Paul Scholes Appreciation Thread

NTMK

Its going to be so weird without him I dont even remember him not being a part of the team. I dont know what its goin to be like when giggs and fergie retire:(

True Legend and Perfect Professional

SlickRic

eagle eye wrote: »

It shocks and disappoints me when I hear people rave about Scholes as almost Roy Keane's level and rating him above Brian Robson in particular is really annoying. All I can guess is that these people were not around at that time and haven't a clue what they are talking about.

so pretty much the entire football world, and most people of any worth in the last decade or more...their opinions are wrong, and yours is right?

give over.

Ferguson himself calls him the best player he has.

and if the likes (and i can get quotes from all these people) of Charlton, Barca's 'carousel', Lippi, Capello, Giggs, Vieira, Keane (who wouldn't give out praise lightly), Socrates, Davids, Henry, Guardiola, Nedved, Shearer, Fabregas, Veron himself ffs, Schmeichel, Geroge Best...dole out the highest of praise ranging from...

'best in England', to 'best in Europe', to 'best player for 30 years', to 'the player i aspire to', i think it's safe to say, that while everyone's entitled to their opinion, you might be wrong on this one.

even the likes of Hoddle, Wilkins and such, who you would hold in higher regard, called him a footballer of which there was nobody else of his ilk in the world.

hyperbole annoys me at the best of times, but he really was the complete footballer, and the best England has had in midfield for a long, long time.

no question.

daveyboy_1ie

Well the day I have been dreading for the last few years finally arrives. No offence to the rest of the 'Fergies fledglings' (a term I always hated) but the only one I ever thought irreplacable was Scholes.

Thanks for the memories Paul, you will always be my hero and the way footballers should be. Best of luck in the coaching role at OT next season and if anyone can even learn 10% of your football know how they will be far better players for it. They don't make them like you anymore

Johnny Utah

eagle eye wrote: »

Yeah, well he signed Veron to play in midfield beside Keane because he obviously didn't think that Scholes and/or Butt were good enough.

Basically he was the same level of player as Nicky Butt for most of his career and then when Keane he just improved enormously imo.

Thats five years where I have him as real classy but that puts him behind Gerrard, Lampard and Ince who were at a higher level than him for a longer period.

Fact is United have had a lot of great players in the Premier League era but some are overrated and the two that are most overrated for me are Paul Scholes(a very good midfielder) and Gary Neville(an decent full back).

It shocks and disappoints me when I hear people rave about Scholes as almost Roy Keane's level and rating him above Brian Robson in particular is really annoying. All I can guess is that these people were not around at that time and haven't a clue what they are talking about.

This man talks a lot of sense.

redzerdrog

think scholes has made the right decision at the right time would love to see him remain in football in some capacity

While scholes was a an excellent player i feel some people are going a little overbord in their praise. He was an excellent footballer and am sure a legend to utd fans but imo he was just the level behind being truely world class

Pepe LeFrits

So Scholes has finally retired? I'll pay him a compliment with one word.

Hurrah!

everdead.ie

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

So Scholes has finally retired? I'll pay him a compliment with one word.

Hurrah!

I just wish he'd take Fergie and Giggs with him :P

recyclebin

LEGENDARY. That is all.

Bodhisopha

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Cute story but bullsh1t. I'm not saying they don't have huge respect for him, they clearly do.

It's not. It's been confirmed by numerous journalists (including Gabriele Marcotti) and and was posted by a number of Barca Twitter news feeds. But I'm sure you are a far more reliable source.


Added to that Piqué just tweeted about him basically saying he's one of the best players he's ever seen and that training and playing with him was a pleasure.


Personally I've seen a lot of great players playing live in my lifetime. I saw Zidane in his prime in 2000 at Juventus (as well as del piero, Davids, Inzaghi and others), I've seen Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Eto'o, Deco. I've seen Sneijder, Stankovic, Giggs, Keane, van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo. And Paul Scholes impressed me as much as any of them, and more than most of them. I was there in 08 against Barca when he scored in the semi final. Amazing strike. Earlier this season at the Newcastle game he ran the show and his assist for Giggs was ridiculous. You need to really see these guys orchestrate a game live and in person, the range of passing, the way they keep it simple, the way he'd be looking up long before receiving the ball so that he didn't need time on it when he got it. The pinpoint accuracy and deftly weighted touches. The technique to execute those volleys.

He had a darker side, but today isn't the day to focus on that. Lest we forget that Maradona, Zidane and co, also had dark sides.

His pass to Ian Wright in Italy followed a few minutes later by a left footed belter to make it 2 nil showed his potential in an England shirt but putting him on the left to play Lampard and Gerrard, 2 super players, but neither of whom can operate in a 2 man midfield, was Englands greatest loss of the last 10-15 years. They should have built their team around him. And its part of the reason why he is so under appreciated. Someone asked what has he done in an England shirt... the answer is be shafted and moved out of position to accomodate players who were nowhere near as good in that position and system. (BTW don't get me wrong, when Lampard and Gerrad retire I will say they were 2 of the best advanced midfielders I've seen, but those 2 are both better roaming ahead of a solid 2 man midfield.)

Legend is a word that is often overused, especially in football, but people forget because Ryan Giggs has been such a freak of nature, that Shcoles himself has 10 league titles, 2 Champions Leagues and 3 FA Cups to his name. Incredible. Even if he missed the 99 final, he was a huge player in that campaign and all you have to do to see how stunning the partnership with Keane was, is compare the 2 group games that year with Bayern, to the final. Totally different games.


Thanks for the memories Scholesy. It was a pleasure to watch. Legend.

Pepe LeFrits

everdead.ie wrote: »

I just wish he'd take Fergie and Giggs with him :P

I'll toast the day Giggs decides he's had his fill of trophy collecting, but I just can't see United without Ferguson. It's like trying to imagine night not following day.

adox

Its a sad day but one we knew was coming. Theres not much more to be said than has been said already. I`m old enough to have seen him throughout his whole career and am in no doubt that he was a world class player and the most complete midfielder to play in England in the last 20 years.

Of course I`m a Utd fan and im trying to be as unbiased as I can but I do really rate him that highly.

Credit also to the opposing fans on this thread(bar two usual suspects) who have been glowing in their praise of a great player. For all the bs that goes on on the various threads, its great to see that so many people can be so gracious and unbiased when the real occassion for it arises.

Max Powers

I wouldnt be what one would call a United fan (Liverpool sympathiser) but I always admired him, excellent vision, passing and honesty. Added to that, he was a footballers footballer, done the business on the pitch, only appearing in the back pages, not on the front pages for sleeping with some page 3 one or falling out of a nightclub. Only negative was, poor tackler

RobFowl

Liverpool fan but always liked him. Gave it 100 % all the time and I think he made the right call to go before the rot sets in.
Good luck to him in the coaching career.

Peyton Manning

Good gravy, I'd pay good money to watch a sitcom based upon the musings of eagle eye. The bigging up of mediocrity, the constant observations of common opinion just so you can go against it and thus look cool, underground and indie. It's all a bit Alan Partridge-esque "Who are Wings" "They're only the band The Beatles could have been!"

Some more Tweets on him today:

Nasri: Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring great player world class player the english zizou

Jack Wilshire: Sad to hear Paul Scholes is retiring. What a player! Top class and a great rolemodel for any young #English midfield player!


Also, he's the most decorated Englishman in club football history, with 24 major honours. Much like all of the other records he's set, and quite like the way some didn't see what made him awesome, that was very much achieved under the radar. Fitting really.

Boskowski

SlickRic wrote: »

the fact half the football world talk about how great he is, and the fact the Barca players have confessed their admiration for him, it all adds up to him being rightly placed as one of the very best of his, and any, generation.

I'd be very careful to base ones appreciation on quotes from other players. Players are like politicians these days, they say what the local media wants to hear.

If asked by German media they will tell you that Beckenbauer and Schuster were the greatest ever, if asked by British media they will tell you the same about Best & Gascoigne.

I mean why is this argument brought up all the time? "Barca players have said so he must be great"? Have you guys no eyes to see and brains to think yourselves?
Show me what he's done to be up there with the all-time legends, don't tell me who said he's great.

And by the way please don't take this the wrong way. He IS a great midfielder. And he was for many years an integral part of a great side. And I can appreciate that. And I can appreciate that United fans love him for that. But he's no fkn Pele, don't get carried away.

He is a bit like what Matthaeus or Effenberg were for Bayern. I can appreciate them and I can appreciate they were big, big stars. That doesn't mean I have to make a case they're up there with the greatest of all times. Because they're fkn not. And neither is Scholes.

It just seems that people get romantic notions when their longstanding clubstars retire.

Necronomicon

As a 24-year old there are plenty of legendary players whom I have nothing but articles and the odd video to reference. But Scholes is one of those players I'll be telling the kids I saw in the flesh at his peak, and it'll feel damn good. A little sad that it's happening with more and more players that people my age would have grown up revering, but that's an aside. It's hard to quantify the amount of respect I have for Scholesy and I'm delighted he's staying at United in a coaching capacity.

SlickRic

Boskowski wrote: »

I'd be very careful to base ones appreciation on quotes from other players. Players are like politicians these days, they say what the local media wants to hear.

I mean why is this argument brought up all the time? "Barca players have said so he must be great"? Have you guys no eyes to see and brains to think yourselves?

Show me what he's done to be up there with the all-time legends, don't tell me who said he's great.

1. i'm quoting people to back up my own opinion. it's generally what's done in a debate. it's plain to see how great he was, and i've described in detail in my first post in this thread what i saw with my own eyes. other players' opinions are just put in to back up that claim.

2. "What has he done?"

well, he's won everything there is to win in England and Europe, and it's only at international level where he never got the recognition he really deserved because for much of it he was out wide, and he retired at 29.

i never claimed he was Maradona or Pelé or the like. but he's the best English midfielder of his generation.

now that you mention it, Lothar Matthaus is actually an excellent comparison in terms of his stature and the regard he should maybe be held in.

Boskowski

Boskowski wrote: »

Show me what he's done to be up there with the all-time legends, don't tell me who said he's great.

He's the most tactically aware player England have had in my lifetime. He's been an integral part of 10 league winning teams and is the most decorated English player ever.

He adapted his game to his age to keep him performing at the top level as age got the better of him.

In his prime he almost had a copyright of getting goals from making late runs into the box.

He could see and execute passes that 99% of other players could not. His technique was flawless, seen by his volleyed goals. He was intelligent enough to know when to pass short when to try a killer pass and when to shoot. And he was seldom wrong.

I never base my assertions of how good he was on what other players have said. I reference them as it's cool to see fellow professionals acknowledge him, but plain and simple, I use my own observations when assessing him.

You don't last the length of time he has at the top level unless you're fckin special. He was never a peripheral player until the late part of this season. Not once.

Le King

Boskowski wrote: »

I'd be very careful to base ones appreciation on quotes from other players. Players are like politicians these days, they say what the local media wants to hear.

Who cares? You still don't hear the likes of Xavi say what a player Carrick is etc. They identified Scholes as someone they looked up to. Also a lot of those quotes are directly from the Spanish Media.

Boskowski wrote:

If asked by German media they will tell you that Beckenbauer and Schuster were the greatest ever, if asked by British media they will tell you the same about Best & Gascoigne.

Fails to see the point here...

Boskowski wrote:

I mean why is this argument brought up all the time? "Barca players have said so he must be great"? Have you guys no eyes to see and brains to think yourselves?
Show me what he's done to be up there with the all-time legends, don't tell me who said he's great.

He's been a fabulous player. I don't care that you don't rate him a "legend". What is really annoying is the likes of you throwing around comments as if he was your average CM. Ignorant rubbish like this:

Boskowski wrote: »

he is not thjat fkn good or ever has been.
Or is there something I fail to see?

Boskowski wrote:

And by the way please don't take this the wrong way. He IS a great midfielder. And he was for many years an integral part of a great side. And I can appreciate that. And I can appreciate that United fans love him for that. But he's no fkn Pele, don't get carried away.

Obviously people are going to take it the wrong way. If you have nothing decent to say GTFO IMO. It's an appreciation thread and you come in asking us how is he that good? etc. Go watch the mans career. You clearly haven't watched him at all. If your able to question a player of Paul Scholes' quality then you're either 10 years old or just haven't seen him, yet you come in here with your 'informed' opinion. Why not come in and say 'he was a good player?' No you couldn't do that. You'd have to spout shíte...

K-9

SlickRic wrote: »

now that you mention it, Lothar Matthaus is actually an excellent comparison in terms of his stature and the regard he should maybe be held in.

Yeah, I'd say Matthaus was better and would be very close to my World XI from the last 30 years or so but Scholes wouldn't be far behind him.

Not many Maradonas or Pele's about!

parker kent

Boskowski wrote: »

But he's no fkn Pele, don't get carried away.

Who exactly is saying he was a Pele? People are just saying he was a great player. Just because he was not the greatest footballer ever does not mean people cannot toast his career.

peterswellman

Micah Richards : "He's always in the right position, always seems to be at the end of the box when the ball drops in. The complete midfielder - when he's fit, he's the best. Some go missing but he's in the right place at the right time. He's my favourite player of all-time, unbelievable. If you give him a chance it's a goal, isn't it?"

Glenn Hoddle : "There isn’t a player of his mould anywhere else in the world."

Terry Venables : "He’s the best one- or two-touch passer in the country. He sees the game unlike any other player."

Alan Shearer : "If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. He can tackle, and his passing and shooting is of the highest level. He’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time."

Eidur Gudjohnsen : "I'm more an admirer of Paul Scholes than I am of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is a fantastic player, but he has 10 other great players around him every week...Scholes is one of the most complete footballers I've ever seen. His one-touch play is phenomenal. Whenever I have played against him, I never felt I could get close to him."

Edgar Davids : ""Every one of us (midfielders) is just trying to become as good as him. Everyone can learn from Paul Scholes."

Edgar Davids : "I'm not the best, Paul Scholes is."

Tony Adams : "I really rate Paul Scholes, because he hasn't got the high profile of many of the Manchester United players, he doesn't get too much attention, but he is one very good player. He is an intelligent player, he works hard and he scores some great goals. He is not flamboyant and is a quiet lad off the pitch but he is a tremendous asset to Manchester United and to England. He has already got my vote as player of the year."

Cesc Fabregas : "He is the one whose level I aspire to. He is the best player in the Premier League."

Patrick Vieira : "The player in the Premiership I admire most? Easy - Scholes."

Thierry Henry : "I can't understand why Scholes has never won the player of the year award. He should have won it long ago. Maybe it's because he doesn't seek the limelight like some of the other 'stars'."

Zinedine Zidane : "My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder."

Zinedine Zidane : "Scholes is undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation."

Sam Allardyce : "There is not a better midfield player in the world."

Kevin Keegan : "What United have got that Chelsea haven't is Paul Scholes. I think he is different to anything else in English football."

Marcello Lippi : "Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team - that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. Scholes is a player I have always liked, because he combines great talent and technical ability with mobility, determination and a superb shot. He is an all-round midfielder who possesses character and quality in abundance. In my opinion, he's been one of the most important players for United under Sir Alex."

Ray Wilkins : "I'm saddened because I think we as spectators, not only in this country but right through out Europe and the rest of the World, will be missing one hell of a footballer."

Gordon Strachan : "Paul Scholes has been the best England midfield player for 30-odd years. You'd probably have to go back to Bobby Charlton to find someone who could do as much as Scholes. When the ball arrives at his feet he could tell you where every player on that pitch is at that moment. His awareness is superb."

Veron while at Chelsea being asked in an interview who's the best english player : "Paul Scholes."

Peter Schmeichel : "People say he is a great player, but you have to define what a great player is, For me, it is a player who has a bottom level that means his worst performance is not noticed.If he is having a bad game, a team-mate might feel Paul Scholes is not quite on his game, but a spectator wouldn't notice. Scholes, of all the players I have played with, has the highest bottom level. His reading of the game is unsurpassed.He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen."

Peter Schmeichel : "Still the best player in that United midfield."

Laurent Blanc : "Scholes is the best English player. Intelligence, technique, strength... all the attributes are there. At Manchester United I saw what he could do on the training field. Phew!"

Michael Carrick : "Paul Scholes is just fantastic. When you play alongside him, you realise what a special talent he is."

Michael Carrick : "He is a legend and he's going to be remembered for a long time. Just to play alongside him and learn from him has been an absolute pleasure. I think he is a footballer's footballer; he has been at this level for so long. As long as he is part of us we always feel we have a chance. We appreciate the way he goes about his business. I have never met a character like Scholesy; certainly not someone who is that good."

Park Ji Sung when asked by the club’s official home page which United player he would like to see in the red shirt of the Taeguk Warriors : “It has to be Paul Scholes.”

David Beckham said that, among his teammates at Real Madrid, which included Zinedine Zidane, Raúl, Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Roberto Carlos, Scholes was the most admired opponent : "He's always one of those people others talk about. Even playing at Real Madrid, the players always say to me 'what's he like'? They respect him as a footballer, and to have that respect from some of those players is great."

Brian Kidd : "Paul Scholes had the best football brain I'd ever seen in a kid. Let's face it. Paul Scholes is in a class of its own."

Rio Ferdinand : "I can honestly say Paul is the best player in the England squad. For me he is the complete player."

Rio Ferdinand : "For me, it's Paul Scholes. He'll do ridiculous things in training like say, "You see that tree over there?" - it'll be 40 yards away - "I'm going to hit it". And he'll do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best."

Phil Neville : "Paul, for me, is the best player in the England team. It worries teams. Speak to any other international team and they will single Paul out as England's key player. For me, he doesn't get the full credit that he deserves. He is a world-class player and deserves to be up there with the likes of Zidane and Figo."

Gary Neville : "I wouldn't swap Paul Scholes for anybody. He is quite simply the most complete footballer I have ever played with. He is the best."

Gary Neville : "Paul Scholes is the best player I've ever played with. There's talent in every part of his game."

Steve Bruce : "He's the best player in Britain in my opinion and he has to get himself fit just before we are due to play at Old Trafford. I cannot pay Paul a bigger compliment than to say that he's the most complete footballer in the country. The best bar none."

Roy Keane : "An amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being."

George Best : "To be honest I think England have lost their best player. Certainly he's the most consistent and naturally gifted player we've had for a long, long time."

Sir Bobby Charlton : "I am sorry for England because they don't have any player like him. You can talk about others but there is no one else like him. He is the best technical player England has without any question. He could have had a lot more caps if he had carried on. And if I was the manager he would have ended up with more than I did – easy"

Sir Bobby Charlton : "He’s always so in control and pinpoint accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch."

Sir Bobby Charlton : "Paul Scholes is my favourite player. He epitomises the spirit of Manchester United and everything that is good about football."

Sir Alex Ferguson : "Very few players can do that, but Scholes is one of them - and I knew he was one of them. That's why, without question, I think Paul Scholes is the best player in England. He's got the best skills, the best brain. No one can match him."

Sir Alex Ferguson : "He has an awareness of what’s happening around him on the edge of the box which is better than most players. As a kid he always had a knack of arriving in the penalty area just at the right time, but he’s proving just as effective from outside the box because he’s using his experience in the right way. It doesn’t matter who I am thinking about bringing into my midfield, Paul Scholes will be included, as he would in any side in the world."

Sir Alex Ferguson : Sir Alex Ferguson gave evidence in court on behalf of one of his former trainees and listened to the prosecution barrister's list of United's top players.

"You've missed Paul Scholes - and he's my best player," Ferguson chided her.

Ginger genius. One of the most gifted players to grace the game imo. His passing range was immense. His vision, his once touch football. The man was sensational. I'm devasted that he's retiring but it had to come sometime. He'll never be forgotten and has given me some of the happiest moments ever. Irreplacable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQXrMbArqSs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix92AUoPbJk

flahavaj

So its official.

Delighted he's staying put at the club, what an honour for our young players to be coached by a man of his calibre and what an example for them to lead their off-pitch lives by.

The best thing I can say about Scholes is he was always one of those players that would do the right thing on the ball, no matter what the occasion, no matter what the opposition. You could trust him not matter what, to pick the right pass, or set the tempo of the game or to stick the ball away under pressure. Those kind of qualities only come round once in a lifetime. He will be sorely missed. Irrepleceable.

My first memory of him is this awkward looking ginger kid coming on late on vs Barca at Old Trafford back in 1993/4 and nealry winning the game with a cheeky chip over the keeper's head. How fitting that he ended his career vs the same team, with that very keeper's son playing in midfield for Barca and with the praise of the very best players in the world such as Xavi and Iniesta ringing in his ears.

Ush1

Ken Earlys take:

kenearlys Ken Early



scholes retires. really, rooney retired him in 2004. he was a great goalscoring midfielder but a bit short as a general/playmaker

I think people are seriously misusing the term "complete midfielder". I don't think he was that at all.

Great player all the same.

flahavaj

Roney retired him in 2004? What a loada boll*x tbh. Ken Earley's "opinions" are suspect at the best of times, but he's really outdoing himself here. I guess its his job to get people talking.

The_Kew_Tour

Who does Ken Early support?

SlickRic

the only thing he couldn't really do was tackle with the best of them.

he could do anything else you want in a midfield player, at a high standard - that's pretty complete.

name me one other thing he couldn't do that you'd expect from a midfield player, and i'll retract every good thing i've said about him.

peterswellman

Who the hell is Ken Early? He clears knows better than those who have been in direct competition with him? Xavi? Zidane? Ken Early knows best.:rolleyes:

flahavaj

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Who does Ken Early support?

I bet he supports Arsenal.

Ush1

SlickRic wrote: »

the only thing he couldn't really do was tackle with the best of them.

he could do anything else you want in a midfield player, at a high standard - that's pretty complete.

name me one other thing he couldn't do that you'd expect from a midfield player, and i'll retract every good thing i've said about him.

Pretty big part of what a true "complete" midfielder does though isn't it?

I could call Makalele a complete midfielder that just couldn't score. I could call Ivan De La Pena a complete midfielder who just didn't make enough late runs. Etc etc...

Ush1

flahavaj wrote: »

I bet he supports Arsenal.

He definitely doesn't.

Cianan2

Sad day. I love Scholes, he has been playing football for as long as I've been watching so it will be strange next season not seeing him play. I remember being in Old Trafford a few years ago when he came on as a late substitute after being out for months injured, the atmosphere was amazing and he received a well and truly deserved standing ovation from everyone in the ground, even the away fans. I'm a Spurs fan, but I'm almost certain that the match wasn't against Spurs (can't remember for the life of me who it was against!)

Great career, pity it ended with a defeat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie-x0DZwoiE

JP Liz V1

Legend!

flahavaj

Ush1 wrote: »

He definitely doesn't.

He seems the type.:pac:

v3ttel

Cianan2 wrote: »

Sad day. I love Scholes, he has been playing football for as long as I've been watching so it will be strange next season not seeing him play. I remember being in Old Trafford a few years ago when he came on as a late substitute after being out for months injured, the atmosphere was amazing and he received a well and truly deserved standing ovation from everyone in the ground, even the away fans. I'm a Spurs fan, but I'm almost certain that the match wasn't against Spurs (can't remember for the life of me who it was against!)

Great career, pity it ended with a defeat.

When he was out for months with that eye problem?

Charlton at Old Trafford on the last day of the season, I believe. I think he came on at half time to a standing ovation.

Suitably controlled the game as if he was never away.

SlickRic

Ush1 wrote: »

Pretty big part of what a true "complete" midfielder does though isn't it?

I could call Makalele a complete midfielder that just couldn't score. I could call Ivan De La Pena a complete midfielder who just didn't make enough late runs. Etc etc...

so pretty much nobody in the history of football can do absolutely everything to the height of excellence.

there's always something in any midfield player we could nit-pick to say they're not absolutely 'complete'.

jonnyfingers

Of all the players that have left Man United over the years Paul Scholes is the one I'll miss the most.

I remember getting the Man United magazine every month in the early 90s and reading the youth team reports. Scholes was always mentioned, two goals here, a hattrick there. All the coaches and even the manager raving about this young player. Then he came into the first team as this tiny little ginger striker, and he started scoring. He looked good, he had that knack of always being in the right place at the right time.

In his second season he nearly had a 50% goals to games record and proved to be a great addition to the team.

I remember him always being consistent. He steadily moved from playing as a striker to a midfielder and I started to see how good his movement, passing and ball control was. He was so good at holding the ball. Plus he could bang goals in from outside the box which was always a joy to watch.

As he got older the runs into the box became less frequent but his passing and ball possession became a key part of United's play. In fact even this year as a 36 year old he ran a few games from midfield, and some of his passing was breathtaking.

Of course the one aspect of his game he never quite got the hang of was tackling! But he was such and honest player on the pitch, as well as genuine and quiet off the pitch, nobody ever held it against him.

But he will surely be remembered for his goals, beautiful passing and seemingly endless time on the ball.

It says a lot that he's retiring after a long and succesfull career while arguably still good enough for a spot in midfield with any premier league team.

It would be a dream to see United play Barcelona for his testimonial with Scholes playing a half in the Barca team. I think he'd fit right in with Xavi, Iniesta and Messi.

The_Kew_Tour

Ush1 wrote: »

Pretty big part of what a true "complete" midfielder does though isn't it?

I could call Makalele a complete midfielder that just couldn't score. I could call Ivan De La Pena a complete midfielder who just didn't make enough late runs. Etc etc...

Ah OK so Niall Quinn was a complete player cause he could play in goals then ya?

Ush1

SlickRic wrote: »

so pretty much nobody in the history of football can do absolutely everything to the height of excellence.

there's always something in any midfield player we could nit-pick to say they're not absolutely 'complete'.

Nope, that's a straw man.

IMO Scholes was an average tackler at best. Roy Keane for me would be a better representation of a complete midfielder.

While obviously Scholes did certain things better, Keane could do everything to a very high standard. Nothing to do with who was the better player, but everything to do with who was the more complete player.

jester77

Legend of a player and one of the best midfielders to have played in my era. Although he was a sh*t tackler

Ush1

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Ah OK so Niall Quinn was a complete player cause he could play in goals then ya?

Sorry? I'm afraid Niall Quinn didn't play in midfield to the best of my knowledge?

The_Kew_Tour

Ush1 wrote: »

Sorry? I'm afraid Niall Quinn didn't play in midfield to the best of my knowledge?

John O Shea?

peterswellman

After the final whistle on Saturday, Xavi, Messi, Pedro, Iniesta and Busquets all wanted to swap shirts with Scholes, so they drew straws and Iniesta won and got to swap with him. There is a lot of talk about him retiring so they were feeling like it could be the last time they play against him.

Also, the same story says that Busquets had hung on to the match ball and gave it to Scholes. For players like the 5 mentioned, and the esteem people hold them in, to take time out of their celebrations says a lot. It shows the class and humility of the Barca players for starters. But it also says a lot about the esteem that Scholes is held in amongst his peers and those who have played against him.

Xavi's quote earlier this year backs that up too:

"A role model. For me, and I really mean this, he's the best central midfielder I've seen in the last 15, 20 years. He's spectacular, he has it all, the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision. If he'd been Spanish he might have been rated more highly. Players love him."

Ush1

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

John O Shea?

Not really a midfielder and:

Keane could do everything to a very high standard

Paul Tergat

Some of the stuff in here is just embarrassing.

Scholesy you are a legend. Thanks for all the good times!

peterswellman

Ush1 wrote: »

Not really a midfielder and:

Keane couldn't pick a forty yard pass to a players feet 9 times out of 10 like Scholes could. They complemented each other extrememly well and were a great combination.

So what if some of his tackling was erractic? He made up for it with his control of the game tempo. His inability to tackle was more than compensated by his ability to pick a pass.

Ush1

peterswellman wrote: »

Keane couldn't pick a forty yard pass to a players feet 9 times out of 10 like Scholes could. They complemented each other extrememly well and were a great combination.

So what if some of his tackling was erractic? He made up for it with his control of the game tempo. His inability to tackle was more than compensated by his ability to pick a pass.

Yeah, not the argument though is it. The argument is being a complete midfielder.

eagle eye

Le King wrote: »

Who cares? You still don't hear the likes of Xavi say what a player Carrick is etc. They identified Scholes as someone they looked up to. Also a lot of those quotes are directly from the Spanish Media.

Actually you do and he did. He was all about Carrick before the 2009 final.

peterswellman

Ush1 wrote: »

Yeah, not the argument though is it. The argument is being a complete midfielder.

Pedantic bollix if you ask me.

Class act and one of the best of his generation, trophy cabinet packed to the rafters nothing else matters.

I'm pretty sure, us United fans don't really care if some people don't think he's a 'complete' midfielder because if he was complete i'd never get to see him clatter numerous opposition players in a way i've always wanted to do.

Red legend.