It was a storyline only the most audacious would dare to write. And a fitting end to a game for United that summed up so much about both they and Giggs. Alex Ferguson has created a team renowned for winning games late, even when not playing at their best. A team who have endured in the last two decades, with the coach who has lasted the longest at the top. And a player, in Giggs, who has reinvented himself, getting the last minute winner.
Giggs is the embodiment of much of the Ferguson years. He will probably go down as the most important player in the Scot’s managerial history. Forget Eric Cantona, David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo, Giggs has been there throughout all the years of success Ferguson has enjoyed. His wisdom in his old age mirrors that of Ferguson himself.
Giggs used to be a player who’d fly down the wings, taking on players and firing in crosses and shots from distance. An all action player in his prime, but since those days he has become more of a tactical in tune player. He does the simple things well, he passes the ball well and is more reserved than he used to be. Like United. They used to be a team of all action wing play. Now they are a team who take a step back, allow their opponents to come onto them, and hit them with devastating counter attacking football.
Certainly few players can rival Giggs in the Premier League era. Even on his best day, Cristiano Ronaldo was a better player than Giggs, as was Eric Cantona, or possibly David Beckham and then others such as Thierry Henry. But few can have had the lasting impact, consistently brilliant and match winning performances of Giggs over such a long period of time. And will anyone ever again repeat his remarkable feats? Probably not.
The Welshman has a case to be the club’s best ever player, and his endurance is remarkable still. Able to win games even at the age of 38 is remarkable. Against Norwich at the weekend was Giggs at his most majestic in ‘old age’. At one stage late with Manchester United chasing a winner he flicks a brilliant pass into the area with his backheel, before jogging back to the centre circle. Knowing he lacks the energy to get from box to box, he waits until the ball is cleared to the half way line, picks it up and starts another attack. At another moment, he takes the ball in his stride on the left of the area, swivels and plays an inch perfect cross which Danny Welbeck misses. He then supplies Welbeck again with a brilliant chipped pass, a subtle and inch perfect ball, which takes out about four defenders. Again Welbeck failed, and so Giggs himself flies to the rescue with a brilliant left footed finish from a Patrice Evra cross in the last minute.
It was fitting and classic Giggs. The Welshman is a wonder of his generation, and surely one of the greatest players to pull on the Manchester United shirt.
