Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013 46 Age-defying Giggs still shining at 40

LONDON: With a masterful performance at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, demonstrated that he remains an integral Villas-Boas player for Manchester United despite the arrival on Friday of his 40th birthday. Having under scrutiny impressed as a substitute in United’s 2-2 draw at City, Giggs was restored to the start- as Spurs host ing line-up at the BayArena and orchestrated a 5-0 win that sent his side swaggering into the Man United Champions League last 16. LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s meltdown at Belying his advancing years, the Welshman Manchester City exposed serious flaws in dictated the pace of the game throughout Andre Villas-Boas’s project and the young and capped his display with an intelligent loft- coach is under intense scrutiny ahead of ed pass that enabled to score the visitors’ Sunday’s match with champi- fifth goal in the 88th minute. “I’ve run out of ons Manchester United. Back-to-back games things to say about Ryan,” said United striker against Manchester’s finest always looked like . “Actually, during the game, the Bayer centre-half was asking how he is still a yardstick for Tottenham’s progress in the playing at that age.” may have wake of the world record sale of to stepped down as manager after 26 and a half Real and a raft of expensive new sign- long, glorious years and United may have fall- ings in the close season with the proceeds. en off the pace in the Premier League under But few would have predicted the his successor, , but the ageless Portuguese would find himself as the book- Giggs bounds on regardless. makers’ favorite to get the sack. “It all looked “People mention his age, but all you should good for AVB at the end of October but in a talk about is his football ability,” says Moyes. month Tottenham have turned from title con- “He is an unbelievable footballer, and you tenders into a team clinging on to the top 10,” could say he is getting better. He is a wonder- said a spokesman for betting firm Paddy ful player and I am really fortunate to be work- Power, which slashed odds on his exit to 10-11 ing with him.” Giggs is starting to cast an eye on. “Common sense should prevail and the towards the future, having been enrolled on young manager should be given time but this United’s coaching staff following Moyes’s is the bonkers world of Premier League.” arrival from Everton, while he recently opened Last Sunday’s 6-0 drubbing at City was a London restaurant with former team-mate Tottenham’s worst defeat since 1996 and . while they are only two points off the top four However, although his current United con- there is growing frustration at the time it is tract is due to expire in June, he says he has taking Villas-Boas to get his new-look side to had no thoughts about turning the page on click. “I have the confidence of the board and his playing career. Asked by Neville during a players and I have to move on to do a proper recent television interview whether the job,” the Portuguese told a news conference. approach of his fifth decade had brought “I am immune (to criticism) right now. I used retirement into sharper focus, he said: “I’ve to read a lot into situations like this, into pres- never been guided really by the age. “It’s just sure points when I was at Chelsea, but not any about how I felt, if I’m contributing, if I’m still more. I am very indifferent.” getting picked, still enjoying it. After being axed by Chelsea, Villas-Boas “I could probably contribute a little bit resurfaced at last term and more, but hopefully that will come as the sea- earned plaudits as Tottenham came fifth with son goes on. But no, just because I’ve turned MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Welsh Ryan Giggs (right) and English 72 points - the club’s highest Premier League 40 doesn’t mean that’s it. “If I felt like that, midfielder take part in a training session in Manchester, northwest total - but just failed to earn a Champions then I might as well just pack it in now, but I England. — AFP League spot. This season, despite the addi- still feel good and I’m still enjoying it.” Giggs is tions of Brazil midfielder Paulinho, Spain strik- used sparingly these days and has played in only five of United’s 12 league games to date Pellegrini highlights er Roberto Soldado, record signing Erik this season, but he is already certain to leave a Lamela of Argentina and Denmark playmaker historic legacy. , Spurs have managed only He is United’s record appearance-maker defensive deficiency nine goals in 12 league matches. A mean (953 games and counting), and with 13 league defense has kept them in and around the top titles, two Champions League trophies, four LONDON: Manchester City manager While City have been making headlines four but things unraveled in spectacular fash- FA Cups and three League Cups to his name- lamented a lack of defen- for their high scoring, including Sunday’s ion at City. as well as a clutch of other prizes-he is the sive intensity in his side’s 4-2 Champions 6-0 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur, they United may not have been setting the most decorated footballer in the history of the League win over Viktoria Plzen, despite are six points off Premier League leaders world alight either under new manager David English game. A devilish tormentor of opposi- taking their home goal scoring tally to a Arsenal, mainly due to defensive lapses Moyes but they are unbeaten in six league tion right-backs when he blazed onto the remarkable 25 goals in five matches. While that have contributed to four losses away games and have not lost at Tottenham since scene as a jet-heeled winger in the early- the margin of victory on Wednesday from home. That carelessness nearly cost 2001. Wednesday’s qualification for the 1990s, Giggs has refined his game in recent appeared comfortable, the visitors from them early as Plzen missed two chances Champions League last 16 after a 5-0 away years and now operates more often than not the Czech Republic, bottom of Group D before Sergio Aguero scored from the thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen has also boost- as an elegant midfield playmaker. As a young- with five consecutive defeats, twice fought penalty spot after 33 minutes. City were ed confidence. Spurs did win at ster, he was dogged by hamstring injuries, but back from a goal down to draw level unable to hold their lead, however, allow- last term for the first time since 1989 - a result he attributes his longevity to the discovery of before Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko ing Tomas Horava to score two minutes that proved the springboard for Villas-Boas’s yoga techniques that have helped him steer secured the result in the final 12 minutes. before the break. encouraging first season at the club - but their clear of the treatment tables in his latter years. Progression to the knock-out rounds put the hosts ahead once record against United in recent years is woeful. “The yoga has definitely helped me,” he had already been achieved before the vic- more on 65 minutes but again the visitors Tottenham’s cause is hardly helped by trip told La Gazetta dello Sport last year. “It helps tory, but Chilean Pellegrini said he was dis- pulled level when a defensive mix-up to the Arctic Circle to face Tromso in the me train every day because it gives me the appointed with the number of chances allowed Stanislav Tecl to level matters four Europa League, while United have an extra flexibility and the strength not only to play the Plzen created in an open match at Etihad minutes later before Negredo and Dzeko day to prepare. Spurs have lost two of their game, but to train as well.” Giggs’s famed Stadium. “I’m satisfied because we won the secured the win. Pellegrini fielded a some- last three home league games and only beat hunger for success is unlikely to diminish in game but we didn’t play well, we didn’t what second-choice backline featuring Hull City with a questionable penalty. Former the months ahead, particularly with United play with intensity,” he told reporters. “I Micah Richards, Martin Demichelis, Joleon Tottenham midfielder Graham Roberts currently seven points behind leaders Arsenal think that we can attack and we can score Lescott and and believes Villas-Boas must decide quickly on his in the league. He will also be eager to main- four goals without giving the other team restored England goalkeeper but strongest side. “I wish he wouldn’t swap the tain a run of scoring in consecutive league so many chances. One of the most impor- said it was up to the whole team to ensure team around so much,” Roberts told radio sta- seasons that extends all the way back to 1991 tant things to being an attacking team is control at the back. “I am not talking about tion Talk Sport. “We haven’t had the same - before some of his current team-mates were knowing how to defend and I think on that just Richards and Lescott, I am talking team two games running.—Reuters even born.— AFP front, we did very bad.” about the whole team,” he said.—Reuters