Hansen backs Giggs for PFA award

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7892375.stm


Manchester United delivered a scintillating team performance against Derby in the FA Cup on Sunday but, for me, one player stood out.

Despite playing in an unaccustomed role as a central striker, Ryan Giggs was absolutely magnificent for United. He was at the heart of their best attacking moves and had a hand in three of their four goals.
I don't know if Ryan has got the credit he's deserved during his career

His performances this season have been excellent and he actually seems to be getting better with age. At the moment, he would definitely be my choice as footballer of the year.

This is Giggs's 19th season in the United first team and he is 34. You cannot overestimate how difficult it is to play at such a high level for so long.

I found it hard to keep going after 14 seasons with Liverpool. It's not fitness that is the problem but the ability to summon the same levels of hunger and desire season after season.

Ryan has won 10 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and four FA Cups. Last season he broke Bobby Charlton's all-time appearance record for the club.

Yet, somehow, he manages to maintain the same intense desire to win the next game and the next trophy.

When you get past the age of 30 at a top club, the level of scrutiny you are under also increases hugely. If you put in a below-par performance, it is suddenly because your legs have gone.

FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR ODDS
N Vidic 6-4 Fav
C Ronaldo, R Giggs 4-1
S Gerrard 9-1
E Van der Sar 12-1
A Young 18-1
* Betfair 1030 GMT, 16/2/09

Yet Giggs seems to go onto the pitch and relish the pressure and scrutiny.

Of course he has had to adjust his game as he's got older. He made his name as a flying left winger and, although he's still very quick over the first four or five yards, he can't make the same runs he once did.

He has compensated for that with his superb touch and reading of the game. And his versatility this season has been incredible. He has played as a central midfielder, out wide and through the middle, and excelled in each position.

Most players would find that impossible, but Ryan has the quality on the ball and the intelligence to make it appear straightforward.

Players like Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Roy Keane have seemed to get more of the headlines.

Yet Giggs has been key to United for longer than any of them and is a manager's dream, a team player who looks after himself, keeps out of trouble, never complains and delivers consistently excellent performances.

In short, he is the model professional and a great example to any aspiring young footballer.

You obviously have to give immense credit to Sir Alex Ferguson for the way he has managed the player. When he was young, Sir Alex protected him, and now he's older, he paces his appearances.

I've met Ryan a few times and he's such a nice guy. He's friendly, down-to-earth and has a very dry sense of humour.

He recently signed a new one-year extension to his contract and I have no doubt that he can play at the top level for another couple of seasons.

I also hope he gets the recognition he deserves when the end-of-season awards are handed out.


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He has been in great form lately but I think him winning the player of the year award is a bit far fetched. Much more likely to go to Vidic or Gerrard.

Vidic on merit. Giggs on sentiment. Gerrard on being English.

How is C.Ronaldo 4-1?

Gerrard on being Liverpool's most important player who are challenging for the title.
Vidic for me, sensational season he is having.

Hlebagone wrote:How is C.Ronaldo 4-1?

Still on course to finish top scorer, and is most likely to take the headlines in the near future i guess, but he's been shite so a bit low.

Parks lives wrote:
This is Giggs's 19th season in the United first team and he is 34. You cannot overestimate how difficult it is to play at such a high level for so long.

Giggs turned 35 in November and made his league debut in March 1991.

I'm not convinced Hansen has a clue.

L-r d wrote:

Hlebagone wrote:How is C.Ronaldo 4-1?

Still on course to finish top scorer, and is most likely to take the headlines in the near future i guess, but he's been shite so a bit low.

Just look at when and who hes scored the goals against...

It's a difficult one. I think i've realised just how guff the league has been this year, the best players haven't really done it.

Giggs does seem to be a favourite for a lot of non-Man United fans I've come across. Even CotR & 110% like him.

Think this may have something to do with alot of people saying he should be a contender even though Vidic and Gerrard have been better and more consistent this season. That said though, he's made a great return to form compared to last season where he only ever seemed to make an impact from the bench. When he started he seemed leggy and he f*cked up so many of our attacks. Now he seems to be somehow our most creative player alot of the time.

Parks lives wrote:Giggs does seem to be a favourite for a lot of non-Man United fans I've come across. Even CotR & 110% like him.

Think this may have something to do with alot of people saying he should be a contender even though Vidic and Gerrard have been better and more consistent this season. That said though, he's made a great return to form compared to last season where he only ever seemed to make an impact from the bench. When he started he seemed leggy and he f*cked up so many of our attacks. Now he seems to be somehow our most creative player alot of the time.

I don't like him. His stubble is tattooed on and he has dogger written all over him.

He's only started 9 games in the league.

Not sure that Vidic will get it, he's a good player but he's a cheat.

I'm not against giving Giggs the player of the year, but if he gets it he should retire without any further hoo-ha. If he gets a legitimate award based mainly on sentiment, then goes on to receive all sorts of specially made-up awards when he retires then it would stick in my throat a bit.

There's not really a Ronaldo or a Henry grabbing all the plaudits this season so I reckon someone like Robinho might be in with a chance.

Hou je bek Rai wrote:He's only started 9 games in the league.

Not sure that Vidic will get it, he's a good player but he's a cheat.

So is Gerrard and Ronaldo and 95% of players, silly comment.

Vidic is the only real choice for a Man Utd player (even if the mass Vidic love-in of late is wearing a bit thin)...attack-wise they've been mixed all season, with a lot of narrow wins. Defence is the reason they are top. It'd be crazy to give it to Giggs based on a couple of good games recently.

Players elsewhere such as Van Persie, Lampard, Arteta, Ireland have made much more attacking impact over the season, even if their teams aren't top.

If they gave it to Giggs it'd be like one of those Oscars they sometimes give to legendary, soon-to-be retired/dead actors for mediocre films.

if Vidic was as English as Gerrard or scored as many goals as Ronaldo you might have a point. I'm not sure how many teams are going to vote for Vidic when 90% of them will have been wronged by him at some point in the season.

Like when Scorcese finally got his award for a very good but not top draw film when he should of got it for Raging Bull/Taxi Driver/Goodfellas?

I think Giggs has had more than a couple of good games lately though. The hype just boiled over the top from the West Ham goal.

Carrick has been the 2nd best player for us for me, people will say Evra but he has missed too many games so you are right debaser Vidic is the only player that has a case for us at least in my opinion.
I doubt anyone really stands out as real favourite.

Hou je bek Rai wrote:if Vidic was as English as Gerrard or scored as many goals as Ronaldo you might have a point. I'm not sure how many teams are going to vote for Vidic when 90% of them will have been wronged by him at some point in the season.

What the hell are you talking about. He defends by all means necessarily occasionally using his brain but it's something you could consider illegal or a foul. But diving is worse. I see a lot of mutual respect after games between Vidic and the forwards he's usually come up against. While Ronaldo had that a lot less. So i don't see how that will be the reason for him not winning. Maybe the fact he's a defender, if that was your point you might have one. Sure Drogba might not vote for him, but then he would try and vote for himself

I agree with Debaser really, Vidic from Man Utd or someone else, i'd say an Aston Villa would have a real chance considering they have or will break the top 4 stranglehold.

has Giggs ever won it? I don't think he has, probably when he was younger he picked up all the Young Player Awards and when he was in his 'prime' he was a bit shit. He'll have had to have started more than 9 games for it not to be a farce.

Two Young player awards, thats it.

He was never sh*t bar last season either, just ridiculously inconsistent. The kind of player that could fill a 10 minute youtube video with amazing skill, goals and moments but had a lot of poor games along the way as well.

Parks lives wrote:Like when Scorcese finally got his award for a very good but not top draw film when he should of got it for Raging Bull/Taxi Driver/Goodfellas?

I think Giggs has had more than a couple of good games lately though. The hype just boiled over the top from the West Ham goal.

Using FF stats to see what games he's played in this season, I'm afraid it'd be more like John Wayne's oscar for 'Rooster Cogburn', given purely on the fact they knew he was dying.

He had player over 25 mins in a match just 10 times in the league (I'm assuming this award based only on the PL?)

Wins over West Brom(x2), Stoke, Blackburn, West Ham,Chelsea
Draws with Newcastle,Everton,Villa
Loss to Liverpool.

So really only involved in 2 wins (WH and Chelsea) that weren't against relegation fodder. It looks very hard to make a case he's been vital to Utd's league form this season.

Torres has had more significant impact on title race, despite only playing about 3 games.

Edit: actually wrong about Torres. He has played more like 10 games - in fact, exactly 15 mins less than Giggs. Go figure. Torres should win the thing

Parks lives wrote:Two Young player awards, thats it.

He was never sh*t bar last season either, just ridiculously inconsistent. The kind of player that could fill a 10 minute youtube video with amazing skill, goals and moments but had a lot of poor games along the way as well.

late 90's he was ordinary Spank, don't oversell him everyone thought he was finished.

So much for Giggs' chances.

First off, these awards are always stupid. But all these articles about Giggs deserving to win are purely sentimental. If Scholes has a good run of games/scores a few goals you will be hearing shouts for him too. Both of them have plenty of awards, they don't need any sympathy ones.

You cant give it to someone who isnt even a fixture in the first team. But then it is possible, given the whole thing is a sham.

Gerrard should easily win it (though Alonso/Reina are the real MVPs of 'pool). Vidic shouldn't be let anywhere near it. I'd rather the Juventus flop picked up the award if they want to honour Man Utd's defence.

Scholes should have won an award in 2003.

The HuddFather wrote:Gerrard should easily win it (though Alonso/Reina are the real MVPs of 'pool). Vidic shouldn't be let anywhere near it. I'd rather the Juventus flop picked up the award if they want to honour Man Utd's defence.

Scholes should have won an award in 2003.

What would he have to do to win it in your opinion? Bar any silly suggestions of changing his game. He's scored more goals than most of your squad, and played every game in an amazing clean sheet run - the real reason why nobody has scored in over 1,100 minutes. What does he have to do TS

Strange that Ronaldo isnt even in contention to win it this year..

Vidic should be near it. On what grounds wouldnt he be near it? Because he's thuggish?

John Terry has won it before.

Because he cheats?

Then why should Gerrard win it? How did Ronaldo win it?

borocooper wrote:Vidic should be near it. On what grounds wouldnt he be near it? Because he's thuggish?

John Terry has won it before.

Because he cheats?

Then why should Gerrard win it? How did Ronaldo win it?

Actually Terry didn't cheat much the year he won it - he just rode the wave of TEMPA (before GEMPA) to those award .

Vidic should've missed about 7 matches through suspension by now.

@ LRD - like I said, give it to VDS, after all he hasn't done anything that warrants a few red cards.

apparently in his record breaking run of clean sheets VDS has made a grand total of 20 saves.

If United win the league the award must surely go to

Spoiler:

The HuddFather wrote:

borocooper wrote:Vidic should be near it. On what grounds wouldnt he be near it? Because he's thuggish?

John Terry has won it before.

Because he cheats?

Then why should Gerrard win it? How did Ronaldo win it?

Actually Terry didn't cheat much the year he won it - he just rode the wave of TEMPA (before GEMPA) to those award .

Vidic should've missed about 7 matches through suspension by now.

@ LRD - like I said, give it to VDS, after all he hasn't done anything that warrants a few red cards.

He hasn't done anything...probably would be wise to stop there. He hasn't had to due to Vidic. Warrants red cards really? on pierre's say so? a very impartial guy who seems to love Vidic doesn't everybody escape a booking here and there? very silly stuff. 7 matches..yeah ok then