How Ryan Giggs Moscow Speech Inspired Season Of Success

The media called winning the league title, the FA Cup and European Cup in one season “impossible” after we beat Liverpool in the FA Cup final in 1977. Three decades later Manchester United were achieving it.

This year, much has been made of the ‘quintuple’, with United already winning two of the five trophies on offer.

I’m not too bothered by that talk. I’m more interested in winning the title for the third year running, for the second time in ten years. My priorities always lie with the league. If we can win another trophy or two on top of that, then it is a massive bonus.

Darren Fletcher has today revealed how the discussions that went on in Moscow inspired United to be in the position they are at the moment, with so many players demanding more. I’m sure this would be pleasing for Roy Keane, who was unhappy with how contented our lads were following 1999. This team just wants more and more, which is clearly shown by our brilliant results over the past few months.

“He said, ‘Lads, this is what it’s all about — let’s have it next year as well’, and we were looking at this trophy, which hadn’t even been presented to us, and there was Ryan already talking about next year,” said Fletcher. “It brought home to me what this club is about. Later, we were sitting in the dressing room and there were so many players already talking about winning it again. Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand marching around telling everybody, ‘I like this feeling, let’s keep it going’. That is why the club gets stronger and stronger. I know nobody has retained the Champions League but we are definitely capable of it. If we do not at least get near it, the club will see that as a disappointment, just as we were disappointed we didn’t do the Treble last year. We always think we can achieve more. Look at Ryan: I’m sure he sees the Premier League as his trophy and why shouldn’t he? He has won it so many times it’s as if he lends it out for the odd year.”