A gimme for Giggs as Norwich doomed

Manchester Utd 4 Norwich City 0

But amid the almost hysterical reaction to United’s biggest home league victory of the season, it was easy to overlook one simple fact pointed out by Lou Macari on the club’s in-house television station. Hardly renowned for its free-speaking philosophy, Macari was swift to point out that the same players who produced an exciting, dominant, attacking display against the Canaries were the same personnel who have overseen the club’s worst campaign of the Premier League era and brought about the sacking of David Moyes less than a year into his reign.

“The person who has the correct answer to that would be a genius,” said veteran defender Rio Ferdinand, who had hardly been stellar in his displays for Moyes, when asked to explain the phenomenon. “If we knew why, then I’m sure the change of manager wouldn’t have happened.

“But as players, we just have to keep our head down, work hard and try to end the season on a high, so to speak, even without a trophy.

“It’s been an emotional week with lots of pressure, but we ended up giving the fans something to shout about. The lads enjoyed it, but more than anything we are pleased for Giggsy in his first game.”

Much was made in the post-sacking analysis this week about Moyes’ strained relationship with his players — Ferdinand’s name often being mentioned in that context.

The lack of commentary, either by Moyes about his ex-players or by the players themselves about their former manager, was telling and probably, in its silence, spoke volumes about the subject.

More than one observer noted that it was incorrect to talk of Moyes having “lost” Alex Ferguson’s dressing room as, arguably, he never managed to take control of it in the first place.

The 90 minutes against Norwich, even allowing for the wretched opposition, did little to dispel the theory that “player power” was as big a factor as any behind Moyes’ abject failure.

“Not really. I think it’s more important to look forward,” said Ferdinand when asked if he had anything to say on the subject of Moyes’ relationship with United players. “Giggsy has the responsibility now, so it’s more important that the lads get behind him and ensure we finish the season as well as possible.

“It’s important we give him the rewards his career deserve and the chance for a first dip into management.

“It’s been too short a space of time to notice any changes. The sessions he has put on have been good and we have enjoyed them. But it is always natural, when you change a coaching team, that the intensity goes up because everyone wants to impress and wants to play the first game under the new manager.

“They see it as a new chance, a new opportunity, and that’s no different to what I have seen over the years with different teams, including England. It is no different this time around.”

Immediately after the victory, featuring two goals apiece from Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata, Ferdinand hinted that Giggs would be a popular choice as permanent manager — unlikely as that prospect appears.

Reports from Holland, probably emanating from the man himself, suggest that Dutch veteran Louis van Gaal has already accepted the position with Patrick Kluivert and Giggs lined up as assistants.

United distanced themselves from such reports although, in an exercise in semantics, would only say that no deal has yet been “signed” — as opposed to “agreed” — with the Holland World Cup manager.

Meanwhile, the intriguing possibility remains of Giggs producing more of the same from his team-mates in the three remaining fixtures of the season. Home games with Sunderland and Hull, and an away fixture at Southampton, surely offer Giggs the chance to win all four of his matches in emphatic style.

And, given the raw power of support he had behind him on Saturday, such a sequence of results may yet leave the United hierarchy with food for thought about their second managerial change of the past 12 months.

“I think that’s another conversation,” said Giggs of his future, as player, manager or coach. “I don’t know what I’m doing about playing, I don’t know what’s going to happen, so again its something I’ll think about and decide with the appropriate people after the season.”

Whether under the stewardship of van Gaal or Giggs, one thing is certain. United need to show vast improvement next season upon their current seventh position and respond to the ever-changing new world order at the top of the Premier League. Despite evidence to the contrary over the past nine months, the caretaker manager insists the short-term future is bright.

“We won the league last year. The year before we lost it on goal difference, the year before we won it,” said Giggs. “Liverpool — where did they come last year? Who would have said they’d be where they are this year, so a lot can change.

“We’ve got the players, we’ve got everything in place to be a successful season next year. I’m confident that the players are at the club that can challenge next year.

“It’s going to be hard because we’ve had a tough season this year and obviously the lads at Liverpool have improved and other teams around us have improved so it won’t be easy. But I’m confident we’ve got the players.”

MAN UTD (4-4-2): De Gea 7; Jones 6, Ferdinand 6, Vidic 7, Evra 7; Valencia 6, Carrick 7, Cleverley 6 (Hernandez 70, 6), Kagawa 6 (Young 64, 6); Welbeck 7 (Mata 60, 9), Rooney 8.

NORWICH (4-2-3-1): Ruddy 8; Whittaker 5, Martin 5, Turner 5, Olsson 4; Fer 4 (Tettey 79, 5), Johnson 6; Snodgrass 7, Howson 7, Redmond 5 (Hooper 68, 5); van Wolfswinkel 3 (Elmander 56, 6).

Referee: L Probert 5