FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED player and football pundit John Giles believes whoever takes over at Manchester United needs to get rid of the Class of 92 players.
Speaking on Newstalk’s Off the Ball, the ex-Ireland international rejected suggestions that the new man should seek to groom Ryan Giggs for the top job.
He added that the influence of Giggs and other members of the Class of 92, many of whom he has brought back to the club since taking over as boss on an interim basis, would likely undermine what the new manager is trying to achieve, as they would be adamant he should manage the club exactly as former boss Alex Ferguson did.
“The players, who achieved great success under Ferguson as manager, would think that’s the way to do it, so when a new manager comes in who’s not going to be doing it the way Ferguson did it, they’re not going to like it,” Giles said.
“[Giggs] brought Scholes back into it, Butt, Giggs and Phil Neville — I was a little bit surprised he didn’t resign having seen the way Moyes was treated — those ex-players have been there a long time, so that would be a club within a club [who’ll think] this is the way we did it over a number of years, this is the way we’ll continue to do it.”
The Leeds legend also described Giggs’ recent claims that they would “play the old United way” during his tenure as “nonsense,” and suggested he didn’t understand the difficulty that the role entails, ultimately arguing that whoever takes over should eradicate this supposedly harmful influence.
“If a strong manager comes in, Giggs, Butt, Scholes and Neville have to go. You’re ripping the heart out of something that’s in the past. Football’s a cruel game — Moyes has been treated very cruelly. In football, the next match is the most important one of the lot.
“It doesn’t matter what Ferguson did. It doesn’t matter what Giggs did for the club. You’ve got to think what’s best for the club now — so Ferguson should disappear for the next 12 months and the players who are influential now should go and give the manager a clean slate. [When he took over] Ferguson didn’t have the problem of a history of successful players.”
Furthermore, Giles criticised United’s behaviour in the sacking, branding it “very cheap,” while also attacking the media for implying that “everything” is Moyes’ fault.
“They were leaking 24 hours before they even told him,” he added. “That’s not the way to behave… Some of it I wouldn’t believe, because once a manager has failed, it’s open season on him.
“If the press lads are going with the leaks, they’re going to go with the people who are giving them the leaks, because that’s what sells newspapers.
“For a club of the stature of Manchester United behaving that way was absolutely dreadful. David Moyes was entitled to feel very annoyed. It was definitely leaked. I think the club leaked it to the press and the press boys will respond by giving Manchester United a good show in the papers — spin it their way.”
Do you agree with Giles that the Class of 92 should go?
