Giggs: Manchester United need Bale to fight for Champions League
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has touted his fellow Welshman Gareth Bale to be the man to help Mourinho and his men compete for the CL.
Giggs, who won the Champions League twice in his career at Manchester United, has claimed that his former club need just a bit more quality in order to be seriously considered for the Champions League. Using Bale as an example, he said someone of his ilk would take the club to new levels.
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‘You look at the current Manchester United team and you wonder if they can they win the Champions League? Have they got the players to win it? They’re probably a little bit short at the moment.” said the Old Trafford legend when speaking to Sky Sports.
Giggs continued, “You’ve got Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku, if he fulfils his potential, Marcus Rashford, David de Gea, a world-class player, and then if you add somebody like Gareth Bale to the mix, that’s when you talk about United having Champions League expectations.”
“Obviously, Mourinho has won the trophy before so we’re going to be there or thereabouts, but whether we’ve got the players to go the whole way, I don’t know.” said Ryan on Jose’s experience in Europe’s elite competition. Expectations are high on the Portuguese and his men and it will be interesting to see how everyone handles it.
Manchester United kick off their first game of the group stages on the 12th of September against Basel at home and should they win the 3 points, it may ease the pressure for future games. Clubs appear to target the magic 12 points to qualify and if the Red Devils win all 3 home games then they would be well set to do so.
Mourinho has already mirrored Giggs’ concerns as the Portuguese insisted his target was to get 4 signings with the last one being a winger but it failed to materialise and the club will have to survive without one. Ed Woodward is also well known for his desire to sign Galactico-type players and did so in Pogba last season.
This season however, as close as Lukaku gets to that reputation, Woodward failed to bring anyone in with both Bale and Griezmann targeted. There have been whispers that the Atletico Madrid man would be willing to move in January but it will be tougher to buy him in a transfer window notorious for it’s troublesome nature.
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Not to mention that Antoine would also be cup tied for the Champions League should Manchester United still be in the competition. Giggs’ former number 7 shirt was apparently left purposefully vacant this season until a superstar joins the club. Whether it’s Griezmann or Bale doesn’t matter, Old Trafford would love to see either in their famous red.