Giggs fights shy of full-time boss talk

MANCHESTER. — Ryan Giggs is adamant he has given no further thought to the position of full-time Manchester United manager despite starting his caretaker reign with an emphatic 4-0 win over Norwich City. At an emotional Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney and substitute Juan Mata scored two goals each on Saturday as Giggs inspired United to their largest home league victory of a disastrous Premier League title defence. Rooney instantly declared in post-match interviews he would welcome team-mate Giggs’s appointment to the post on a permanent basis.

However, Dutch national team boss Louis van Gaal remains a strong favourite to be named as the long-term successor to the sacked David Moyes.
Giggs though refused to be drawn on revealing whether he would like to be considered for the post full-time by the club’s American owners, the Glazer family.

“Honestly, I’m just looking forward to Sunderland now,” said Giggs ahead of United’s match at home to the relegation-threatened side on Saturday.
“That’s it. That’s where my focus and concentration is on. I’m not looking any further ahead than that,” added the 40-year-old Giggs, English football’s most decorated player and United’s record appearance-maker. United supporters, however, left the club’s hierarchy in no doubt that Giggs would be a popular appointment at Old Trafford, granting him an emotional welcome which overwhelmed the Welsh international winger.

“The reception was great,” said Giggs, who reportedly received backing to take on the manager’s post full-time from legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson last week — although it was on his word that United made the ill-fated decision to replace him with Moyes following his retirement at the end of last season.

Giggs continued: “I’ve walked out that tunnel so many times in big games, but that’s the best feeling I’ve ever had.
“I felt 10 feet tall, I felt so proud. The fans’ reaction was great.

“Did I sleep last night? No, in a word. Just leaving out players was the reason I didn’t sleep, it wasn’t nice. They are team-mates of mine and I’ve never had to do it before. I will continue to not enjoy that. That’s been the hardest part of this week.” —AFP.