Wayne Rooney believes Ryan Giggs has all the credentials to be installed as manager of Manchester United on a permanent basis.
Following the dismissal of David Moyes last week, Giggs has been placed in caretaker charge of the team he has been associated with for the majority of his life. Having initially linked up with the Reds youth team aged 14, he has gone on to become the most decorated player in their history, with a staggering 13 league titles amongst his trophy haul.
The 40-year-old’s first game in temporary charge was one which was hugely anticipated in the red half of Manchester, and despite a slow start, United rewarded the Welshman with one of their best performances of the season in the second half, with Wayne Rooney and substitute Juan Mata hitting two each in a 4-0 win against Norwich City.
Due to their poor showing this season, it is unlikely Giggs will be able to steer the side any higher than seventh come the end of the campaign, although they have not yet given up in the pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur who currently occupy sixth. His appointment, though, has given the supporters something to cheer about in what has been a miserable campaign, and it is clear that the veteran also has the backing of his players.
“He’s built to be a manager, as a team we can see that,” Rooney told Sky Sports. “We can see that by how he’s handled himself since he took over so it was fantastic to go out there and get the win for him. The decision is down to the board, obviously. I think Giggsy has got all of the credentials to be a manager but that’s down to the board.”
It remains improbable that Giggs will be given the role on a permanent basis, with the general consensus being that United need a more experienced manager to help them recover from the turmoil of the Moyes era. And the Reds legend insists his focus is on the remaining matches of this season only, and not the long-term future.
“It’s not something that I’m thinking of at the moment,” he said. “It’s taken so much out of me this week that I haven’t really had time to look too far into the future. My job now is to get the players ready. As far as I’m concerned, that’s where my concentration is. I’ll do the job to the best of my ability and then after that we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Louis van Gaal remains the red hot favourite to succeed Moyes, with reports in Holland suggesting that an announcement is imminent. The 62-year-old, who has won titles with Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Ajax and AZ Alkmaar, will coach the Dutch national side at the World Cup Finals, after which he will become a free agent.
