Incredible player. The one who would put fear into defenders. All the other players like Scholes & Beckham etc may have had more consistency but Giggs was the one when on top of his game, he was unplayable. It's often forgot how much of a big game player he was too, them games against Juventus, Arsenal, Liverpool, Deportivo as a dashing winger he was brilliant. Then later in his career at CM, he absolutely dominated Inter Milan at Old Trafford, was terrific in the 4-3 derby win against Man City and there was an Old Trafford win against Chelsea where they couldn't get near him.
How good was Ryan Giggs?
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He was like a typical old school British winger, imagine the brazilian wingers from the 90s, but much more direct no none sense. He’s pace and running would pose a constant threat, but end product was inconsistent and his stats were usually low in assists and goals with exception of 2 seasons.
This might seems harsh. But all fast/tricky wingers from the 90s were like that. The thing they did was threaten and tire the opposition with constant and direct running.
He’d have moments of magic but it’s strange because he was always the most replaceable out of that four of Giggs, Scholes, Keane, Beckham.
Nowhere near as talented as George Best (someone made the comparisons)was more like today’s wide forwards, he didn’t stick to the wings. George Best today would have been a 30-40 goal a season a player.
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He's hard to compare really but he had a fair bit in common with Hazard. I would say he was much more consistent though and more of an out and olut winger, although he adapted over time.
His performance for Wales at Anfield against Italy was one of the best individual performances I've ever seen. He was taking on a very good Italy packed with world class defenders by himself and gave them a torrid time.
It may not be true, but I always felt like he was our best big-game player at his peak, especially in Europe. Very few players combined such pace with an exquisite technique which, at his best, made him simply unplayable. I've recently watched our game against Porto in 1996/97 and he was already the best player on the pitch, Fergie and the press were raving about his performance.
His overall productivity was also insane (credit to @Mrs Smoker)
I think it's fair to say that he would've been somewhere around Robben/Ribery in terms of his standing. Sancho's level of performances very much resembe Giggs' early years (Mbappe is probably the only youngster from the recent times who surpassed Giggs in terms of potential).
His overall productivity was also insane (credit to @Mrs Smoker)
I think it's fair to say that he would've been somewhere around Robben/Ribery in terms of his standing. Sancho's level of performances very much resembe Giggs' early years (Mbappe is probably the only youngster from the recent times who surpassed Giggs in terms of potential).
A more intelligent Leroy Sane.
Don't really get the Sane comparisons. Sane hasn't proved all that much. He MIGHT in time.
Yes, 478 goals/assists in 900+ games is terrible
Sane does dribble with pace, a little like Giggs used to but seems to do it in smaller spaces or over a shorter distance. Giggs would have defenders reeling from half way line to the byline.
It’s a stylistic comparison, the way they can twist defenders inside out, left-footed on the left-wing. Obviously Sane has it all to prove.
Absolutely brilliant especially on European nights. Watch Giggs vs Olympiakos in 2001-2002 or Giggs vs Fiorentina on youtube. Best dribbler in Europe at that time.
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I don't agree. I think peak Bale was a more complete attacking player. Bale has achieved more for Wales as well. Giggs is a greater player than Bale in terms longetivity and legacy, but I would rather have Bale at his best. Giggs never had a season like Bale had at Spurs.
Ronaldo was Ronaldo, but Giggs was something else entirely, you couldn't drop Ronnie in at left back to defend a lead, nor could you shore up the midfield with him either.
Giggs could do that as well as either wing, up top as a second striker, play inch perfect through balls and ping 40 yard passes across the pitch onto somebodys toe.
His reading of the game was something else, first time passes we'd kill for now. Anybody remember the pass to Eric to make it 2-2 against city in the famous comeback 3-2? Ridiculous.
He had it all.
The only downside is that he's a scumbag when it comes to family matters, but that's none of our concern.
Sharpey and Giggs together were magnificent especially when they switched wings or doubled up to crucify teams but Sharpe was more showy, egocentric and outspoken. It was great to watch and the little backheels, OTT celebrations and great goals probably did place Lee above Ryan for a season or two.
Like Sharpey it would have most likely cut short his career and seen him more famous as a B list celebrity now, thankfully Giggs listened when Fergie reined the pair of them in.
I like him. I like him a lot. Others were much more eloquent about his unreal abilities, and it's really all true.
This aging thing really sucks, and we need to do something about that. Elon, I'm looking at you.
This aging thing really sucks, and we need to do something about that. Elon, I'm looking at you.
To be clear I'm saying he was world class. But, he is often in the discussion for best player ever to play in the PL. He was not quite at the level of the likes of Ronaldo and Henry.
This thread is about the footballer, though, not the man.
Best left winger in the world for some years and the best left winger in the league and then he became one of the leagues best CM's. He didn't become the best in the world but he's remembered as Mr. United for a reason. His off field antics don't change that.
He could win a game for you out of nothing. Just give him the ball and he's off on one of his mazy runs and the ball ends up in the net.
This is going to sound highly controversial but...I've long thought that far too much is made about Giggs' disloyalty to his brother. I think there's more to the situation than appears on the surface, and that people react curiously, paranoically about it.
Fair enough, as a footballer I loved watching him play. It's impossible not to respect the dedication he showed to the club, his work rate, effort and also the way he adapted his game as he got older.
Whether I would class him as world class I'm not too sure, as I think the term is horrible overused now.
no mention of 4 assists vs Roma. No mention of him destroying Chelsea's midfield in the cl in 2011. No mention of being the best player on the pitch vs Real Madrid at age 37 or so.
Giggs is one of the best British players of all time.
One of the greatest Champions League players of all time.
Giggs is one of the best British players of all time.
One of the greatest Champions League players of all time.
The defensive nature of some people when legends are critiqued is laughable... did I say his stats were terrible? No.Yes, 478 goals/assists in 900+ games is terrible
But on a season per season basis. He rarely got into double figures for either goals or assists. Here im judging him solely as a winger, btw.
But in his entire Man Utd career 841 apps, 151 goals. 180 Assists. Not terrible, for all the snowflakes out there, but I do remember he was a player who at times was very frustrating with his end product for large parts of the season, but also he had recurring injury think hamstring of achilles can’t remember which that often saw him miss 4-8 weeks at a time.
To my mind, he was the least replaceable of that fantastic quartet. Not as good as Keane as a player but we had other, admittedly less impressive centre mids who could sort of cover. Better than the other two and more unique.
He was the primary enabler of our counterattacking style when younger and the biggest risk taker. Flamboyant, committed, pacy, clever and stylish.
A young Ryan Giggs breaking through now would be worth an absolute fortune.
Not 180 assists. Assists were only latterly tracked. See Mrs. Smoker's stunning work.
I read story at one time for a lot of his career he could only push himself to about 80% or his hamstrings would give up. Think of what he could have been like at 100% all the time.
Agree that he was a world class player at his peak. If he came through today, the obvious thought is that coaches would try and make him an inverted winger/inside forward playing from right. But I also could imagine coaches trying him out at full-back in teams that play high pressure/high possession styles. His combination of speed, vision, tactical awareness, passing/crossing range, and ok defensive skills would make him ideal for it.
A great player and an even greater motivational speaker
I remember hearing that,after many hamstring injury’s l, they still couldn’t put there finger on the root cause. They tried different training programmes, and different recuperation techniques, but he still got niggling hamstring injury’s.. it was then suggested he should stop driving low profile sports cars and, while it didn’t solve the issue fully,apparently it reduced them significantly..
I agree with this. People talk about Rooney sacrificing himself for the team, but for me, Rooney wasn't as special as Giggs... but nobody questioned him being back helping out his fullback because he did that brilliantly too.
All Giggs goals for United.
Your opinion differs from mine quite a bit.
Statistics aren't everything and timing makes a big difference. If Giggs came through now there's no chance he wouldn't be a good goalscorer. Football back then demanded wingers to play a very different role with a lesser focus on goalscoring and end product. Allowed to spend all his efforts in that area, like, say, somebody like Sterling does, Giggs would have very different looking numbers.
Ah yes I’m a complete snowflake for pointing out that what you’re saying is complete bullshite.
You literally said he had low stats for goals and assists each season, when if you look just a few posts up there are his all time stats, showing he scored or assisted every other game for over 900 appearances/20 odd years. How is that low?
He also hit double figures for assists every season bar 4 in his whole career despite playing until he was 40. But yeah keep saying his stats are bad
He was world class but you compared him to Ronaldo who's just a freak . Giggs was world class Ronaldo will be remembered as one of the best ever
Where do you get your stats? He had 162 assists in the Premier League alone. Do you really think he only had 18 assists in other competitions in his whole career? Who are the players with superior records?
Yea I remember this. He was being linked with Inter if I recall correctly?! Just shows how fickle fans are...even in our glory years.
Giggs had about 2-3 years maximum of these injuries...it was his hamstrings. The problem he had was, his love for fast cars, with heavy manual clutches. These were putting strain on his hamstrings. He then sorted that conundrum out and I believe he also took up yoga to help him.
5 and 12 surely don't count as assists, it's just giving the ball to Ronaldo before he does something mad.