Giggsy, one of the greatest ??

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As a Welshman who isn't particularly fond of Giggs (due to his lapse attitude toward the national team throughout his career) I'd agree that he is indeed one of the greats - certainly at club level.

Thats why I always laugh when people hark on about Rooney & Ronaldo as being 'greats' - wait until they've done it for fifteen years like giggs then decide if they are great or not.
 
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Giggs has been a great player in the premiership but hes never played at any other level. always played in a great team.

internationally he hasnt done anything. never been in World Cup.
 
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IMO he could've walked in to most if not all Premiership and European teams during his prime but his attitude towards the Welsh team has always stunk. He's always given me the impression that he thinks he's far too good for most International games and only needs to participate in games that he feels are worthy of his talent. Could've been one of the greats but IMO he'll only be remembered by Man United and Welsh fans after he's retired.
 
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By the way, Frank Lampard:

Born: 20/06/78
Clubs: Swansea City, West Ham, Chelsea
Debut: 2 Oct, 1995 v Bradford
Appearances: 508
Goals: 125
* FIFA World Player of the Year runner-up (2005)
* FWA Player of the Year (2005)
* European Footballer of the Year runner-up (2005)
* FIFPro World XI Team (2005)
Premiership titles: 2
League Cups: 2
Intertoto Cup: 1
Premier Asia Cup: 1
England caps: 52
England goals: 12

I can see him picking up at least one European Cup trophy, FA Cups and definitely more Prem titles. He's got 5 years on Giggs, and he's not done badly to say he's only been at a top tier club for 5 years.
 
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It seems maybe that the fact that he's been around for so long, is a problem here.

If you morphed his best year into the last couple of years I believe this would be a very different thread. The guy had season after season of world class football, and was a joy to watch week in week out. He had a bad season and couple of low par ones, but then again it's been 15 years of top flight football, so yeah well.

Wonder what England would have done with such a great left sided winger :p

Oh and I too am Welsh, and although he never gave 100% for the team, he did chose Wales over England, and we have a terrible squad for him too play with :p Mind you that never bothered the likes of Rush and Hughes who gave 110% ever game, but it's not really a big matter for myself.


Edit: Lampard will never get near Giggs trophy record, Chelsea ain't all that. It's also the fact that Giggs was one of the "Best things in life are free" :D academy players.
 
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absoloutely outstanding player

no point comparing him with gerrard or lampard though, there not fit to lace his boots :p

Oh and gilly although i get yer point about him not performing on the big stage, neither has lampard or pretty much the entire england team for about the last decade :p
 
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Of course he bloody well is anyone who says different is the same person wishing they had him in their team for the last 15 years :)

Just ask Lee "He didnt just skin me once, he skinned me twice" Dixon
 
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Giggs has been a brilliant winger for a long period of time however he did dip in form for a few years. Only this last season has been 'great' again.

Can never be proven on the big stage though playing for Wales :p

Oh and Fat Frank whilst he was an amazing talent a year or so back he is FAR past his best now and I dont see him ever getting back to how he played.
 
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My favourite player and I'd go as far to say as best premier league player ever and the man who transformed wingplay for ever, as eager to do the donkeywork in defence as attacking up the other end. Stayed at United even when he was offered ridiculous amounts to go to Italy and Spain even though he never has been the top paid player at the club. Imagine what he'd been like if it wasn't for his hamstring injuries. Other players (Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, etc) have been faster but I've still never seen a player run with a ball at his feet at that speed and been so totally in control of it. 'There's no finer sight in football than Ryan Giggs in full flow' has been the oft-repeated but always true phrase by commentators for the last 16 years.

There was a survey taken by all of the premier league's managers in the late 90's about if they choose any other player in the league to add to their team who would they choose. The vote for Giggs was unanimous. Even in September 2006 after watching Giggs tear Brazil to shreds, their manager Dunga admitted wishing he was Brazilian. And to those who say he never does it on the big stage, it doesn't get bigger than the Champions league where more than any other United Player he drove us on and made some of the worlds best defenders look like park players. Quite simply the best winger since Best and fully deserves to mentioned in the same breath as players like Zidane, Del Piero and Maldini.

I'm so happy that his 700th match will come against Liverpool. Even though there's a great rivalry between the two teams, most of their fans appreciate good football and great footballers. It'd be a nice touch to see them give him a guard of honour entrance to the match...before he scores his 100th league goal against them.

I understand why England fans craved having him on the left wing so much, theyy surely would have won a tournament with him on the left but your loss was our gain and we have had our most greatest ever player (not withstanding John Charles). I'm just looking forward to these last few seasons as we see one of the most honest, hardworking and magical players this island has and will ever produce finally wind down his amazing career. :)
 
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S7yl3s said:
I'd have Giggs over Lampard even now
LOL

Right now you could sell Lampard and buy three Giggs'

Its easy to say Giggs was the better player because of what he achieved, but to say what you have is a massive call. One that no manager in his right mind would make :)

elroberto said:
My favourite player and I'd go as far to say as best premier league player ever
Thats easily Shearer, purely on his goalscoring.
 
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Gilly said:
LOL
One that no manager in his right mind would make :)


except if he actually wanted a left winger !

Lampard has a hard enough job these days playing CM never mind having to retrain as a left winger :p
 
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Gilly said:
Thats easily Shearer, purely on his goalscoring.

so that would rule out it ever being a midfielder / defender or keeper ?

I persoanlly couldnt seperate the call between Giggs / Keane / Shearer as best ever premiership player. Each for very different reasons.
 
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Shearer had two teams in Blackburn and Newcastle that were built solely to provide him with goalscoring opportuntities. Which may have been the real reason he turned down United twice, he would have been just another first team player at United and had to accept that the goals were shared out. Giggs not only scored (still has a less than 1 in 5 average) but more importantly created goals and was the attacking fulcrum that United's success in the 90's was built upon. How many times did Big Pete's throw to Giggsy result in the team scoring? I know you can't see beyond the red shirt Gilly, but you can't deny what a true talent he's been. Even Wenger wished he was a gooner. If he'd had a better right foot we'd be talking Best/Maradonna territory.
 
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