euphoric atmosphere in the City of Manchester Stadium, but
it appeared to make an impression on Ryan Giggs. He trudged
wearily to the touchline as he saw that his number was up,
stopping only to sling the captain’s armband towards Nicky
Butt. Shaking his head, he walked straight past Sir Alex
Ferguson, pulled on a tracksuit top and sat in silence as
Manchester United’s afternoon went from bad to worse in the
final minutes.
‘Giggs survived last summer’s revolution at Old Trafford,
with his return to form in the closing months of the
campaign indirectly helping to propel David Beckham towards
Real Madrid, but, despite having enjoyed what he views as a
more consistent season this time, the Welshman cannot be
certain of another reprieve. Ferguson is already looking for
a new left winger and, according to the rumour grapevine, it
is plausible that he could make Chelsea an offer for Damien
Duff, who has been unsettled by the imminent arrival of
Arjen Robben, Ferguson’s initial target, from PSV Eindhoven.
‘Ferguson has made no secret of the fact that he is planning
for life after Roy Keane, Giggs and even the self-titled
“Alan Hansen generation” — Butt, Paul Scholes and the
Neville brothers — who eight years ago disproved the BBC
pundit’s theory that “you can’t win anything with kids”.
After Beckham’s departure, Butt was expected to be the next
to go, having had a transfer request accepted in January,
but Giggs, who turned 30 in November, is by no means assured
of a long-term future at Old Trafford, even if he has two
years left on his contract.
‘While others have criticised the impact made by some of his
summer signings — most unfairly Ronaldo, who was United’s
best player yesterday until he suffered a recurrence of a
thigh injury — Ferguson has emphasised the need for his most
experienced players to help them through a difficult period.
The past week, with matches against FC Porto and Manchester
City, was a crucial one not only in the context of this
season but also in terms of shaping the future of the
playing staff. Butt, given a rare run in the team because of
injuries and suspension, has failed to grasp his opportunity
and will leave in the summer, if he can find a suitable
club. Giggs’s future is less clear-cut, but, if the jury is
still out, he did not put forward a convincing case when he
needed to yesterday.’
(Of course all this depends on whether Fergie is still here
in the summer, some would suggest that the reason Nicky Butt
didn’t leave in January was that he knew a new manager would
be in place the next season.)