Ryan Giggs Comments on Manchester United Players' Reaction to Chelsea Loss

Ryan Giggs has criticised Manchester United's players for their reactions after losing 4-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday. The United legend and former assistant manager was particularly irked at seeing players swap shirts with their conquerors.

Speaking to Premier League TV (h/t Jack Bezants of MailOnline), Giggs expressed his displeasure at the response to such a heavy defeat: "You can get beat in a football match, but then when you're getting beat and you're swapping shirts, that is something I don't like."

Bezants identified some of the supposed guilty parties Giggs may have been referring to. He pointed out how striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic swapped shirts with Chelsea goalscorer and attacking talisman Eden Hazard, a player who thoroughly outperformed the Swede on the day.

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He also mentioned how United substitute Anthony Martial left the pitch embracing another Chelsea goalscorer, N'Golo Kante.

In particular, Giggs didn't appreciate the amount of time United's players spent seeming to congratulate the Blues after the full-time whistle: "If you get beat 4-0, you congratulate the opposition, you thank the supporters and then you get off the pitch. You don't stand around on the pitch swapping shirts and laughing with the team that's just beat you."   

Many may find his statements understandable after the way United capitulated at the Bridge. The Reds folded quickly after falling behind by two goals in less than 21 minutes.

Other have applauded Giggs' traditional view, including Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

Meanwhile, fellow Evening News writer Stuart Mathieson insisted Ibrahimovic and Co. should have offered an apology after their horror show in west London, not congratulations.

Still, it's easy to think Giggs is perhaps making more of these scenes than is necessary. For one thing, Martial and Kante are international team-mates with France, and it's understandable that they'd share some kind words.

Giggs has taken the old-fashioned approach to United's reaction, but his hard-line views may also be one way of venting frustration at United's continued struggles since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Outspoken current manager Jose Mourinho is sure to have a response for Giggs' critique.