Source: Telegraph
Ryan Giggs' bandwagon needs to roll a while longer
Manchester United v Tottenham HotspurKick-off: Sun Feb 28, 3.00pm; Wembley Stadium, LondonTV: Sky Sports 1 (14:30-17:30), Sky Sports HD1 (14:30-17:30)Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live
But think again and another image that might enter your mind is of a furrowed brow, a gaze to the heavens or a frustrated stare into space. A chance has been missed and Giggs is bemused.Think of Ryan Giggs and what do you see?
There are two ways of interpreting his expression. On the one hand, you could hail Giggs's perfectionism as evidence of why he has been fundamental to so much of United's success over two decades, and why Sir Alex Ferguson, asked to name the truly great players of his reign, has no hesitation in naming Giggs.
With the other hand, you could point to what I sometimes think is a difference between the great player and the very, very, good one indeed, one of the next highest class. The great players – Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane – are seldom surprised by anything a ball can do.
Once I had the privilege of meeting Zidane and asked him about an especially memorable goal he had scored for Real Madrid. With David Beckham in possession deep on the right, he had drifted towards the far post but appeared to overrun the Englishman's cross – until it suddenly bent forward into his path and, using his left foot, he crisply volleyed into the net. How had he known that change of direction would occur? Zidane half-smiled. "How could I not know?'' he replied. "I train with David every day.''
No doubt plenty of examples of Giggs's artistry could be furnished, not least by Ferguson, with his unusually sharp memory. The United manager has been lavish in praise of Giggs lately, even suggesting he should be knighted on the basis of a collection of footballing honours which include two European titles with United.
By comparison it was a modest claim that the 35-year-old Welshman should be considered by journalists for the Footballer Of The Year award and certainly he will be in every elector's thoughts. Giggs has been playing beautifully this season and article after article has taken understandable delight in the prolongation of a glorious Indian summer, many describing him as great and calling him a worthy successor to George Best, which is a trifle simplistic in that Giggs, while not as naturally gifted as Best – who is? – has much more of a team sense.
How much of a part he plays in the Carling Cup final remains to be seen – the youngsters who got United to Wembley will be given priority by Ferguson – but the boss insists Giggs continues to blossom and last week's display against Inter at San Siro was a case in point. In an interview for today's match programme, Ferguson told me: "Give Ryan a seven-day rest and he's like a young buck. Unbelievable. He's better than ever. Actually better, now he's achieved a level of composure that puts him almost on a par with Dimitar Berbatov. Ryan has so much time on the ball now.''
It looks that way. And we have seen it before in other players. Just as the darkest hour is said to come before the dawn, the moments that precede the sunset of a player's career can be the loveliest. For both him – as Giggs's Old Trafford predecessor Ray Wilkins once said, there comes a time when you can see the whole picture and the game becomes almost easy – and for the audience. Hence the adulation being heaped on Giggs now. Hence the gradual smoothing of that furrowed brow.
Long may it last. At the end of last season, a Giggs goal clinched his 10th championship and another one seems almost certain. Asked why he was playing with such freedom, Giggs replied: "I think it's a mixture of experience and an appreciation of the finishing line ... you want to enjoy every game ... savour every moment.''
