Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 10y

Ryan Giggs: Manchester United should be fighting for title

Ryan Giggs has told the Daily Telegraph that Manchester United finishing seventh "can't happen again" and believes their summer spending has given them the players to get back into the Champions League.

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New manager Louis van Gaal took his summer spending past 150 million pounds on deadline day as United brought in striker Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco and Netherlands international Daley Blind from Ajax to join record buy Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw among the newcomers.

His assistant Giggs, who finished last season in interim charge after David Moyes' sacking, is adamant this season will not be a repeat of their worst campaign in a quarter of a century.

"When you're at United you've got to win trophies, simple as that," he said. "Coming seventh last year wasn't good enough. We haven't started well this season, but we have to look to win something.

"We've got to be looking to contest the Premier League and look to get back in the Champions League, and I honestly believe, with the players we've now got, we're not far off."

Giggs told the Telegraph he would be telling Falcao he was joining the best club in the world upon his arrival at Old Trafford, and he added: "For me this is the biggest club in the world, no question. Coming seventh doesn't diminish that, but it can't happen again. Now we need to go out and prove it."

Giggs, who became a player-coach under Moyes last season, said Van Gaal is does much more work on the training ground than Sir Alex Ferguson, under whom Giggs won 13 Premier League titles.

"I spend a lot of time talking about football with him," the 40-year-old said of the Dutchman. "He loves talking about systems, about structure. He loves talking about individuals, about what players can and can't do. You could talk to him all day and learn so much. It's obviously great for me."

"Obviously the manager -- sorry, Sir Alex -- had his ways of working, basically his man-management was brilliant, his knowledge was brilliant, but he left the day-to-day stuff to Steve McClaren, Brian Kidd, Carlos Queiroz, Rene [Meulensteen] and Mick [Phelan].

"Louis is more hands-on regarding what we're doing day to day, he takes the sessions. It's all very precise. He's very vocal during training, very keen to communicate exactly what it is he wants and expects."

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