EPL Talk » Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs Swipes PFA Award

Ethan Armstrong — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:19:47 +0000

He took down the long pass along the left side touchline. He turned the first West Ham defender who came at him and carried the ball into the box. Two quick touches and he turned the next defender as well. The box was still thick with players from the recent corner kick, but Giggs didn’t worry about anyone as he fired the ball through traffic, into the far corner. It was a beautiful goal and a brilliant solo effort. But it was PFA award winner Ryan Gigg’s only goal this season.

Yes, with a mere 12 starts and that one goal, Ryan Giggs bags this year’s PFA Footballer of the Year Award.

No former winner has come close to Giggs in terms of winning the award with so few starts. The next fewest starts for a PFA Footballer of the Year is almost twice Giggs’s numer at 23, attained by two other United stalwarts: Teddy Sheringham and Ruud van Nistelrooy. And while Giggs’s 12 appearances as a sub at least gets him closer to a reasonable amount of game-time, Sheringham and van Nistelrooy scored a lot more goals in their award-winning seasons. Sheringham: 15 goals in 2000-2001. van Nistelrooy: 23 goals in 2001-2002 (in 26 overall appearances, no less). True, they were both strikers, but if we’re talking about honoring accomplishment, their contributions made them obvious choices for those years.

Ryan Giggs winning can only be justified by his age and the length of time he’s played for United.

There is no question that Giggs is a great player and that the service he has given to United and football should be recognized. But the name of this accolade is Footballer of the Year. This award is meant to recognize accomplishments from a single year, not from an entire career. This is the award they gave Alan Shearer for 34 goals in 42 starts in 1995.

Giggs, while still a fine player with probably another year or two at the top level in him, is far from the peak of his career. He won the PFA Young Player two years in a row (1992, 1993) when his explosive talent was undeniable. But by giving him the award for 12 appearances and one goal, the Footballer of the Year award becomes more of a career achievement award. Which is simply wrong.

Perhaps the players who voted for him believe in Karma and hope this act will come back and ensure their careers are as long as Giggs. Knowing that Giggs’s career cannot go on forever, they wanted to make sure he received the award before he retired.

Many expected this year’s award to go to Steven Gerrard for his 13 goals in 27 appearances and this would seem far more in line with past winners. Along with Gerrard, Edwin van der Sar, Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Ashley Young, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres all made the PFA team of the year and any one of them has contributed more to the game this season than Mr Giggs.

The PFA gives out a Merit Award each year for service to Football on all levels. Jimmy Armfield, Alex Ferguson, George Best and Shaka Hislop are all among the recent winners. One could definitely see Ryan Giggs someday earning this accolade, but as far as Footballer of the Year goes: this should not have been his year.

Manchester United: Best Eleven Of The Premiership Years

Michael Timbury — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:24 +0000

They seem to have been mentioned on here quite a lot recently but since the inception of the Premiership in 1992, the dominant force in English football has undisputedly been Manchester United. Over the years they have had a number of fantastic footballers on their books but who have been the best? Below I have attempted to put together a best eleven of the Premiership Years (also stating the season that I believe each player was at the height of their powers). There are going to be one or two notable absentees but here goes:

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel (1995/96).
This was the easiest choice of all eleven as Schmeichel is probably the best goalkeeper of all time. United haven’t exactly been blessed with an abundance of talent in this area since The Great Dane left the club in 1999. Edwin Van Der Sar has become the closest thing to a replacement that Sir Alex has found for Schmeichel but without a doubt, he would be my choice of keeper for any fantasy team.

Right Back: Gary Neville (2000/01).
The most difficult part of this selection was pinpointing the exact season as to when Neville was at his best. I have gone for the early 2000s as to when I think he was at his peak but for the best part of a decade, Gary Neville was the best right back in the league. Still an important figure at Old Trafford as the club captain, his determination and desire to play for United has seen him rewarded with a contract extension. Neville deserves this for his service to the club and has been an integral part of United’s unrivalled success.

Left Back: Denis Irwin (1993/94).
Patrice Evra was a close contender for this position but I have gone in favour of the former Ireland international purely on the basis of longevity. In his twelve years at the club, he won seven titles, three F.A Cups and a Champions’ League. Albeit right footed, Irwin was arguably better at left back where he played the majority of games for United. Irwin was not only a dependable full back but also had a knack for scoring penalties and free kicks too.

Centre Back: Jaap Stam (1998/99).
In his first season at the club, he won the treble. Intimidating, powerful and no nonsense, Jaap Stam was a centre forward’s worst nightmare. When he signed for the club he was exactly what they were missing and when he was sold (something Ferguson has since admitted his regret at doing), he was sorely missed as United leaked goals in a way they had never really done so before. Although he only spent three years at the club, Jaap Stam made a huge impression on Man United fans and I feel definitely warrants a place in this team.

Centre Back: Rio Ferdinand (2007/08).
I feel that Ferdinand has been the best centre back in the world for the last couple of years now. It took him a while to mature but seems to have been worth the wait. At the time, thirty million pounds seemed to be a very steep price tag for a centre back but Rio looks to have justified that investment and has gotten better with age and experience. Ferguson ought to think about awarding Rio with the permanent job of captain (I’m pretty sure he has).

Right Midfield: David Beckham (1998/99).
While at Man United, David Beckham twice came runner up in the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award. Although he was probably a more accomplished player and talismanic figure for both club and country in 2001, the way that Beckham bounced back from being outcast as a public hate figure after the 1998 World Cup is what most impressed me.

Left Midfield: Ryan Giggs (1992/93).
Giggs has the unique record of being the only player to have scored in every Premiership season. For as long as I can remember, Ryan Giggs has been annihilating full backs. He is the personification of loyalty and is Mr Manchester United. Over the years he has adapted his game to ensure that he can still compete at the top level and doesn’t get any less remarkable. However, it is the Giggs of the inaugural Premiership season that I would want marauding down the left wing as he was simply unstoppable.

Centre Midfield: Roy Keane (1999/00).
The PFA and Football Writers’ Player of the Year in 2000, Roy Keane was the engine room, the heart and soul of Manchester United for many a year. He demanded perfection and usually got it. The way his United career ended sours the fact that he was an immense talent and a fantastic captain. Not only is he an automatic selection but would definitely get the armband too.

Centre Midfield: Paul Scholes (1999/00).
Paul Scholes has never sought attention like many professional footballers do, but somehow I don’t feel he (or his talent) can ever receive enough praise. A truly remarkable exploiter of a football, he can dictate games with his eyes closed and has been doing so for what seems an eternity. It’s tricky to nail down the specific season that Scholes most shone for me as he has been superb for so many of them. I have gone with 1999/00 because of two special goals that live long in the memory, versus Bradford and then Middlesbrough (look them up on YouTube, both occasions United wore the less fondly remembered purple strip).

Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08).
Well he had to be in here somewhere. You could play Ronaldo anywhere you like really and he’d still be sensational. Many would say that he is a midfielder but I would probably just tell him to play where he likes. Anyone who can score 42 goals in a season earns that privilege. His aerial ability married with David Beckham’s delivery would be an exciting prospect and I’d be intrigued to find out whether or not Ronaldo would score as many goals up front as he does from the wings. Either way, he’s in. You can’t not have the world’s best player in the team.

Striker: Ruud Van Nistelrooy (2002/03).
This was an unbelievably tough call, one that I didn’t anticipate (somewhat naively) when I began this article. Cantona or Van Nistelrooy? I only went for the Dutchmen because it’s who I’d pick to compliment the team if this were real. A born predator, he scores goals like you and I breathe. 44 goals in a season isn’t easy to ignore. Whereas Cantona was perhaps United’s most influential figure of the nineties and they wouldn’t be where they are today without him, I have to go for Van Nistelrooy just on the basis that goal scorers win a team trophies.

There is my team; some agree with me, most won’t so feel free to add your own suggestions and/or best elevens as well.

Who Is Zoran Tosic?

The Gaffer — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:00:38 +0000

On January 2nd, 2009, Manchester United announced the signing of two Serbian players, Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic, both from Partizan Belgrade.

Tosic, 21, will sign with immediate effect and will wear the number 14 shirt, while 17-year-old striker Ljajic will remain with Partizan until the end of 2009.

Zoran Tosic is a left winger who can also play as an attacking midfielder. He has played at full international level for Serbia twelve times, and previously made 46 appearances with Partizan, scoring 14 goals.

Tosic could be seen as the heir to the throne to replace Ryan Giggs on the left wing after the Welshman retires.

The signing of Tosic and Ljajic seem like smart moves by Sir Alex Ferguson especially since fellow Serb Nemanja Vidic has worked out so well for the club. Plus the transfer fees for Tosic and Ljajic presumably represent better value for money than similar players from other countries, although the transfer fees have not yet been disclosed for both players.

Here’s a highlight reel of Tosic in action in Serbia:

[display_podcast]

Top 10 Surprising Premier League Statistics

The Gaffer — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:30:03 +0000

Which Premier League club has the highest percentage of foreigners? Who has the youngest squad? And who has the oldest squad? Read the following top 10 statistics to find the answers to those questions and many more.

Oldest squad: Hull City, average age 27.48 years
Player to have spent the most number of seasons at a Premier League club: Ryan Giggs – 19 seasons
Player to have played for most number of clubs in Premier League: Michael Pollitt (Wigan), 14 clubs
Youngest squad in the Premier League: Arsenal, average age 22.06 years
Most common foreign nationality in Premier League: France, 33 players
Premier League club with most number of foreign players: Liverpool, 83.78%
Premier League club with most home-based players: Aston Villa, 64%
Shortest player in Premier League: Aaron Lennon, 5ft 4in
Tallest player in Premier League: Peter Crouch, 6ft 6in
Fattest player in Premier League: Danny Shittu (pictured above), 222 lbs

Source: IMScouting.

Hats Off to Manchester United

tyduffy — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:11:38 +0000

Manchester United defeated Wigan 2-0 to win their second consecutive Premier League title. The brace flowed fittingly for this season. The young generation won it, with Cristiano Ronaldo deftly slotting in a penalty. The older generation sealed it with Ryan Giggs, in his record-tying 750th appearance for United, touching in a through-ball from Rooney.

The final tally gives Man U a two point advantage, but their discrepancy from the competition was far greater. They beat out Arsenal at scoring goals (80-74) and beat out Chelsea at keeping them out (22-26). Though they won the title at Wigan, they really won it at home, compiling a ruthless record of 17-1-1 at Old Trafford and outscoring their opponents 47-7.

With tummy rumblings semi-mollified after a healthy dose of pepto-bismol, Arsenal and Chelsea fans would admit for a day, that perhaps United were the better club this season. And maybe, for a day, Gary Neville running out to celebrate with the lads in a crisp, white tracksuit can be ignored.

Pundits are pushing Ferguson to fly out on a high note, but with the squad he has still developing why not wait for the fruition?