Source: Daily_Mail
Boro 0 Man United 2: Vintage week for Giggs as Fergie's men move closer to title
Hard though it is to acknowledge Ryan Giggs as the player of the season after seeing him make only his 13th Premier League start, he will deserve a special kind of accolade at the end of this remarkable season. [LNB]In a fortnight's time, the man who was controversially voted the Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year last Sunday, will almost certainly pick up his 11th Premier League title to add to the two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and two League Cups he has won in his career at Old Trafford. [LNB]On Wednesday he made his 800th appearance for the club and yesterday he engineered Manchester United's latest victory in the triumphal procession to the title against a Middlesbrough side that never looked capable of disrupting United's momentum. [LNB] Strife of Ryan: Giggs inflicts more misery on Boro[LNB]He may only be a bit-part player nowadays, but when required hestill possesses qualities to bewilder opponents. Better teams thanMiddlesbrough will fall under his spell before the 35-year-old finallyretires. [LNB]Not only did he strike the first goal, a typical piece of Giggsopportunism, in which he shot with almost no back lift through a massof defenders from 20 yards out on 25 minutes. But from central midfieldhe controlled the game alongside fellow veteran Paul Scholes. [LNB]Occasionally he even set off on a dribble, reminding us of theflying winger of old. The travelling United fans indulged him, runningthrough their entire repertoire of songs dedicated to his 18-yearcareer at Old Trafford. He merits them all.[LNB] Taken for a ride: Wayne Rooney and Tony McMahon battle for the ball[LNB]'It's been a great week. Winning the award, making my 800thappearance and now scoring a goal. It couldn't get better than that,'he said, before reminiscing on the goal a younger Giggs scored here 13years ago on the last day of the season to win the title.[LNB]'What more can I say?' said his manager Sir Alex Ferguson. [LNB]'He's fantastic. His goal sealed the victory. Once we were in front,that was the key to the victory. It's a big step forward towards thetitle.' [LNB]In reality, Giggs only had his chance because bigger battles lieahead at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Edwin van der Sar, MichaelCarrick and Darren Fletcher were not even required to make the trip toMiddlesbrough, which gives you a good idea as to who Ferguson regardsas his first-choice central midfielders Cristiano Ronaldo came for thetrip but wasn't required, so straightforward was the win. [LNB]Middlesbrough will point to the early pressure they applied, JohnO'Shea having to turn away a telling cross from Matthew Bates on 13minutes, and Ben Foster making a smart save with his feet from JeremieAliadiere on 21 minutes. [LNB]And they had some cause for complaint in that Federico Macheda,making his first Premier League start, appeared to foul Marlon King inthe passage of play immediately preceding Giggs's opening goal.[LNB] Park strife: Ji-Sung Park scores his side's second goal at Middlesbrough[LNB] But asMiddlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate conceded: 'It's pointless goingon about it. We were beaten by a better team.'[LNB]The best of Wayne Rooney came when he split David Wheater and RobertHuth with a precise ball after 51 minutes, which saw Ji-Sung Parkcharge through and strike the ball past Brad Jones. [LNB] Sinking feeling: Boro boss Gareth Southgate on the touchlines[LNB]There should have been more. Rooney played in Macheda, who shouldhave scored from six yards out. And Jones' mistake just beforehalf-time let Dimitar Berbatov set up Scholes with a clear strike whichhe uncharacteristically wasted.[LNB]As for Boro, only wins at Newcastle and West Ham and against Aston Villa at home can save them now. [LNB]'The reality is that we have to go to Newcastle, deal with the atmosphere there and win,' said Southgate. [LNB]'The players will have two days off as next week is going to beintense enough. It's the last throw of dice to get some momentum. Ournext three games are not against the world champions, they are againstteams against which we can get a result.' [LNB]Their season perhaps can be summarised by the final kick of thegame. Their record £12million signing, Afonso Alves, lined up a freekick, yet the Brazilian skewed it at least 20 yards wide. [LNB]For Boro, relegation beckons with the same inevitability that glory and plaudits await United and Giggs.[LNB] Middlesbrough v Manchester United: How the game unfoldedMIDDLESBROUGH
