Ryan Giggs has declared he is prepared to fight for his place at Manchester United in the face of increasing squad competition.
The champions have spent big during the summer as they look to bolster a side that is capable of defending their Premier League crown.
Sir Alex Ferguson has brought in Nani and Anderson, which will heighten competition for attacking midfield roles, but Giggs says he would not have been dropping his performance levels regardless of any new Old Trafford arrivals.
"The Premier League gets tougher every year and Manchester United cannot afford to stand still," said Giggs, who is currently 43 behind Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 759 United appearances.
"Whether the manager signed anyone or not, the challenge is still there.
"You have to perform to your best, otherwise you won't play. That goes for everyone.
"We are all hopeful of being in the team but the only way to achieve that is by doing well."
United won their title, the ninth in Giggs' time at the club, in eye-catching attacking style and the Welshman is hopeful that the new editions to the squad will see standards improve.
"The players we have signed in forward positions particularly are young and can make a contribution now and in the future," said Giggs.
"Last year, we showed what a great attacking team we were and now we have these additional options, hopefully we can improve even more."
United are currently on a four-match tour of Asia and, in the absence of the injured Gary Neville, Giggs is set to lead his side in the tour opener against Urawa Red Diamonds in Saitama on Tuesday.
Owen Hargreaves did not take a full part in United's first training session of the tour due to a minor injury and is a possible doubt for the Urawa fixture, while Ferguson has also confirmed that Nani is unlikely to feature.
Source : www.skysports.com
By Peter Fraser - Created on 16 Jul 2007
