Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs does not feel Mark Hughes'
treatment at Manchester City should come as a shock to any
prospective manager.
In the wake of Hughes' exit from Eastlands, Sunderland
manager Steve Bruce suggested the dismissal, coming in the wake of
a 4-3 victory over the Black Cats and 17 matches into a Premier
League season that has seen City suffer just two defeats, could put
young coaches off entering the management game.
It is not a problem Giggs has to deal with, having just
signed another one-year contract at United that will see him
complete two decades at Old Trafford. But, while he feels for
Hughes, a team-mate for both United and Wales, Giggs is not
convinced Bruce's theory will prove to be correct.
"It is the football world we live in," observed the
36-year-old. "There is not much patience around now. Managers know
that going into a job after a few bad results, the press and the
fans will get on to them.
"You don't have as much time as you did 10 or 15 years ago.
That is difficult when you are trying to build a team
"But all managers find themselves in that situation now.
"Sparky did a relatively good job at City but he is no
different."
One of the other few obvious downsides about life in the
football business is having to work over Christmas.
When families across the country are tucking into their
traditional roast dinner before slumbering in front of the fire,
top flight stars tend to snatch a couple of hours in the morning
before heading off to training and then spending a quiet evening in
a hotel somewhere, preparing for a Boxing Day fixture.
Not this season for Giggs though. For the first time in his
illustrious career, he has been able to spend the whole day at home
with wife Stacey and children Libby and Zach, having been given the
day off by Sir Alex Ferguson because United are not in action again
until they face Hull at the KC Stadium on December 27.
"Until I had kids I never got excited about Christmas," said
Giggs. "You just can't.
"You have to concentrate on playing on Boxing Day and you are
always travelling on Christmas Day.
"That is one of the downsides about being a footballer.
"Once you have kids it is hard opening the presents, then
going off to training, so, to have Christmas Day off for the first
time in my career is definitely welcomed."
