Fergie definitely NOT retiring

Still think Scholes has got something to offer this season i.e coming off the bench to help take the sting in the tale of a game we're winning.

Rio can go on a-bit yet at least til then end of next season, i'd have thought but Giggs needs to give up the ghost. Just can't see what he has left to offer tbh!

SAF said that if he was retiring that he would not say it until the end of the season because all of the focus would be on him. So he is hardly going to go and say "yes Giggs and Scholes are retiring".

RSC, I'd agree with that.

Rio is the one of the three I'd like to see stay as I think he still has a lot to offer, especially given our annual injury crisis in defence.

The other 2 retiring would free up an extra slot in the squad for a better, younger and fitter midfielder to come in.

I'd definitely want Rio to stay, even at this level at his age he's so important to us. He's learnt to adapt his game and improve his anticipation and reading of the game even further due to his lack of pace not being able to compensate as before.

Regarding Giggs and Scholes, I really don't mind them staying and I know it's not a fan favourite subject, they still offer a lot. The way they are being used now is fantastic, time here and there. Starting them in games would be foolish, or allowing them to perform 90 minutes together is suicidal but cameos in every game or so sparingly isn't the end of the world.

Of course, with our injury record we need to keep hold of as many players as we can.

I get what you mean. I'm just never one for keeping a player in the squad because they're good in cameo roles.

I think we'd be better off cutting the squad size but adding a bit of extra quality.

I find it strange for a club like United to have players in the squad that are only capable of the odd game and sub appearance.

Scholes will retire, he's played like 6 games this season. He's smart like Gary, he knows when his time is up. Giggs wants to play till he's in the grave

DTKF - I think it's a lot to due with a lack of patience on youngsters to and the ridiculous immense pressure. It's one thing for a lower league club to blood youngsters through because they haven't got much a of a choice. On top of that, when they do they are an unknown name, if they make a mistake the media glosses it over with 'the team just needs some experience', 'the team needs to work harder' - Only when these youngsters develop with no external pressures and big names come for them do we even know who they are. They have that time from everyone.

At the big clubs, you decide to bring a youngster through, they are hounding them waiting for that mistake to happen. Look at what they did to De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Jones, Hernandez etc...

Keeping the old players in one way distracts the media and everyone else from their performances. It in a way shields the players and who else beside the most experienced players going to be able to do that properly.

Of course, I'm not blind to your point of "I find it strange for a club like United to have players in the squad that are only capable of the odd game and sub appearance." -- I totally agree. I'm just trying to find a viable reason to why Sir Alex might keep them here, beside sentimental reasons.

I'm going to echo what I said last season and say that I don't mind them staying, as long as it dosent affect our activity in the transfer market.

The problem is, just like last season, it most likely will. If Giggs and Scholes had retired in May, we would have bought 1 or 2 midfielders who at the very least could have run for 90 mins.

I agree with all of that.

And the transfer thing is an important thing. Because it means we can buy a more established player and give him his fair share of games, this will make the youngsters thing (maybe in Powell's case) less of an issue.

As we stand, Carrick is the only reliable midfielder we have to call upon. Yet, we have 7 in the squad and Rooney if need be.

That's why I'd rather we cut the numbers and increase the quality.

Giggs literally does nothing to justify playing for this club. Sentiment has always been one of SAFs weaknesses. Giggs should be moved into a coaching role if keeping him is about his influence in the dressing room; if the contract extension is, however, based on his contribution then perhaps SAF is losing it...