The appointment of Ryan Giggs as Wales’ new manager has not met with universal approval from the fans who remember those missed friendlies when he was a player. Dai Sport’s Alun Rhys Chivers is one of the doubters and asks whether it is just a publicity stunt by the FAW.
Ever since Chris Coleman departed his job as Wales’ manager for pastures new in the lower echelons of the Championship with Sunderland, just who would succeed him has been something of a guessing game, with no shortage of people throwing their names into the ring.
Amongst them was Cookie’s assistant, Osian Roberts. He was certainly the preferred choice of the majority of fans, having gained huge respect as Coleman’s number two during the big success at Euro 2016. He has an undisputed reputation for coaching the coaches and he could and almost certainly would have carried on Coleman’s work with very little tweaking of either team or tactics.
Other, less prominent names were in the mix too. Recently sacked by West Brom, Tony Pulis was one of the favourites before he headed for Middlesbrough. The list also included Craig Bellamy and Carl Robinson. A late addition to the list of interviewees was former Wales assistant Mark Bowen.
The lack of managerial experience amongst the candidates – Tony Pulis apart, maybe – speaks volumes for the way in which up and coming managers view the Wales job. If experience was to be a key consideration, then there’s no doubt that even with his limited experience as the main man, Ryan Giggs would be the leading candidate amongst those interviewed.
His short stint as top dog at Man U would surely stand him in good stead.
It’s easy enough to doubt Ryan Giggs’ credentials for the job. Let’s take, as a starting point, his reputation as a player for pulling out of friendlies at every juncture. And what about the negative publicity around his private life – which certainly raises a few questions about his suitability as a role model for the crop of youngsters coming through the ranks.
However, one consideration appears to stand out above all others as far as the FAW is concerned. After Wales’ success on the international stage at Euro 2016, the footballing world’s eyes have been firmly glued on Wales for the first time in years.
Chris Coleman has rightly been lauded for building on Gary Speed’s work and, of course, Osian Roberts is also considered a key part of that success. With Wales having established themselves on the international stage, despite their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, a figurehead is needed in order to fit this new global image.
Who, after all, is more recognisable and celebrated as a Welsh footballer in recent decades than Ryan Giggs? Wales now has a global profile – and Ryan Giggs certainly has his own global profile.
The FAW had hoped that the managerial announcement today would coincide with the launch of their @Cymru Twitter brand. But news of Ryan Giggs’ appointment was leaked last night, taking the wind right out of the FAW’s sails.
If they had hoped for unquestioned support on their new Twitter feed, then they were in for a rude awakening as they scrolled through the comments under their very first tweet. ‘Please not Giggs’ was a recurring theme.
And if you typed ‘Ryan Giggs’ into the Twitter search box last night, then the reaction there was just as negative.
To write off the new manager before his first game in charge may appear harsh, but I firmly add my name to the list of doubters.
Like the rest, I will continue to support the boys in red. But the glory days of the summer of 2016 under Chris Coleman and Osian Roberts in France feel as far away as ever today. Ryan Giggs will now have to find a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ to convince me and others that he’s the right man for the job.