Time for Scholes to seek pastures new
Paul Scholes is a Manchester United legend, one of the greatest players to have played in the Premier League; but at 35 it may be time for him to call it a day. His recent performance against Fulham was atrocious; he was off the pace and was unable to make any impression in the final third of the pitch. His mistake led to Fulham’s first goal and as incredible as it is to say, he looked out of his depth at Craven Cottage.
Described by Zinedine Zidane as ‘the greatest player of his generation’, Scholes in his prime was an extraordinary player, an attacking midfielder the likes of which England may never see again. His range of passing combined with his clinical finishing made him a dangerous weapon against any side. As he has aged, Scholes has had to adapt his game drastically; he no longer makes late runs into the box and can be identified now as more of a deep-lying playmaker. His technique is still as good as ever as shown by his excellent volleyed goal against West Ham recently, but his legs have all but gone. He no longer has the pace and energy to dominate a midfield and no wonder, he is 35 years of age and all good things eventually come to an end. He is unfortunate in that he will be compared to Ryan Giggs who at 36, is still performing at a remarkably high level on a consistent basis.
Scholes has done well to keep his place in the team for such a prolonged period; his place in United’s history is secure. The player that was brought in as his successor is yet to make an impression; Anderson has not developed as quickly as the club would have hoped, but he is still young and there is time for him to grow into the role. United’s first choice central-midfield is now made up of Fletcher and Carrick (Hargreaves notwithstanding), and Scholes only plays in games where the management feel he can still make an impact. The performance against Fulham showed that these games are becoming increasingly rare. If he was at a smaller club, Scholes could still play a pivotal role, but at a club at the very top, challenging for 4 titles, it is difficult for him to stay relevant.
At a team lower down the league, Scholes could make a real impact, but his days at United seem numbered. He has been offered an extension to his contract but has yet to sign it. He should think carefully about whether he wants to, he has already made it clear that he would like to feature more but this is unlikely if he repeats the level of performance shown against Fulham. It is almost unimaginable to see Scholes playing for another club, so perhaps he should call time on his career; if he attempts to cling on to his place in the United team it could damage his legacy; his past achievements deserve more than to be remembered as a fading star.
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It is vital that united buy a central defender. The partnership of carrick and fletch in central midfield looked excellent, as usual michael carrick has found top gear on time for the second half of the season, and fletch is solid throughout. Fergie need cover at centre half to ensure our main midfield men dont have to cover at the back. While they were playing in defence, our midfield got walked over in every game. Having these two pulling strings in midfield for as many of the remaining games as possible will be vital to our push for trophies.
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I think you are mistaken. Scholes certainly had a stinker against Fulham, but how many United players covered themselves in glory that day. The thing with Schole is that every time he has a bad game, people are quick to jump on his case, and say that he is too old. Whilst when he produces a master class of a performance, i.e. against Stoke, at Stoke, earlier this season, everyone was quick to praise his longevity. Scholes should not retire now. He has more to give to United. His passing is still un-rivaled in the league and perhaps world. And to compare scholes to giggs is ridiculous. Giggs had a stinker a few days ago and no one talked about putting him into retirement. There is a double-standard about how they are both treated in the media and how their performances are analyzed. Although this does not correlate to the above point, Giggs is giving the license to roam free and make use of his creative juices, but scholes has evolved as you said, but failed to mention, into a Pirlo sort of player, ticking the game away, pass by pass.
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that was fletch’s mistake and carrick also held back. scholes is still the greatest player ever seen. i think luka modric may be his suitable replacement
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