Giggs: United young guns can reclaim Premier League title from Chelsea
Published 23:00 18/07/10 By David McDonnell in Philadephia
Ryan Giggs has backed Manchester United's emerging young stars to prove their worth by reclaiming the Premier League title from Chelsea this season.
United veteran Giggs, 36, is entering what is likely to his last season but believes long-term success is guaranteed at Old Trafford with the next generation of young players coming through the ranks under Sir Alex Ferguson.
And just like the Class of '92 that produced David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers, Giggs claimed the likes of Jonny Evans, Nani, Darron Gibson, Federico Macheda, Chris Smalling and the Da Silva twins can sustain United's glory days.
While Chelsea have an ageing squad, Fergie has invested in youth over the past few seasons and Giggs believes United now have a collection of young players who can form the nucleus of a successful side for years to come.
"Hopefully these young players will get better and better, and I'm sure they will," said Giggs. "They're excited and they want to do well, which is great. I see their determination on the training ground. They want to do well, they're good lads, they want to learn, they want to play for United, get in the team and stay in the team.
"That's what we were like when we were younger and I see the same desire in these young players. Last season we saw a lot of the young players featuring in the first-team. Nani had a good season, Antonio Valencia also had a fantastic first season.
"Kiko Macheda had a frustrating season with injuries, while Chris Smalling has joined us, so there are a lot of young players in the squad now, which is great. Hopefully their determination and hunger will see them kick on this season and do even better, because we're going to need them.
"The injuries we had in defence last season were unbelievable. We've strengthened with the arrival of Chris, and hopefully Rafael and Fabio can get through the season without the niggly injuries they've had."
Fergie gave a tantalising glimpse into United's future in the opening game of their pre-season tour of Canada and the US last Friday against Celtic in Toronto, with a back-four of Evans, Smalling and the Da Silvas, a defence with an average age of just 20.
And with the likes of Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville nearing the end of their illustrious United careers and seeing their appearances rationed, the time has come for the next generation to make the transition to the first team and prove they are worthy successors.
"The history of Manchester United is quite simple," said Fergie. "It's always been based on young people and that's where we're most comfortable. I think our fans are comfortable with that too.
"Producing players is a big incentive for us. At the moment we have a collection of young players who have been growing up at the club for the last few years and who are developing very well."
Giggs admitted losing out on the title to Chelsea last season and the chance to create history by overtaking arch rivals Liverpool to post a record 19th championship triumph, was all the incentive Fergie's players needed to reclaim it when the campaign gets under way.
"There's definitely that added hunger when you haven't won the league the previous season," said Giggs. "It's difficult when you're defending the title because you're champions and everyone wants to beat you. But there's also that determination when you don't win it to get it back, which is what we want to do.
"I'm excited and looking forward to the new season. We hope it will go well. It was strange last season. Everyone was getting beaten at the top and everyone was beating each other, so the obvious thing for us this season is to lose less games and try to be a bit more consistent.
"No matter what you've won, whether you've won the title the previous season or not, that same determination is always there in pre-season to win the Premier League, which is our priority. Anything else is a bonus, but having not won it last year we're desperate to win it back."
Giggs also backed United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who dazzled in the 3-1 win over Celtic, scoring the opener and setting up the other two goals, to prove his worth after two difficult seasons at Old Trafford following his £30.75million switch from Tottenham.
"Dimitar is like the rest of us," said Giggs. "He trains hard and wants to do well for United. I thought he was brilliant against Celtic, running the channels, always making himself available and he was by far and away the man of the match, the best player on the pitch. Hopefully he can continue that.
"That's what he needed, like any other player, to get off to a good start in pre-season. I think if you pay big money or if you come for lesser money, there's always huge expectation at United, no matter who you are.
"And that's something every player has got to come to terms with then they come to United. Sometimes players bed in quicker than others but Dimitar has started the season well with the performance against Celtic and hopefully he can continue that."
