EPL:Man Utd begin hunt but Giggs not in race

22 April 2014 Updated 16:27 GMT
By Neil Johnston - BBC Sport & Simon Stone
- BBC Sport
Ryan Giggs is not under consideration to
become Manchester United's next full-time
boss as the club begin their search for a
successor to David Moyes.
Giggs, 40, has been put in temporary charge
after Moyes was sacked following just 10
months in the job.
But the Premier League club feel an
experienced manager is needed to turn
things round after this season's slump.
Gary Lineker thinks United are "in crisis"
after their worst season since the Premier
League began.
"They have not qualified for the Champions
League and are in a worse situation than 12
months ago," said the Match of the Day
presenter and former England captain.
"Then they had lost their manager. This time
they don't even know whether they are going
to be in European football next season."
News that Giggs is unlikely to succeed
Moyes on a full-time basis may disappoint
some fans.
However, Robbie Savage, who was in the
United youth ranks with Giggs and was also
a team-mate with Wales, says United need
an experienced head as they look to rebuild
their squad over the summer.
"In the future, Ryan can be a successful
manager," Savage told BBC Sport. "But
going forward it's such a huge transfer
window for United that they need an
experienced man at the helm.
"Keeping Ryan as assistant manager would
be a great idea. He has United in his blood
and has won countless trophies.
"He would be able to learn the ropes from a
manager who has won trophies and been
there and done it."
Giggs, the most decorated player in English
football, has yet to decide whether to
continue his playing career.
After winning 13 Premier League titles and
the Champions League twice with United, as
well as the FA Cup four times and the
League Cup three times, his current contract
runs out at the end of the season.
It is understood United's hierarchy reached
their decision to dispense with Moyes
reluctantly but also in the knowledge they
had little alternative.
They were forced to bring forward a public
announcement when British newspapers
began reporting the 50-year-old Scot's
tenure was set to end.
Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Everton means
United will miss out on the Champions
League for the first time in 18 years.
It would also now take a favourable
sequence of results for them to secure a
place in the Europa League.
Poor results are not the only factor to count
against Moyes, who was sacked after just
10 months in charge following Sir Alex
Ferguson's retirement.
United officials hope Giggs will be able to
restore a sense of bullishness to the club, as
well as a return to the positivity and
attacking philosophy for which the club are
so well known.
As the search for a second manager in less
than a year begins, Jurgen Klopp and Pep
Guardiola appear to be out of reach.
Klopp says his contract with Borussia
Dortmund is "unbreakable", while Guardiola
has guided Bayern to the Bundesliga title
and Champions League semi-finals in his
first season in charge.
It leaves Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal
in a strong position, given Carlo Ancelotti is
under contract at Real Madrid and both
Diego Simeone and former United defender
Laurent Blanc, presently at Atletico Madrid
and Paris St-Germain respectively, have
never coached in England.
Van Gaal's managerial curriculum vitae is
impressive.
The 62-year-old won three Dutch titles with
Ajax between 1991-97, as well as the 1995
Champions League. He then secured two La
Liga crowns at Barcelona and enjoyed
Bundesliga success at Bayern Munich in
2010.
Savage believes he would be the perfect fit
for United and has a great relationship with
striker Robin van Persie.
"If Manchester United don't invest heavily in
the next transfer window, then they will go
backwards," added the former Leicester City,
Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and
Derby County midfielder.
"Van Gaal is a fantastic manager who has
been there and done it and will command
respect."
Former United goalkeeper Raimond van der
Gouw says Van Gaal has an impressive
pedigree.
"He has proved he's a good manager," Van
der Gouw told BBC Radio 5 live. "He's a
champion in Holland, Germany and Spain.
He can be a good manager for United."
Van der Gouw also insisted Moyes was
always likely to find it hard making an
impact at Old Trafford.
"If you have to go to a big club like United,
you need experience," he said. "Everton and
United, it's a big difference.
"It's a big step to go from Everton to
Manchester United. It's a much bigger club,
much more responsibility."
Despite United's current troubles, club
officials believe they can regain ground
quickly.
"Reports of our demise have been greatly
exaggerated," one club source told BBC
Sport.
The finance is certainly available to
strengthen the squad, as it would have been
had Moyes remained in charge.
United are also convinced their absence
from the Champions League need not be too
much of a handicap in the recruitment
process.
But Lineker believes the players need to
improve their attitude.
"There is no question the players let David
Moyes down," said the former Barcelona,
Everton, Tottenham and Leicester striker.
"I hear pretty much first-hand that some of
the players were pretty dismissive of the
new regime. That is poor professionalism.
"Some of them have probably made life quite
difficult for David Moyes."