Barry Horne: Ryan Giggs should be recognised as a real Premier League great

IN many ways I was disappointed that Blackpool couldn’t hang on to their 2-0 lead in a fantastic Premier League match at Bloomfield Road this week.

I have seen Blackpool live on five occasions this season and I know that the oft-trotted line about them being a ‘breath of fresh air’ is true.

For them to have beaten United would have been a reward for their approach, which in turn is a reflection of their manager.

As it was the remarkable turnaround has merely reinforced United’s sense of invincibility.

The phrase ‘turning point’ is used far too frequently in football reporting, but this could well be a match that people look back on as a watershed and, in particular, the moment that Rafael bundled Luke Varney to the floor for the most obvious penalty decision I’ve seen in a long time.

The main feeling that I had after the game, however, was the contribution of Ryan Giggs, which was not given the credit it deserved.

Coming on at 2-0 down the 37-year-old reinvigorated his team-mates and completely transformed the pattern of the game.

When people talk about Premier League greats he usually gets a mention behind a list of players.

Ryan was around performing brilliantly, if a little inconsistently, in 1992 and he’s still around now heading towards what would probably be his 12th Premier League title.

He doesn’t seek recognition, but it will surely come.