Giggs can give Dan his spark again, says Mickey
WELSH football legend Mickey Thomas believes Ryan Giggs is the perfect man to get Dan James’s Manchester United season back on track.
The young winger began his Old Trafford career in sensational fashion, scoring three goals in his opening four games, but has seen his performances tail off recently and reportedly finds his position under threat.
However, Thomas reckons James’s Wales manager can be just the tonic the 22-year-old needs to start banging in the goals again.
Thomas, who himself played on the left wing for United, explained: “No-one knows better than Ryan about the pressures of playing for Manchester United as a young winger.
“A little chat about that would do Daniel the world of good.”
He told the Sunday Mirror: “Ryan really rates Dan.
“He sees him as an important part of his Wales squad with Euro 2020 just around the corner.
“I don’t think Dan expected to play every game when he joined United, but he started so brilliantly he kept his place.
“That gave him confidence. Some of that seems to have left him and he has struggled, but he’s still young.”
Thomas also argued James’s best position is to play on the left flank, the role he has filled so superbly with Wales.
“But there’s too much quality already in that area, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, so Dan finds himself on the right,” said Thomas of James’s United role.
“He is also discovering that when you play for Manchester United everything you do is scrutinised. There is no let-up if things aren’t going for you.
“But what I really like is that he can look after himself when the tackles come flying in. Okay, he’s gone off the boil a bit, but he’s a confident young man who can turn it around.”
CARDIFF City have been rocked by the news that their talisman Lee Tomlin will be out for the foreseeable future because of a knee injury. The Bluebirds playmaker has been central to everything positive since Neil Harris took the reins back in November, having contributed six goals and six assists in his 17 appearances under the manager and brought the feelgood factor back to the team.
His importance cannot be overstated, which is why it comes as such a hammer blow for Harris and Bluebirds fans.
Cardiff certainly missed Tomlin on Saturday as they crashed to a 2-0 Championship defeat at lowly Stoke, a result which has hit their play-off hopes.
However, the fact is that Tomlin is out and, by hook or by crook, Harris needs to do the near impossible and find as plausible a way as possible of filling the void.
It is an unenviable task, but here are four options the manager could consider.
JUNIOR HOILETT AS
LIKE FOR LIKE
Tomlin is close to irreplaceable, but in terms of a like-for-like replacement Hoilett is the player who could perhaps step most effectively into his shoes.
For some, Hoilett has lost that yard of pace and knack of flying past fullbacks on the wing.
But his natural talent has never been in doubt and a role at 10, where speed isn’t quite as important, could actually suit Hoilett.
He doesn’t have Tomlin’s vision, but his passing is good, he possesses a superb shot, can create a yard of space for himself and it would enable Harris to keep a three-pronged cutting edge by retaining Josh Murphy and Albert Adomah on the flanks.
Some fans are calling for this as the obvious option, but Harris opted to pick Danny Ward at Stoke and only brought Hoilett on as a replacement for Josh Murphy when the match had pretty much gone.
Will this be an option he considers for tomorrow night’s home clash with Nottingham Forest?
THE CALLUM PATERSON OPTION Harris’s immediate reaction to losing Tomlin was to pick Danny Ward up top, with Paterson as his partner.
Paterson has proved time and time again in a Cardiff shirt that he is a