Ryan Giggs: Manchester United need fast start for title challenge

July 16, 2015
Posted by Steven Tan | Source from Manchester Evening News
Manchester United have settled into Seattle on the first leg of their USA tour primed for a rapid sprint out of the traps on August 8 against Spurs at Old Trafford.
 
The Reds have around £80m of new faces in the squad, following a whirlwind pre-tour wrapping up of transfer business by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward to give manager Louis van Gaal the platform to launch a serious bid for the Premier League title and a Champions League challenge.
 
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Matteo Darmian were signed up from Bayern Munich, Southampton and Torino respectively during last weekend’s manic 48 hours.
 
They joined May capture Memphis Depay in a new look Reds squad.
 
Having the bulk of the new faces enrolled 26 days before the campaign opens against Tottenham is in contrast to Van Gaal’s first season preparations when four players, Angel di Maria, Marcos, Rojo, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao, came on board with the Premier League season underway.
 
They followed June signings into the club but the late rush saw the Reds get off to a damagingly poor start.
 
Assistant boss Ryan Giggs says United cannot afford a slow start again.
 
“The manager has said it that 13 points from the first 30 wasn’t good enough. It is hard when you start like that. You need a better start,” Giggs told M.E.N. Sport.
 
“It is not just these days, Sir Alex Ferguson has said it in the past.
 
“You cannot just hope to get going later on you have to be up and ready from day one of the season.
 
“You saw Chelsea get out of the blocks quickly a few years ago and we had to change our thinking and had to make sure after that we didn’t have a slow start.
 
“All the challengers and rivals will be sharp and ready to go.
 
“That is what we have to do. You don’t have to be leading the pack at New Year but you have to be close and we certainly have to be closer than we were last season if you want to be there at the very end.”
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