What do people think of him as a player?
I think its weird that, despite always being winning trophies, playing at the top and being a quality player. He's never really been the best player for the length of time he's played.
Would you call him world class or not.
How would you compare him to Figo, Robben, Ribery, Overmars, Luis Enrique, Joaquin, Ljungberg, Pires, Malouda, Duff, Bale, Navas, Hazard, Nani etc etc etc all the other wingers of the last 15-20 years?
Id say theres been many better players than him but none have lasted as long. Whats his reputation like among European fans too to our foreign fans?
Will he go down as a Beckenbauer, Raul, Baresi, Totti, Del Piero, Gerrard, Xavi or a Manuel Sanchis, Scholl, Carragher, Augenthaller, Schwarzenbeck - basically a great servant rather than player, in Celtic terms more of a Burns or Aitken than a Dalglish or Johnstone.
Discuss Ryan Giggs in the World Football area at TalkCeltic.net.
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ILoveTheCeltic
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He's almost 39. Ruined his reputation by playing for so long, really. From 91-04, he really was a world class player, though.
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Imo one of the most overrated players of all time. It was not too long ago that I sat in Old Trafford and his own fans were booing him. His good games had far too many poor ones sandwiched in between them.
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ILoveTheCeltic
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I wouldnt say hes ruined his reputation, for example Gattuso has been terrible for 4/5 years but will still go down as one of the best defensive midfielders of modern times. Plus others Shevchenko, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo they all lost it too before the end but will still go down among the best.
I wouldnt say he was world class at his peak either never mind from 91-04. For example in the early 2000's id say Ljungberg, Pires and Wiltord were better wingers than him. Although they maybe only peaked at that level for 4/5 years each while Giggs never was quite as good as them at their best but he held his best level for 8ish years. -
holy pope
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:56: Giggs was never world class :56: very good
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Reminds me a bit of when Gary Neville went on a season too long, played a game against west brom, at new year if I remember rightly and got torn to shreds like never before. Straight after the game Neville called it a day, would have ruined his reputation if he carried on. I think Giggs should have called it a day at the end of last season imo.
In his prime he was undoubtably a world class player -
Crazy mate. Prior to his 30's, he was better than any winger Arsenal have had since the conception of the Premier League, or any other club's.
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ILoveTheCeltic
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I dont think reputations do get wasted though. When I think of Thompson and Lambert I think of them at their peak hunskelping and Seville etc
I dont think of their direly slow infuriating ends of their careers, same with any great player I think of Ljungberg as at his peak at Arsenal, always popping up in the box scoring goals, creating goals horsing full-backs not the diddy that played in the Hoops.
Im more going on about him at his best.
Mid to later 90's there was Baggio, M.Laudrup, Moller, Figo, Luis Enrique, Rivaldo, Zola, Rui Costa, Djorkaeff, Beckham as wingers/attacking mids.
Earlier 2000s you had Nedved, Rivaldo, Beckham, Claudio Lopez, Kily Gonzales, Rui Costa, Figo, Zola, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Pires.
Mid 2000s Giuly, Joaquin, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Kaka, Deco, Robben, Ribery, Ronaldo, Juninho P, Riquelme.
Later 2000's Ronaldo, Messi, Di Maria, Reus, Muller, Nani, Hazard, Mata, Silva blah blah Giggs would be near the end of all those eras.
Giggs for example only once has been among the nominations for the best player in Europe - 1997 he was 28th. Even then he was behind Beckham, Juninho, Djorkaeff, Zola, Luis Enrique and Figo.Last edited by a moderator: Nov 6, 2012 -
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A lot of the guys you mentioned aren't out and out wingers like he was.
If Giggs didn't cut it, Ferguson would've sold him. United weren't lacking for suitors. -
RocknRolla67
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I don't really care for Manchester United at all..but to say Giggs isn't world class is kind of a joke. And saying he ruined his reputation for playing too long is even more a joke. Do you not remember he won PFA Player of the Year in 2009?
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Ammanvalleyjack
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A disgrace to the Welsh national team, a traitor price who is not looked upon favourably by Wales fans. 63 caps in a few 15 year international career is disgusting.
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RocknRolla67
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And then there is this:
Premier League (12): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
FA Cup (4): 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
Football League Cup (4): 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
FA Community Shield (8): 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010
UEFA Champions League (2): 1998–99, 2007–08
UEFA Super Cup (1): 1991
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999
FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Individual
PFA Young Player of the Year (2): 1991–92, 1992–93
PFA Team of the Year (6): 1992–93, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2008–09
PFA Team of the Century (1): 1997–2007[83]
PFA Players' Player of the Year (1): 2008–09
FWA Tribute Award: 2007
Bravo Award (1): 1993
BBC Sports Personality of the Year (1): 2009
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year (2): 1996, 2009
GQ Sportsman of the Year (1): 2010[84]
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year (1): 1997–98
Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year (2): 1990–91, 1991–92
Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2001–02): Overall Team of the Decade
Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12): Most Player Appearances (596)
UEFA Champions League 10 Seasons Dream Team (1992 to 2002): 2002
Wales Player of the Year Award (2): 1996, 2006
Premier League Player of the Month (3): September 1993, August 2006, February 2007
Goal of the Season (1): 1998–99
English Football Hall of Fame Inductee: 2005
Golden Foot: 2011
Orders and special awards
OBE for services to football: 2007[4]
Honorary Master of Arts degree from Salford University for contributions to football and charity work in developing countries: 2008[85]
Freedom of the City of Salford: 7 January 2010.[86] He is the 22nd person to receive the Freedom of the City of Salford.[86]
Records
Ryan Giggs with the Premier League trophy in 2008
Has won a record 12 top division English league titles as a player, and only Manchester United player to have winner's medals from all 12 Premier League title wins.
Most Premier League appearances for a player, with 602.[87]
Most Premier League assists (accurate records are only available from 2002 onwards).[88]
Only player to have played and scored in every completed Premier League campaign.
Only player to have scored in 16 different Champions League tournaments (includes eleven consecutive tournaments, 1996–97 to 2006–07; only Raúl has a better record with 14)
Most goals by a British player in the Champions League/European Cup proper history, and 14th overall (not including preliminary rounds).[89]
Most appearances by a Manchester United player.
Most starts by a Manchester United player, started in 772 games.
First player to score 100 Premier League goals for Manchester United.
Second midfielder to have scored 100 goals in the Premier League for a single club (first being Matt Le Tissier).
One of four Manchester United players to win two Champions League Medals (others are Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Wes Brown).
Oldest (37 years, 289 days) player to score in the Champions League, when he scored against Benfica on 14 September 2011.[55]
One of two Manchester United Players to win at least 10 Top division medals (the other one is Paul Scholes.) -
He won that on sentiment.
He was a great player though. I'd agree that he was never one of the worlds best, but he would have got in almost any starting 11 of the mid90s-mid00s. -
Amazing player. World class at his peak.
Please don't put Nani's name among all those other players you mentioned.
Didn't deserve to win the Player of the Year or anything but Man United are the Golden Boys of English Football.....Le Tissier or someone would never have a chance of winning it for the same reasons.
Was * his Brother's wife.....horrible, horrible thing to do for any man, let alone someone who shouldn't find it hard to * women.
As a player though, he was quality.....not * now like Gary Neville was at the end of his career but I don't really rate him much anymore, particularly if he's on the wing.
Although they played in different positions, Scholes was always a noticeably better player imo. -
Everyone knows he didn't win that on merit.
I viewed him as a world-class player in his hey-day, one of the best to ever grace the game, so for me to see him as he is now, yes, I would say he's ruining his reputation. -
ILoveTheCeltic
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Im not saying he never cut it, he was an excellent player but I was just meaning he was never that great, for example what was his best season? what were his standout games? when was he among the top players in the world?
That was the point of this, for someone whos won everything loads of times and played for one of the best teams in Europe for 15+ years at really no point has he probably even been one of the top 40 players in the world.
Was more to see what European fans thought too. IE. Here in Scotland/Ireland/England etc hes well known/liked and we hear and see a lot about him due to MOTD and stuff but for guys from Serbia and stuff they probably know little of him except his playing like we knew of guys like Rivaldo, Nedved etc and how theyd compare him or what they think of him.
His team-mate from the opposite side of the pitch for example Beckham was nominated for the Ballon D'or 5 times and finished in the top 10 3 times. Giggs was once and was 28th.Last edited by a moderator: Nov 6, 2012 -
Rude Bhoy
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A very average player whose pace happens to compensate for his serious lack of ability.
Can anyone tell me what the washed up has-been actually does which is world class?
Very little.
Can’t shoot, cross or dribble. -
Liam Scales
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A very good player, who has been very good for a very long time. Never been one of the best though, his longevity will make him be remembered as one of the best.
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ILoveTheCeltic
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He was decent at shooting, crossing and dribbling and had good pace which made him a good allround winger.
But for me if you compare him to Bale, Robben, Ribery, Mata, Silva, Pedro, Luis Enrique, Figo and a lot of other wider players he's never been as good as them.
Can anyone actually recall a performance/season/match that stands out as his best or that. Its hard to think only thing I really recall as a big Giggs season/match/moment is his goal against Arsenal around 1999. -
A few asking what his best year/season was. I don't think it really matters. He pretty * good for 15 out of the 20years he's been playing. Very consistent over the years. He still tends to be picked in the big and or tough games.
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