I reckon Schmeichel is as close to a lock as possible for this team, and TBH I'd have Seaman ahead of Cech as well.
Yeah agreed, no way Gallas should be in there either imo.
Disagree personally - Pires was immense for a few years there but I think Giggsy at his peak was certainly as good or better. Much of the talk around Giggs these days seems to focus on his longevity while forgetting just how much sheer quality he had (and still has).
Ha ha that's interesting you say that, because I was just thinking as I wrote my last post that IMO Giggsy must have been more of a nightmare for defenders to face! I don't know how much you saw of Giggs in the first half of his career (not being condescending, I really can't remember how old you are) but I disagree that he didn't marry skill with being pacy and dangerous - though I'm with you about his relative lack of solidity and consistency in those earlier days.
Yeah agree with that - he hasn't really had a period where he was at the level of say Cantona, Keane or Ronaldo in terms of being the undisputed main man for United at any given time. Though that's probably as much to do with his role within the team as his quality.
No, I think your man-love is well placed. I don't think there is a left-winger who I'd rather have over Giggs when I actually think about it. I think what Uppercut has said has some truth to it: Pires better peak, Giggs better longevity. But overall, if I am signing up a player tomorrow at 18, for the rest of his career, it is Giggs. I think his longevity does speak a lot for him; especially in redefining himself.Yeah agree with that - he hasn't really had a period where he was at the level of say Cantona, Keane or Ronaldo in terms of being the undisputed main man for United at any given time. Though that's probably as much to do with his role within the team as his quality.
I'm probably letting my Giggsy man-love cloud my judgement here too, I'm prepared to admit. "FFS Giggsy" is probably the statement that has come out of my mouth the most over my years of watching United, whenever he's done something careless or ruined an electrifying dribble with a dire cross. But I always forgive him, and 19 years later he's still there and still class.
Yeah wouldn't disagree with any of that, he had a forward's instinct with a midfielder's creativity - a more complete player than Giggs at the time, for sure. Whether that made him better or more dangerous though I'm not convinced, due to them playing the roles that suited their team. United's midfield quartet at the time meant that Giggs could play as a classic left-winger more often than not - United didn't need Giggs to be playing like an old-fashioned inside-forward due to having Scholes inside him doing that job better than anyone in the League, and since he has moved inside, Giggs has proven adept at that himself. In fact, even in those earlier days he excelled when he was given more a free role (see Porto 1997), it just didn't happen as often due to the dynamic of the team.
No disagreement there, he's a notch or two below that level - not even I would argue otherwise.
Schmeichel
Neville Carragher Adams Irwin
Beckham Gerrard Keane Giggs
Bergkamp
Henry