Paul Scholes

[The Guest]

Is it just me who thinks he's just one big myth. It's just the fact he's been at United for years that has made this false opinion of him develop.

 

Don't get me wrong though I think he's been a good player. To last at United that long is testament to what Ferguson thinks of him and to reinvent himself as a deep lying midfielder. That's exactly what he has done though - reinvented himself. For the large part of his career he was United's midfielder who broke into the box and scored goals. He was technically brilliant at volleying and shooting. His movement in and around the box was as good as anyone. He was even played up front for a time.

 

However, United were never built around their centre midfield. Apart from Roy Keane they have literally went from mediocre midfielder to mediocre midfielder. It has appeared to have never bothered Ferguson. They have always had the best wingers and forwards in the league and have always paid the big money for them. Combining this with having a pretty solid defence with full backs who get forward and you have what United are made of.

 

As Scholes got older and stopped scoring as many goals he became more and more useless. In the past few seasons he got redeployed as their deep lying centre mid. Defensively he is shite and always has been. This is not some myth and is pretty much accepted by everyone. He has never been blessed with any pace and I don't think I have ever witnessed him dribble past a player in his career.

 

With the Mancs rivalry with us and the fact they have witnessed the career of the most complete centre midfielder in English football history in Gerrard it seems to have developed a need for them to have a comparison. They haven't got one. They have had the better side now for decades but that doesn't mean individually all their players are brilliant or better than some of the best players for other clubs.

 

Even in his new role I don't think he excelled. I seen numerous hollywood balls he hit go straight in the stands. Gerrard is so often criticised for attempting these yet doesn't try them half as much as Scholes and is easily more successful at them. He never dictates games because he doesn't have to. All their play is down to having fast skillful wingers.

 

The myth that he has been some great centre mid over the years is laughable.

[A.V.B.]

Paul Scholes was an incredible player who dictated the pace of United games and took a back seat to no player in the world when he was doing so.

 

He's a cunt of epic proportions for his antics when he tries to tackle but as far as an attacking midfielder goes you'd be hard pressed to find many better.

[WaltonRed]

He's been class for them, even now he sits there and rarely gives it away.

 

To deny he's anything but is silly in my opinion

[fowler9]

he is like Giggs, was brilliant, is still very good but every little thing he does has been massively overhyped since they both turned about 33, ridiculous when people try make out they are still world class

[Rafa Shankly]

Been a great player, strange you'd go into such depth analyzing the career of a player who doesn't play for Liverpool.

[myrlas]

Apart from his tackling, he's been by far the best English midfielder the last decades. He plays a different sport at times.

 

The fact that he can do it now, when his legs are gone, tells us that having a bit of brains and vision never harmed any footballer.

 

PS! I hate him. Always did

Edited June 27, 2012 by myrlas

[The Guest]

Paul Scholes was an incredible player who dictated the pace of United games and took a back seat to no player in the world when he was doing so.

 

He's a cunt of epic proportions for his antics when he tries to tackle but as far as an attacking midfielder goes you'd be hard pressed to find many better.

 

He never dictated a game when he played centremid in the 90's. Roy Keane was the man that broke things up and Giggs and Beckham were the guys who created all the chances for the forwards which he benefitted from. He certainly took a back seat then.

 

What about the years where Ronaldo dominated? Did he not take a backseat then? I don't remember them winning much after Keane went and before Ronaldo started to take centre stage. Where was he hiding in the years in between?

 

I don't think he's a cunt of epic proportions. He hardly ever says a word never mind a bad word about anything. He's shit at tackling that hardly makes him a cunt either. There have been plenty of attacking midfielders better than Paul Scholes over the years.

 

The point I always raise when people say this. If we swapped Gerrard for Scholes 10 years ago we would have won pretty much fuck all and United would have won more.

[Gym Beglin]

I hate thread titles like this, why not call it 'Scholes, overhyped?' or something.

 

I'm left waiting for the page to load and thinking he might have been hit by a bus.

[Gym Beglin]

154 goals in 18 seasons for United.

 

149 goals in 14 seasons for Gerrard.

 

226 goals in 18 seasons for Lampard.

 

 

He's been very good, but ultimately helped by the easy games that United have been gifted against cowardly opposition in recent years.

Hodgsons England demonstrated just how many teams set up against United, but when the first goal goes in fen the floodgates opened.

[Lucky Pierre]

I've always thought he was overrated too. Very good player, but not world class at his job.

[A.V.B.]

He never dictated a game when he played centremid in the 90's. Roy Keane was the man that broke things up and Giggs and Beckham were the guys who created all the chances for the forwards which he benefitted from. He certainly took a back seat then.

 

What about the years where Ronaldo dominated? Did he not take a backseat then? I don't remember them winning much after Keane went and before Ronaldo started to take centre stage. Where was he hiding in the years in between?

 

I don't think he's a cunt of epic proportions. He hardly ever says a word never mind a bad word about anything. He's shit at tackling that hardly makes him a cunt either. There have been plenty of attacking midfielders better than Paul Scholes over the years.

 

The point I always raise when people say this. If we swapped Gerrard for Scholes 10 years ago we would have won pretty much fuck all and United would have won more.

 

Ask any United fan and they will tell you they haven't replaced him to this day. If he didn't dictate play in that team then I don't know who did. His passing and vision was sublime and he always found or made 2-3 yards for himself. Yes he scored goals but that was just one part of his game and to suggest he was just a player that picked up the pieces from assists from Giggs and Beckham is ridiculous. When Beckham went Scholes continued to be pure quality and when Ronaldo was struggling to find his feet Scholes was still pure class.

 

The reason he's a cunt is not because he can't tackle but that he goes after players with evil knee high challenges that can end careers but as Andy Gray will tell you that's just "the boy" being a "scamp".

 

I don't think if we had swopped the two you can say what would or wouldn't have been won. Scholes was a much more intelligent player than Gerrard albeit not as dynamic but in Keane and Scholes they had a perfect balance that served them well. Also if United would have looked to replace anyone with Gerrard it would have been Keane as Ferguson said himself on many occassions.

[Jairzinho]

Very good player, but I think his style of play stands out in England more than it would elsewhere.

[Bjornebye]

He is a ginger scrotum.

[serenejim]

Paul Scholes is a brilliant player. Out of all the players they have had over the years I would take him in his prime over all of them. You're shooting at the wrong target here

[RedRazor]

Worked with a Palace supporter many years ago who had seen Scholes destroy them in a youth cup game a couple of years previously (may have been a final or semi). He said he was the best young player he had ever seen. This was at the start of his career not long after he had broken into the united first team. I've been watching him ever since and he has some very good parts to his game but his name should never appear in the same sentence as Gerrard.

I think his reputation has been significantly enhanced by the quality of some of the players he has had around him for the last twenty years. Definitely good - but not great in my book.

 

Same fella also wet his pants about Ashley Cole who was on loan at Palace before he made the breakthrough at Arsenal.

[No2]

He never dictated a game when he played centremid in the 90's.

 

You do know there have been 12 seasons since the 90's? He's no Zidane but he is 1 of the top 3 or 4 midfielders of the premier league era.

[The Guest]

Ask any United fan and they will tell you they haven't replaced him to this day. If he didn't dictate play in that team then I don't know who did. His passing and vision was sublime and he always found or made 2-3 yards for himself. Yes he scored goals but that was just one part of his game and to suggest he was just a player that picked up the pieces from assists from Giggs and Beckham is ridiculous. When Beckham went Scholes continued to be pure quality and when Ronaldo was struggling to find his feet Scholes was still pure class.

 

The reason he's a cunt is not because he can't tackle but that he goes after players with evil knee high challenges that can end careers but as Andy Gray will tell you that's just "the boy" being a "scamp".

 

I don't think if we had swopped the two you can say what would or wouldn't have been won. Scholes was a much more intelligent player than Gerrard albeit not as dynamic but in Keane and Scholes they had a perfect balance that served them well. Also if United would have looked to replace anyone with Gerrard it would have been Keane as Ferguson said himself on many occassions.

 

Intelligent in what way? Another massively overused phrase used to beat Gerrard with. Gerrard is tactically better than any of these players that he gets compared with. They all had another player to look after the other side of the game for them. Gerrard has got it all and used it all tactically better than anyone.

 

It's easy to throw phrases like that about. Why isn't Scholes tactically naive or stupid for not getting back or getting in the box? Why isn't Scholes stupid for diving into tackles he can't win? Just because Gerrard had a better engine than any of them doesn't instantly make him less intelligent. He still had to use it intelligently and he did.

 

They havent replaced him because he's still there and secondly they haven't needed to. It's why Ferguson focuses on signing wingers and forwards not centre mids. If he thought it was more important he would have signed a good centre mid 5/6 uears ago.

[Magic Sponge]

He's a little scamp.

[goatboy59]

"Ho ho"......

[FanchesterCity]

When you're part of a very good team, as he has been, you always lay yourself open to the accusation that the team 'flattered' you.

 

And it's fair to say, many players who left United didn't go on to set the world alight elsewhere (but to counter that, maybe that's why Fergie let them go?)

 

As far as I'm aware, he's held in the very highest regard by players who played against him - and for me, that's a true accolade.

 

When your peers think you're class - you probably are.

 

I could rant all day about why I think United players are over hyped, but I'd only be kidding myself. The facts are in black and white with their results.

 

There are fans in this world who believe Gerrard's not that great.

There are fans in this world who believe Chelsea were 'lucky'.

There are fans in this world who think Ronaldo's over hyped.

 

Deluded to a man. Deluded.

[JohnnyH]

The myth that he has been some great centre mid over the years is laughable.

 

 

This

 

 

 

is fucking stupid.

[The Guest]

When you're part of a very good team, as he has been, you always lay yourself open to the accusation that the team 'flattered' you.

 

And it's fair to say, many players who left United didn't go on to set the world alight elsewhere (but to counter that, maybe that's why Fergie let them go?)

 

As far as I'm aware, he's held in the very highest regard by players who played against him - and for me, that's a true accolade.

 

When your peers think you're class - you probably are.

 

I could rant all day about why I think United players are over hyped, but I'd only be kidding myself. The facts are in black and white with their results.

 

There are fans in this world who believe Gerrard's not that great.

There are fans in this world who believe Chelsea were 'lucky'.

There are fans in this world who think Ronaldo's over hyped.

 

Deluded to a man. Deluded.

 

They can't think he's that class if he's only been voted in the PFA team of the year twice in his whole 18 year career and has never been voted player of the year.

[The Guest]

This

 

 

 

is fucking stupid.

 

Okay maybe not laughable but it's still wrong.

[JohnnyH]

Okay maybe not laughable but it's still wrong.

 

It’s not. He was a superb footballer. He gets found out now against top opposition, but against the likes of a Bolton he’d still be the best on the pitch.

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

Apart from his tackling, he's been by far the best English midfielder the last decades. He plays a different sport at times.

 

The fact that he can do it now, when his legs are gone, tells us that having a bit of brains and vision never harmed any footballer.

 

PS! I hate him. Always did

Bollocks Gerrard has been the best English player never mind just the best English midfielder for the past decade.