Giggs in his pomp was amazing.

But his legend has definitely grown because of his longevity, prior to 2006 no one considered him to be the icon he is today. He was just a damn good player without being in the top bracket.

Very very harsh on Giggs. In the 90's, this guy was terrifying. Speed, control, dribbling, goals! What more could you ask for from a winger?
Says something that Fergie who knows them both better than any one of us compared the guy to George Best, their ultimate icon, and protected him more than any other player, Scholes included!
Anyways he may be a legend but will never be an icon because of what he did to Rhodri.

Yeah he should never have won that footballer of the year award in 2009.

Giggs has never been one of the best players in the world, some man utd fans even wanted him sold in 2002..

He's been a good player who's had a long career but he's not even the best left winger in premier league history, pires says hi and statswise he's not been amazing either.

I think i am a pretty one-eyed fan, but even that eye could see the Ryan Giggs of the 90's did more damage and terrified more teams for a longer (far longer) period than Pires who i am not disputing was the best player in 2002. Remember, as a teenager, he even displaced Sharpe (hate the guy for that game!) from the Utd team

I'm sorry I don't remember giggs from the 90s, was only 4 when he scored in the 99 fa cup semi final.

Just realized giggs has been playing football longer than I've been alive.

Giggs has been around longer but individually pires was a better footballer

Very debatable

squallkid wrote:

I'm sorry I don't remember giggs from the 90s, was only 4 when he scored in the 99 fa cup semi final.

Just realized giggs has been playing football longer than I've been alive.

That means you still were about 6 or 7 when Pires was at his best for us. It however doesn't give you a free pass to make sweeping statements like your previous post as though i wasnt born when Pele/Best were in their pomp, i would rightly be shot down for ignoring their abilities.
Anyways about Giggs, please don't remind me about 99. One of my most painful memories. Still cannot bring myself to watch that match again or even the goal. Even then, he was already on the wane. In 91-95, he was as devastating a winger as you would see. Better than Pires in 02? i dont know but ...

Been watching giggs for a long time and can quite confidently say that he has never or very rarely been among the top five players in the premiership during his career.

Like i said. Debatable, though as i hate man U, could not care either way but from my point of view, early 90's, before they got Cantona, he scared me shitless and even with the help of Google, cannot name 5 players at the time who did the same to me. Maybe i was scarred from the drubbing by Sharpe in the Rumbelows cup at Highbury in 1990

Why are we talking about that hairy chested adulterer?

Bold Tone wrote:

That means you still were about 6 or 7 when Pires was at his best for us. It however doesn't give you a free pass to make sweeping statements like your previous post as though i wasnt born when Pele/Best were in their pomp, i would rightly be shot down for ignoring their abilities.
Anyways about Giggs, please don't remind me about 99. One of my most painful memories. Still cannot bring myself to watch that match again or even the goal. Even then, he was already on the wane. In 91-95, he was as devastating a winger as you would see. Better than Pires in 02? i dont know but ...

I didn't mean to dismiss Giggs, just trying to imply that I missed him at his best in the 90s and from what I've seen of him with my own eyes he's never been that brilliant where I personally would rank him as the best in the world.

It's for that same reason I never comment on Best/Brady/Pele/Maradona/Cruyff or any of those great players from the past, I've only seen youtube clips of them and that can never match up to watching them week in and week out.

My old man loves Best though, thinks he's the greatest player he's ever seen and more than likely I'll be telling my kids about Messi and C.Ronaldo, the two world class players I grew up watching.

Fair comment and incidentally Pires was always one of my favourite players during his time with us.

Giggs at his very best was really good but at no point did he match Pires best. What Giggs did thats amazing is that he maintained a very high level for a very long time. Whats even more amazing is that he was riding his brothers wife for years before he got caught.

Captain wrote:

Been watching giggs for a long time and can quite confidently say that he has never or very rarely been among the top five players in the premiership during his career.

yes, but he has been in the top quartile for ages. Respectable, this.
Lampard is underrated for his overall contributions too.

pires has better numbers and won more than giggs during the time they both played in england. i do think giggs was top 5 in his earlier years, but hasn't been top 5 since 2000.

giggs
epl - 01, 03
fa cup - 04

pires
epl - 02, 04
fa cup - 02, 03, 05

Glen Johnson dives for a peno, Atkinson not falling for it.

Craig Garner does well to set up Steven Fletcher, 1-0 Sunderland.