Giggs dan `The Class of `92` Pimpin Skuad MU, Ini Dalihnya...
Why `The Class of 92` to Get Old Trafford Back on Track
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
 b.jpg)
ADALAH Ben Turner, salah seorang sutradara film dokumenter "The Class of '92" yang mengaku kepada Ryan Giggs bahwa dia adalah penggemar Sunderland yang menilai apa yang dicapai Manchester United adalah hebat.
"Kebanyakan orang menertawakan saya," kata Turner. Tetapi tidak Giggs. Manajer sementara United ini lalu menoleh ke masa lalu kepada satu pengalaman buruk.
"Dia menatap kami, tak bercanda, lalu berkata 'Saya masih mengingat kalian mengalahkan kami pada 1997," kata Turner yang menyutradarai film itu bersama saudaranya, Gabe, seperti dilansir media Inggris The Guardian.
"Dia mengingat satu waktu kami pernah mengalahkan mereka. Itu mengejutkan saya. Itu mirip dengan perasaan saat kita di pantai, kita memikirkan trofi yang tidak kita menangkan, dan begitu kita memenangkannya kita merayakannya dan maju terus."
"Kami berdua membicarakan pertandingan itu. John Mullin mencetak gol penentu kemenangan. Giggs mengingat masa ketika kami mengalahkan mereka."
Bagi Giggs, dan juga anggota lain dari generasinya --Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Neville bersaudara, dan Paul Scholes-- kalah bukanlah opsi.
Film itu mengeksplorasi bagaimana keenam bocah ini mendominasi sepakbola Inggris dan perbincangan mengenai kekalahan pada 1997 itu membekas pada diri Turner bahwa hasrat tinggi untuk menanglah yang membesarkan mereka.
Itulah mengapa United menoleh "Angkatan 92" sampai musim ini berakhir setelah David Moyes dipecat. Pada Giggs dan para asistennya, Butt, Phil Neville dan Scholes, mengalir darah klubnya.
"Kami berbicara dengan Giggs, memberinya selamat, dan dia berkata dia tidak terkejut ketika dia ditanyai apakah dia menginginkan posisi itu," kata Turner. "Dia telah menerimanya sebelum mereka menyelesaikan pertanyaan mereka kepada dia. Mereka membeli sejarah Manchester United."
Turner tidak terkejut jika Giggs si 'ketua kelas' kini menjadi manajer.
"Andai pun mereka pernah akan melakukannya maka itu adalah hal tak terungkapkan dia ketua kelompok itu, namun mereka ingin semua (anggota Angkatan 92) terlibat di United," kata dia. "Maksud saya, mereka juga pernah berbicara dengan Scholes setelah kepensiunannya dan dia kini kembali. Dia (Scholes)menjawab permintaan itu amat cepat. Tak mengejutkan jika Giggslah yang menjadi manajer."
"Mereka semua sangat menghormati dia karena dialah yang pertama menerobos dan dia adalah standard emas mereka. Saya kira mereka semua mengandalkan dia."
Turner yakin kesuksesan tidak mengubah mereka sebagai manusia. "Mereka sangat rendah hati," kata dia.
Itu adalah aura mereka, tapi juga rasa seperti orang biasa yang mimpin-mimpinya terwujud.
"Mereka seperti kelompok sahabat lainnya yang memiliki petualangan bersama nan luar biasa. Namun mereka sangat terhubung satu sama lain. Mereka sangat melindungi satu sama lain dan amat saling menghormati. Mereka seperti kelompok orang-orang yang sunggguh matang."
Turner mengakui mengkhawatirkan Scholes yang pemalu di depan kamera, sebaliknya sangat terkesan kepda Butt. "Dia hebat," kata dia. "Orang tak banyak mengetahui dia, dia adalah salah seorang pemimpin. Kualitas kepemimpinan dan status dia adalah kejutan yang manis."
Menyusuri Old Trafford membuat Turner sadar dia tengah berada di tempat para legenda hidup.
"Ada bagian dari museum di ruang bawah mengenai Angkatan 92 dan saya merasa seperti menyaksikan mereka melewati mitos."
"Saya menatap patung (George) Best, (Denis) Law dan (Bobby) Charlton seolah mereka berjalan melewati mitos, dan pencapaian-pencapaian mereka melampaui apa yang telah dilakukan orang-orang itu. Seiring dengan berjalannya waktu, mitos mereka akan berkembang karena kita tak bisa menyaksikan mereka bermain setiap pekan, kisah pun berlanjut."
IT WAS when Ben Turner, one of the directors who helped make The Class of '92, told Ryan Giggs that he is a Sunderland fan that he realised what made Manchester United great.
"Most people laugh at me," Turner says. But not Giggs. United's new manager was having a flashback to something terrible instead.
"He looked at us, no joke, and went: 'I seem to remember you beating us in 1997,'" says Turner, who directed the film alongside his brother, Gabe.
"He remembered the one time we'd beaten them. That stuck in his mind. It was very much that sense of when you're on the beach, you think about the trophy you didn't win and, when you win it, you celebrate and move on."
We were talking about the game. John Mullin scored the winning goal. I don't think he ever did anything else in a Sunderland shirt. But Giggs remembered the time he'd lost to us."
For Giggs, and the other members of that generation – Nicky Butt, David Beckham, the Neville brothers and Paul Scholes – losing was not an option.
The film explores how these six boys came to dominate English football, and that conversation about a defeat in 1997 hammered home to Turner that it was an insatiable desire for victory that set them apart.
It is why United turned to the class of '92 until the end of the season after David Moyes was sacked. Giggs and his assistants, Butt, Phil Neville and Scholes, have the club in their blood.
"We spoke to Giggs, to congratulate him, and he said he didn't bat an eyelid when he was asked if he wanted the job," Turner says. "He'd accepted it before they'd even finished asking him. They buy into the story of Manchester United."
Turner is not surprised that Giggs, the leader of the pack, is now the manager.
"If they were ever going to do it there was an unsaid feeling that he is the leader of the group, but they all wanted to be involved at United," he says. "I mean, they managed to talk Scholes out of retirement and he's back now. He answered the call so quickly. But it's not a surprise that Giggs would be the manager."
"They all have a lot of respect for him because he broke through first and he was the gold standard for them. I think they all look up to him."
Turner believes that success has not changed them as people. "They are very down-to-earth," he says.
There is an aura to them, but also a sense of camaraderie – normal people whose childhood dream came true.
"They were like any group of old mates who'd been on an amazing adventure together. But they're very affectionate towards each other. They're very protective of each other and have a lot of respect. It seemed like a really balanced group of people, without any regrets. I don't know if they see each other all the time now, but they were very familiar instantly."
Turner admits he was worried about Scholes being too shy for the camera – fears that were soon allayed – while he remains hugely impressed with Butt. "He was great," he says. "People don't know him as much as the others, but he was one of the leaders when they were coming through and sort of looked after them. The leadership qualities and the status he has was a nice surprise."
A walk around Old Trafford brought home to Turner that he was in the company of living legends.
"It was very soon after they'd all kind of retired. There's a part of the museum at the ground about the class of '92 and I felt it was like watching them pass into mythology.
"I was looking at the statue of Best, Law and Charlton as they were walking past it, and their achievements have eclipsed what those guys did. They're as big a legend as you can possibly be at that club. And as time goes by, their mythology will grow because when you don't see them play every week, the story grows."
