Ryan Giggs has explained main difference between the Manchester United teams he played in, and the current team.
Giggs made his United debut in March 1991, and played his final game at Old Trafford in May 2014.
In between, he won 13 league title, four FA Cups, the League Cup and the Champions League twice. Giggs’ 34 trophies makes him the most decorated player in the history of English football, and he played with some incredible footballers along the way.
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The former winger was a part of at least four great United teams, which featured brilliant players such as Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The current United team might be expensively assembled, but it has a long way to go to match the great sides from the club’s recent past.
There are, of course, several differences between the great teams Giggs played in and the current crop managed by Jose Mourinho.
The current side lacks a player who can dominate midfield and set the team’s tempo, like Roy Keane.
They lack forward to score over 30 goals like Cristiano Ronaldo or Ruud van Nistelrooy.
And they lack a genius in the dugout.
However, according to Giggs, the main difference between the current side and those from the recent past is goals from midfield, and he has a point.
In the Premier League this season, Paul Pogba has four goals, Juan Mata has six goals and Marouane Fellaini has scored once.
While Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Anthony Martial have three goals each in the Premier League.
In the past, Giggs reached double figures in five of his seasons at Old Trafford. David Beckham scored 85 goals in 394 appearances for United, while Paul Scholes once scored 20 goals in a single season from midfield.
Giggs says the current United team are too reliant on Ibrahimovic, and need to find goals from elsewhere if they’re to challenge for the title.
“You can’t just rely on one person because they can have an off day,” Giggs told the Daily Mail.
“‘That’s how the United teams I played in were like. I’d chip in with seven or eight, Becks would, Scholesy would. Four centre forwards would. The centre halves. Denis Irwin too. The goals came from everywhere.
“My target was always to get double figures and then 15 assists. That’s 25 goals. If Becks is doing the same, you’ve got a lot there.
“Sir Alex Ferguson would say ‘this is what I expect from you’.” It put pressure on but you knew what the expectations were. If you were left out, you’d know why.“
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