Goal.com

Dec 31, 2012 5:20:00 PM

The veteran midfielder does not want the club to lose their stranglehold at the top of the league, arguing that they must stay consistent in order to stand a chance

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs believes that if the club are to avoid a repeat of last season's title heartbreak, that they must remain focused on their long-term goals.

After dispatching West Brom 2-0 in their last league outing, United maintained their seven-point lead over rivals Manchester City to keep their place at the summit going into the New Year.

However, with the title switching hands so many times between the two sides last season, Giggs feels that the squad must use the experience from last term as motivation, applying it to every competition they compete in.

"I think it’s the manager’s experience and the players who have been here a long time knowing that after Christmas is the time to get down to business,” he told the club’s official website.

"We know that as long as we’re there or thereabouts in January and if we go on a [winning] run of 10 or 12 games we’re going to have a great chance of winning something.

"We know it’s a key time and we’ve got to start performing and there can be no mistakes. Usually when the stakes are high and the concentration is there, good players produce the goods.

"We were probably this many points ahead with less games to go last season so we’re only halfway there and there are a lot of tough games to come.

"There is also the FA Cup and the Champions League to come as well so we have all these things to consider.

"We’re in a great position and we're happy where we are but we know we have to carry on producing."

United face Wigan next and despite beating them 4-0 on home turf earlier in the campaign, the 1-0 defeat at the DW Stadium proved pivotal as the side lost out on the league crown, and Giggs expects another tough test this time around.

He added: "Last season when we went there we didn’t play well and Wigan were in good form and we lost 1-0. We knew they were in a false position going into that game and that they were playing well.

"When you don’t turn up and you play a team in good form you’re always going to come unstuck no matter who you play in the Premier League.

"It was tough especially when you consider our [good] record there and it undoubtedly contributed to us losing the title.

"Wigan are a tough team to play against. They play with a different system to what we’re used to and they play it well.

"I’m surprised that they’re down there [towards the bottom of the table] considering the tough game they gave us last season and this season at Old Trafford where they played well."

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