Fergie tribute as Giggs puts his mark on Wales squad
NEW BOSS LAYS DOWN THE LAW
WHEN Ryan Giggs hopped on a golf buggy moments after overseeing the 6-0 win against China, it had nothing to do with his handicap. It was an indication of the meticulous approach he will take to managing Wales.
Giggs had organised a session for players who did not feature and wanted to watch their progress on the training pitches personally.
Six goals, the all-time scoring record for Gareth Bale, and a message of congratulations from Sir Alex Ferguson might have been cause for satisfaction but Giggs was pushing on already.
A day later in a top-floor suite of his team’s Wanda Realm Hotel, he was reflective.
‘I watched the game back and obviously there were a lot of things we did well but there were things we didn’t, where if we were up against better teams we would get punished. But the flipside is the things we did do well would be very difficult to defend against, no matter who you’re playing.’
Next up are Uruguay in Monday’s China Cup final. Diego Godin will be tougher to bypass and Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani scored yesterday in the 2-0 win over the Czech Republic.
Judging by this first gettogether, Wales will be comprehensively prepared. The word ‘demanding’ has already been used to describe Giggs.
But he also knows the value of listening, having taken over from the hugely popular Chris Coleman. It is a scenario familiar to Giggs, 44, who observed David Moyes as he replaced Ferguson in 2013. ‘ I’ve been in a situation at United where you’ve seen a change of manager and they’ve changed things,’ Giggs said.
‘ Of course if there’s any standout things I don’t like, I would change, but then also keeping things they’re comfortable with.
‘It’s about balance. I think, for example, before coming into camp I wouldn’t want dinner-time phones. That’s only because I want them to interact. But they’re already interacting. Why change it?
‘I’m a great believer in the players policing themselves. If they don’t, that’s when the manager comes in.’
A ban on baseball caps is one rule to ensure the ‘right attire’ while full concentration and punctuality are prerequisites for meetings. ‘ There is no excuse for being late,’ he said.
Giggs carries the authority required of a manager, and certainly seems more comfortable in the role than when thrust into the Old Trafford dugout after Moyes had been dismissed in 2014.
‘I learnt a lot when I was manager for the four games about how lonely it was,’ he said. And two years as assistant to Louis van Gaal was further education.
‘Louis gave me the responsibility to analyse the opposition and do training every day, so it was invaluable.’
The period also helped Giggs get better at public speaking. ‘I am not a naturally out-going person,’ he admitted.
Alongside Van Gaal it seemed Giggs was being groomed to become the No 1 eventually. But Jose Mourinho’s arrival changed the landscape.
‘Jose brought his own team in,’ he said. ‘I felt it was the right time to go on my own and leave.’
Giggs went for club jobs but Wales looks a good fit. ‘With this job you do get time,’ he explained.
And the opportunity to work with Bale is another plus. Giggs thinks that, at 28, Bale might follow the path Cristiano Ronaldo has trodden in the latter part of his career.
‘There are similarities with Cristiano, they started out as wingers, and really they are now goalscorers,’ Giggs said.
He believes a career in coaching might beckon for Bale. ‘I see an intelligent player. You tell him once and he gets it. That is not always the case with players,’ Giggs said. ‘When you’ve got someone like that who knows the game, you wouldn’t be surprised if they go into coaching.’
For now, Giggs is concerned with his own management. His ambition is to make Wales a force in qualifying — and beyond.
‘The World Cup is obviously the pinnacle, to get there would be fantastic for a team like Wales,’ he said.