Pogue Mahone
Closet Gooner.
I think it's a little unfair to compare them to Giggs and Scholes. We're talking about two of the best players in our history. The media branded them as their replacements but I don't really think we should view them as such, they were just two excellent young players signed coincidentally with Giggs and Scholes ageing. I've always found this natural heir concept a bit strange as there aren't many examples of that happening at top clubs around Europe. Players don't get replaced individually, rather the team evolves and moves onto something else without direct equivalents..
It wasn't just the media saying this, though. It was the bloke that signed them!
SAF: "Anderson and Nani will improve and that’s the reason we bought them; to replace Giggs and Scholes in the long term."
I think the rest of your post is entirely fair, by the way.