The Indie:
After eight championships, the ninth is a bit of a bore. Been there, done it, got the T-shirt. Ryan Giggs needs another medal like the Home Office needs another scandal. Oh yes?
At the final whistle, the 33-year-old raced towards Gary Neville, hugged his friend of nearly 20 years, and then thumped the air in front of the Manchester United supporters. If he had been a teenager on the verge of his first title, he could not have been more excited.
Then, just before leaving the scene of United's 1-0 win over Liverpool, he forgot a pledge he had made eight years previously. "I'll not do it again," he had said when asked why he had ripped off his shirt in the wake of his famous goal in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. Yesterday the Giggs torso was exposed again as he threw his shirt into the crowd. The result meant that much.
Perhaps it was because this was a win in which Giggs exhibited different qualities. In his 700th appearance in a United shirt, he showed only flickers of the pace and dribbling that made him the world's best left-winger during the decade when he was at his peak. But he showcased the reasons why he is such an important ingredient in Sir Alex Ferguson's assault on a ninth title since 1993.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes have had the biggest piles of garlands laid before them this season, but the enduring qualities that have kept Giggs at the top of his profession since his debut in March 1991 have made a colossal contribution. At Anfield yesterday those jewels were perseverance, adaptability and sheer labour. Eric Harrison, the youth coach who developed United's golden generation, once described Giggs's nimbleness and agility as being "like a ballet dancer"; yesterday those quicksilver feet had workman's boots on.
He was brought into central midfield when Liverpool were threatening to overpower United at the start of the second half. Then, when Wayne Rooney had been withdrawn because of a knee injury and Paul Scholes had been sent off, he was asked to use his energy to support Louis Saha up front by breaking from midfield.
It was Giggs, defying the tiredness in stoppage time, who was fouled for the free-kick that led to the goal. Cue United's celebration and a glimpse of Giggs the man. He came to his senses and was the first visiting player to observe the decencies by going over to thank the officials.
Twelve years ago Berti Vogts pinpointed a flaw in Giggs. "There is only one problem," the then German coach said in 1995, "he hasn't got a German passport." Today there is still one problem; he is not 10 years younger.