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Old 14-04-2007, 12:27 AM
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Re: Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

United taking nothing for granted, says Giggs
By Pete Oliver

MANCHESTER, England, April 13 (Reuters) - Manchester United's mid-week annihilation of AS Roma will not lead them to underestimating the challenge of playing Watford in the FA Cup semi-finals, winger Ryan Giggs said on Friday.

United go into Saturday's tie at Villa Park on the back of their 7-1 beating of the Italians in the Champions League and as overwhelming favourites to overcome the bottom club in the Premier League.

But Giggs said United cannot afford to ease up as they look to secure their place in the final against either Chelsea or Blackburn Rovers, who meet on Sunday.

"We have got to approach the game in the right way," said Giggs, acting team captain in the absence of Gary Neville.

"We won't be taking anything for granted. We know we are favourites and we are expected to go through but we have got to apply ourselves and make sure that we produce the goods.

"It's an FA Cup semi-final, that's the bottom line. The prize for the winner is the FA Cup final and the chance to play at the new Wembley so there's a great incentive there," Giggs told reporters.

"Watford are a Premiership club and we only beat them 2-1 when we played them at their place earlier in the season and they played very well.

"So we know that it's going to be difficult but we also know that if we apply ourselves well and produce the football that we did on Tuesday night then we will have a great chance."

WAKE-UP CALL
United have never lost an FA Cup semi-final in seven attempts under Alex Ferguson but like Giggs the United manager is not dismissing the threat posed by Watford, facing almost certain relegation after one season back in the top flight.

"The good thing for me is that we had a wee bit of a wakening up last Saturday," said Ferguson, whose side were beaten in the league for only the third time this season by Portsmouth.

"There was a bit of tiredness at the end but it was a reminder that at this time of year you can lose football matches."

Giggs said he is revelling in United's free-flowing brand of football.
"It's great the way we are playing at the moment. It's the Manchester United way, trying to score goals, attacking from all areas of the pitch, lots of people weighing in with goals."

Giggs scored one of his finest goals at Villa Park in a winning semi-final against Arsenal eight years ago and United went on to win the treble of FA Cup, league and Champions League. Victory on Saturday would maintain hopes of a repeat.

United's squad remains stretched by injury problems, particularly in defence, with John O'Shea a doubt with a calf problem sustained against Roma.

Neville, Mikael Silvestre, Nemanja Vidic, Ji-sung Park and Louis Saha all remain out but midfielder Paul Scholes could return after missing the Roma game through suspension.
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