We can’t help feeling that Ryan Giggs has been cutting a frustrated figure on the Manchester United touchline for the last 18 months.
He would probably be the first to admit that he needed more experience before stepping into the United hotseat full-time.
But he often looks incredibly frustrated by Louis van Gaal and Manchester United’s style of play under the Dutchman.
He’s a smooth and composed operator who has managed to bite his tongue as the Dutchman pontificates in his uber self-confident style. But sometimes he just looks like he wants to chin the boss.
We sense that Giggsy is counting to ten in his head each time the Manchester United boss gets it wrong. Trying to stay in control of his anger about the way that United are playing. Waiting for the stuffy old headmaster to leave so that he can start to have some fun.
Manchester United may not be so tactically adept if Giggs was at the helm at Manchester United. But you can be sure that the team would attack games more in the manner of Sir Alex than Louis van Gaal.
Watching Manchester United’s second half response against Arsenal was highly frustrating. The way LvG set them out was as if he was simply trying to avoid defeat by a bigger margin.
It was the same slow build up with square passing and no penetration.
For the second game running he took off the pace of Memphis and replaced it with the statuesque Marouane Fellaini. If you are going to do that then at least use the long ball to unsettle Arsenal’s defence. But that didn’t happen either.
Some said that Manchester United played better in the second half. That they had more control.
But that is because Arsenal simply had to sit behind the ball. It was pipe and slippers stuff for The Gunners.
Louis van Gaal can blame the players all he likes. But he must also realise that his measured, possession-based and cautious brand of football isn’t working so well in this league. He too must improve.
Some United fans are beginning to think that LvG may never quite get his side to click in England and that maybe Ryan Giggs would get United playing beautiful and pacy football once more.
