. Sure he has some weaknesses, and maybe may not always play at the level he played at last night. But dang, at the right time, on his moment, he can pull some formidable passes out of the bag. Players like Cleverley, Fellaini just don't have the capacity to do that, even on their wonder days.
I think we should make the Yoga he does a compulsory daily training exercise for every player if we haven't already.
I don't think you can make it compulsory without upsetting a few players. Yoga has it's origins in pagan sun worship. If there are a devout Christians in the squad they might not agree with it's use.