Who is the greater player: Ryan Giggs vs Gareth Bale

[Web of Bissaka]

Speed/acceleration - Bale (Bale with more raw pace, but Giggs run pretty much as fast with the ball)
Passing/crossing - Giggs

On the ball quickness - Giggs (I think he's much more faster when he's on the ball than without. Bale is the opposite and definitely fastest off the ball)

I think the passing/crossing should be broken down more into these:
Playmaking - Giggs
Crossing (power) - Bale
Crossing (creative skills) - Giggs

 

[Web of Bissaka]

One way to answer this question would be to ask yourself: who’s career would you rather have, Bale or Giggs?

Easily Giggs, there's more romanticism with his career.

Spoiler

• one-club
• worked with a monster manager (rare, ruthless and unique).
• played alongside the likes of Robson, Keane, Ruud, Ronaldo, etc.
• "graduated" along with the other fellow youth members (sort-of) and they all became core key members of the first team together (that's a fun career).
• all highest trophies to be won.
• 99 treble! (no other clubs can get this with the same huge hurdle, drama and magnitude in achieving this)
• wing wizard speedster into midfield magician later on.
• assist machine (personally I like to assist more than scoring).

Bale's is more better in getting highlights and had better international career.

 

[Giggs86]

People who say Bale was better in his prime, clearly haven't seen Giggs in his prime.

All that Bale will be remembered for prior to his bench-warming golf career in Madrid is that game with Spurs vs. Inter and that Champions League final with Madrid.

 

[Rozay]

Giggs has the longevity though and much less of the injuries. Peak Robben Id say is best of the three. Overal career Giggs edges it. Had Robben scored against Casillas in 2010 Id switch em around.

Can you see why it is almost impossible to rate anyone higher now? There’s just no point in comparing. Nobody else played at the top level until 40, and that seems to be the most important factor.

 

[Untd55]

You realise Giggs won PFA Player of the Year a season after his second CL medal? And also got a Balon d’Or nomination. At 35. Playing CM.

You talk as if Giggs was a passenger at United, when in truth he was the only player in all of SAF’s successful teams.

That was more to do with breaking records than actually being the best, I think most people know this. He won the sports personality of the year award as well. There was no way he was the best player in 2008/09, the season they were based off.

Ronaldo
Rooney
Vidic
Gerrard
Torres
Lampard

These were all better that season. There were probably more as well.

 

[Dr Foo]

We can revisit this conversation if Bale can reinvent or rejuvenate his game for the next 5 years.

At their peaks, they are different players. Giggs was mesmeric and exciting to watch, blending pace and mazy dribbling few could. Bale's athleticism, pace and power in shots gives him more headlines in scoring in big occasions as a modern striker/winger hybrid.

As it stands, Giggs' renaissance from the mid 2000s into a CM that could still beat people while showcasing a creative range of passing, puts him in a different class to Bale.

If Bale can somehow overcome his glass ceiling (literal shortcoming of his injuries), I think he may have the tools to adapt and show his skillets beyond the athletic part - he is a class player. Giggs went through a transformation as well, from frequent hamstring injuries to a player that could last til 40, adopting Yoga etc to help. Bale may need to find a similar path, time will tell - pacy players are prone to those injuries/fading away from 30s (unless a freak like Robben)

 

[OrcaFat]

That was more to do with breaking records than actually being the best, I think most people know this. He won the sports personality of the year award as well. There was no way he was the best player in 2008/09, the season they were based off.

Ronaldo
Rooney
Vidic
Gerrard
Torres
Lampard

These were all better that season. There were probably more as well.

It was voted by his fellow professionals. Thank goodness. There’s usually some argument about who should have won but that doesn’t mean the award is wrong if it doesn’t go to your pick.

The number of comments in this thread that say “yeah but” is laughable.

Giggs was a regular in several of the greatest English club teams. Yeah but...

He’s the most decorated... yeah but

He has a giant number of assists and contributed to more goals than pretty much anyone... yeah but

He scored the best ever FA cup goal... yeah but.

It’s been fun to hear all the views in this thread but I sort of wish there weren’t so many posts looking for ways to put the guy down. He was great. He simply was. Don’t think you could find a single pro, current or past, who would argue otherwise. Del Pierro cried when he first saw Giggs play - some of us fans are overly romantic but I don’t blame him. Giggs sums up the joy of watching football at all.

 

[youngrell]

That was more to do with breaking records than actually being the best, I think most people know this. He won the sports personality of the year award as well. There was no way he was the best player in 2008/09, the season they were based off.

Ronaldo
Rooney
Vidic
Gerrard
Torres
Lampard

These were all better that season. There were probably more as well.

I was simply addressing the ridiculous notion that Giggs got a 2nd CL medal handed to him out of loyalty from SAF, when it was complete BS because he was very much contributing to the team still even a year further on.

 

[bosnian_red]

One way to answer this question would be to ask yourself: who’s career would you rather have, Bale or Giggs?

So a squad player in a great and successful team, but a career that ultimately faded away pretty early, or a one club legend who won everything as well. Giggs doesn't have as many champions league titles as Bale but more trophies overall, and definitely the more important player over the course of his career IMO.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

So a squad player in a great and successful team, but a career that ultimately faded away pretty early, or a one club legend who won everything as well. Giggs doesn't have as many champions league titles as Bale but more trophies overall, and definitely the more important player over the course of his career IMO.

great way of looking at it - I honestly can’t imagine anyone picking Bale’s career over Giggs’ at club level. Obviously Bale was far better for Wales - but again, Giggs and Bale were completely different players. Giggs was a left winger/ midfielder. Bale is a wide forward - a better comparison would be Bale vs Rashford.

 

[Schweigaard]

Like many others, I'd say Giggs is the greater player due to his longevity and consistency, but for a single important game with both fit and at their peak I'd pick Bale.

 

[Bebestation]

great way of looking at it - I honestly can’t imagine anyone picking Bale’s career over Giggs’ at club level. Obviously Bale was far better for Wales - but again, Giggs and Bale were completely different players. Giggs was a left winger/ midfielder. Bale is a wide forward - a better comparison would be Bale vs Rashford.

Bale was also an attacking midfielder.

 

[Rozay]

We can revisit this conversation if Bale can reinvent or rejuvenate his game for the next 5 years.

At their peaks, they are different players. Giggs was mesmeric and exciting to watch, blending pace and mazy dribbling few could. Bale's athleticism, pace and power in shots gives him more headlines in scoring in big occasions as a modern striker/winger hybrid.

As it stands, Giggs' renaissance from the mid 2000s into a CM that could still beat people while showcasing a creative range of passing, puts him in a different class to Bale.

If Bale can somehow overcome his glass ceiling (literal shortcoming of his injuries), I think he may have the tools to adapt and show his skillets beyond the athletic part - he is a class player. Giggs went through a transformation as well, from frequent hamstring injuries to a player that could last til 40, adopting Yoga etc to help. Bale may need to find a similar path, time will tell - pacy players are prone to those injuries/fading away from 30s (unless a freak like Robben)

So basically, in order to decide who is the better of two wingers, we need to see how Bale does at CM?

 

[Rozay]

One way to answer this question would be to ask yourself: who’s career would you rather have, Bale or Giggs?

We shouldn’t need to invent ways to answer the question though. I’m just seeing distorted parameters to favour Giggs. Question is who is better? If someone thinks Giggs was better than Bale, fair enough surely. All this, ‘let’s instead ask whose career would you like to have between player x and Britain’s most decorated player’ makes little point for discussion surely. That said, Bale has won a load of trophies too, but still, just reads like changing/twisting the question until there is a Ryan Giggs consensus.

 

[fps]

It’s incredible to think in many ways Giggs has similar injury problems to Bale, but he changed and adapted to continue to be an integral player. I think he decided not to sprint on the pitch any more from the age of about 28 didn’t he, to prolong his career?

 

[Cascarino]

So basically, in order to decide who is the better of two wingers, we need to see how Bale does at CM?

You made a pertinent point about the way Bale has adapted positionally in his career earlier in the thread.

He went from a fullback with poor defensive awareness decision making, to a more traditional left winger who would hug the touch line and use crossing as his main weapon. He improved his decision making (and defensively was very competent at covering his FB). Now he can play on both wings and through the middle in the hole or upfront. He’s changed his game several times.

 

[Rolledo]

Impossible, for me, to agree with this. Peak Giggs had so many ways to influence the game. He was special. Bale is a great player, obviously, but he would never influence one of the best teams in the world for two decades the way Giggs did. I’d pick Giggs.

Like many others, I'd say Giggs is the greater player due to his longevity and consistency, but for a single important game with both fit and at their peak I'd pick Bale.

 

[Jazmodo]

Giggs!

http://y2u.be/b0lwMcNlJNY && http://y2u.be/VmVeeeqwQWI

I don't know if maybe people forget how good giggs actually was in the 90s... but my god!

I'd say they were equally good footballers, but Giggs sustained that, at the highest level, for over 2 decades. Ask the same question in 2030

Giggs also played further back, more midfield (of a 442) than attack (like bale in a 433), but was so talented he'd still score for fun.

Giggs & Scholes were United's Xavi & Iniesta - and they called Scholes 'a Teacher' - so they are the best, there's no doubt about that.

 

[OrcaFat]

Impossible, for me, to agree with this. Peak Giggs had so many ways to influence the game. He was special. Bale is a great player, obviously, but he would never influence one of the best teams in the world for two decades the way Giggs did. I’d pick Giggs.

Me too. Peak Giggs is difficult to pinpoint but he was basically very good for a long period.

I’ve been watching highlights of our games from the mid 90s (not showreel stuff, match highlights) and Giggs is highly influential. He gets on the ball, A LOT, in these games and makes things happen, he’s a constant threat. Yes he scores a fair number of goals and sets up a lot as well but the thing I noticed was he is running into dangerous areas all the time and looks as if he will score or assist every time he gets the ball, more or less. He was the kind of player United would have spent £150m (In today’s money) to buy him from another club. I think some posters on here (a vocal minority) took him for granted.

 

[Marooned]

I think Giggs was a better all around and flexible player, if I owned a club and had a choice between two having the same price, I'd get Giggs.

 

[B20]

Bale. I discount most of the arguments made for giggs on account of them meaning giggs was also better than Ronaldinho.

They are not terribly far apart though. Giggs had periods that came close to some of Bale's best work.

 

[Rozay]

Bale. I discount most of the arguments made for giggs on account of them meaning giggs was also better than Ronaldinho.

They are not terribly far apart though. Giggs had periods that came close to some of Bale's best work.

I saw a debate on a football podcast asking whether, at any, and if so what, part of Giggs’ career was he ever considered a ‘World Class’ player.

I think the best version of Giggs were his first 4 years personally. Was fecking frightening.

 

[OleTheGreat]

It's a no brainer really! Giggsy is by far the better player. Contact me the next time Bale becomes a manager and substitutes himself to make a difference in a team. Ciao!

 

[SadlerMUFC]

If both where 17 today and I could only sign one of them, Giggs by a massive margin.

The only thing Bale had over Giggs was goals. Maybe if Giggs had of started the same time as Bale he would score more as the fame is geared towards attackers now & lack of contact by defenders allowed.

I completely agree. Giggs would be my pick as well. As for the goals, we also have to remember that when Giggs was playing 4-4-2 was the formation of choice, and a wingers main job was the provide assists. And with that, nobody has provided more assists than Giggs in the EPL. If I compare their league stats through out their career they look like this:

Giggs
114 goals
162 assists
Total goal contributions 276

Bale
127 goals
61 assists
Total goal contributions 188

There is no comparison. Bale is a fantastic player and has come up with some big goals for Real Madrid (they really don't deserve him), but the only spot where Bale comes out ahead of Giggs is for the national team. Mind you, Bale is also surrounded by much better players as well...

 

[Bebestation]

Bale. I discount most of the arguments made for giggs on account of them meaning giggs was also better than Ronaldinho.

They are not terribly far apart though. Giggs had periods that came close to some of Bale's best work.

This. You say it very cleanly & simply.

A peak to me is a better ability to judge a footballers ability much more than longevity. Longevity can be affected by so many things, injuries, mental health (Adriano),luck, wrong club and wrong managers, among many other things but also does include a players ability too - but a peak is influenced it by much much less.

And to me, Bales peak was higher than Giggs.

Ronaldinho's peak was higher than both so sits above both.

 

[Rozay]

I completely agree. Giggs would be my pick as well. As for the goals, we also have to remember that when Giggs was playing 4-4-2 was the formation of choice, and a wingers main job was the provide assists. And with that, nobody has provided more assists than Giggs in the EPL. If I compare their league stats through out their career they look like this:

Giggs
114 goals
162 assists
Total goal contributions 276

Bale
127 goals
61 assists
Total goal contributions 188

There is no comparison. Bale is a fantastic player and has come up with some big goals for Real Madrid (they really don't deserve him), but the only spot where Bale comes out ahead of Giggs is for the national team. Mind you, Bale is also surrounded by much better players as well...

In those days, where we played 442 and wingers were not judged by goals etc - how good was Giggs considered to be?

 

[youngrell]

In those days, where we played 442 and wingers were not judged by goals etc - how good was Giggs considered to be?

One of the best wingers in world football. What point are you trying to make?

 

[youngrell]

This. You say it very cleanly & simply.

A peak to me is a better ability to judge a footballers ability much more than longevity. Longevity can be affected by so many things, injuries, mental health (Adriano),luck, wrong club and wrong managers, among many other things but also does include a players ability too - but a peak is influenced it by much much less.

And to me, Bales peak was higher than Giggs.

Ronaldinho's peak was higher than both so sits above both.

How long is a peak? 1 game? 10 games? A season?

Narrowing down a player's ability to a short period is not too dissimilar to people using longevity as a tool for their argument.

And I'm not sure why people keep bringing up Ronaldinho. He was universally recognised as the best player in the world for 2-3 seasons, neither Giggs or Bale have ever been that so it's a strange comparison.

 

[Rozay]

One of the best wingers in world football. What point are you trying to make?

The point that I am trying to make is that he wasn’t considered as good as Gareth Bale was considered by the metrics of his own day. He wasn’t even considered the best player in his own team, top 3 would have even been a push. Other wingers were considered better at different stages, in the PL alone.

 

[Rozay]

How long is a peak? 1 game? 10 games? A season?

Narrowing down a player's ability to a short period is not too dissimilar to people using longevity as a tool for their argument.

And I'm not sure why people keep bringing up Ronaldinho. He was universally recognised as the best player in the world for 2-3 seasons, neither Giggs or Bale have ever been that so it's a strange comparison.

The reasoning for mentioning Ronaldinho is obvious. He was better than Giggs at his peak, despite not having later morphing into a central midfielder or playing top flight football for 22 years on his CV. It’s simply a case of Ronaldinho being a better player, and Giggs having played at the top for longer. Depending on what the actual question is, you can then pick your answer accordingly from those options.

 

[youngrell]

The point that I am trying to make is that he wasn’t considered as good as Gareth Bale was considered by the metrics of his own day. He wasn’t even considered the best player in his own team, top 3 would have even been a push. Other wingers were considered better at different stages, in the PL alone.

So what was Bale considered? Top 5 of his position in the world at his best? So was Giggs.

And I'm sure he would have been the best player in his team had he played for Spurs.

 

[youngrell]

The reasoning for mentioning Ronaldinho is obvious. He was better than Giggs at his peak, despite not having later morphing into a central midfielder or playing top flight football for 22 years on his CV. It’s simply a case of Ronaldinho being a better player, and Giggs having played at the top for longer. Depending on what the actual question is, you can then pick your answer accordingly from those options.

Nobody is disputing that Giggs was better than Ronaldinho, as I said, he was universally recognised as the best player in the world. Bale has never been that.

The only reason Giggs' longevity is at play here is because the difference between their absolute top level is so minimal, even debatable in which direction, so it leans in his favour that he was closer to the top for longer. Anyone can have a great season (not all at Bale's level of course) as proven by past winers of annual awards who are since considered lesser players than their peers.

 

[adexkola]

Bale. I discount most of the arguments made for giggs on account of them meaning giggs was also better than Ronaldinho.

They are not terribly far apart though. Giggs had periods that came close to some of Bale's best work.

Nope. Bale doesn't come close to Ronaldinho.

Do Real Madrid fans even rate his tenure with them highly? He's had some nice cute moments for them but his career with them left a lot lacking.

 

[Rozay]

So what was Bale considered? Top 5 of his position in the world at his best? So was Giggs.

And I'm sure he would have been the best player in his team had he played for Spurs.

But would have been the best player in the league?

Bale was from 2010-2013 a winning the PFA Player of the Year award twice in three seasons. During Giggs’ peak in this different day of wingers that you speak of, other wingers were winning the award instead.

 

[youngrell]

But would have been the best player in the league?

Bale was from 2010-2013 a winning the PFA Player of the Year award twice in three seasons. During Giggs’ peak in this different day of wingers that you speak of, other wingers were winning the award instead.

See my above comment about annual awards. Winning one does not guarantee that you are/were a better player overall. Do you really think Ginola was a better player than Giggs?

 

[Rozay]

Nobody is disputing that Giggs was better than Ronaldinho, as I said, he was universally recognised as the best player in the world. Bale has never been that.

The only reason Giggs' longevity is at play here is because the difference between their absolute top level is so minimal, even debatable in which direction, so it leans in his favour that he was closer to the top for longer. Anyone can have a great season (not all at Bale's level of course) as proven by past winers of annual awards who are since considered lesser players than their peers.

You are not required to be considered the best player in the world to be better than Giggs. Yes, Ronaldinho was - but then there were several others after him who were better too. Because Bale wasn’t considered the best player in the world doesn’t matter. He was considered the best player in England. And Giggs never was that either, bar a token lifetime achievement award he was given at 35 despite not even playing half the games that season if I remember correctly.

 

[youngrell]

You are not required to be considered the best player in the world to be better than Giggs. Yes, Ronaldinho was - but then there were several others after him who were better too. Because Bale wasn’t considered the best player in the world doesn’t matter. He was considered the best player in England. And Giggs never was that either, bar a token lifetime achievement award he was given at 35 despite not even playing half the games that season if I remember correctly.

I didn't say that you had to be. I said that comparing Giggs/Bale is not the same as comparing Giggs/Ronaldinho because it is CLEAR that Ronaldinho was better, whereas it is not clear that Bale is.

 

[Rozay]

See my above comment about annual awards. Winning one does not guarantee that you are/were a better player overall. Do you really think Ginola was a better player than Giggs?

Bale didn’t win one, he won two. In short succession. So you start building a fair peak level, it isn’t a 10 game spell.

As for whatever I think about Ginola, his fellow pros thought he was better than Giggs. He benefitted from the results being chosen in Jan/Feb in those days - but even if a United player were to have won, it shouldn’t have been Giggs.

I don’t think Ginola was better than Giggs for the record, although my memory of him is a little hazy and I look at him retrospectively on the whole as a player who wasn’t necessarily all that. At the time, I may well have thought he was better than Giggs though, and seemingly quite a few others did too.

 

[roonster09]

You are not required to be considered the best player in the world to be better than Giggs. Yes, Ronaldinho was - but then there were several others after him who were better too. Because Bale wasn’t considered the best player in the world doesn’t matter. He was considered the best player in England. And Giggs never was that either, bar a token lifetime achievement award he was given at 35 despite not even playing half the games that season if I remember correctly.

Bale wasn't the best player in England too when he won the award, Nani was better than Bale when Bale won it first time, he got the award for his hat trick against Inter which had nothing to do with PL. Second time RVP was better than Bale and Suarez was better too.

 

[Rozay]

I didn't say that you had to be. I said that comparing Giggs/Bale is not the same as comparing Giggs/Ronaldinho because it is CLEAR that Ronaldinho was better, whereas it is not clear that Bale is.

That would put Giggs in the top 10 footballers or so of the last 20-30 years then. Basically, anyone other than Ronaldinho, Messi, Ronaldo, Henry and a few others who you would look ridiculous even arguing, every other top player would be required to have 20 years to beat Giggs.