Victory against major rivals is key – Giggs

United visit Chelsea on Sunday, after which they must tackle Liverpool and Tottenham, with a visit to Norwich – who have lost just three times at Carrow Road this season – in between.

Little wonder no-one at Old Trafford is getting too confident, even though they moved level on points with Manchester City by beating Stoke on Tuesday night.

However, as a veteran of all 12 previous Premier League championship triumphs, Giggs knows the value that can be gained by beating major rivals. “We have shown reasonable form and if we can get good results in those kinds of games, confidence will be sky-high,” said Giggs.

“We know that it’s a tough run, but those are the games you want to be playing in.

“We are not quite at the make-or-break part of the season, but it is an important time, and we know that if we win those games, then we’ll be in good shape and good form going into the run-in.

“We know what’s ahead of us and what we have to do.”

With both Giggs and Sir Alex Ferguson talking about a contract extension, it seems certain the veteran Welshman will extend his career into another season.