Sep 17
SAF reckons this isn’t Scholsey’s last season; but should it?
It took a Paul Scholes header to get us past Besiktas the other day, in what was otherwise, a mind-numbingly stodgy match. Passes went astray, Rooney left isolated — frustrated, even — wingers failing to provide a cutting edge consistently; all in all, a classic away European performance from the runners-up.
United’s performances, despite their superior results in comparison to the last two seasons, have been schizophrenic, for want of a better word. But a relative constant, in all of Ferguson’s methodical(?) madness of rotation, has been Paul Scholes.
Scholes has actually been surprisingly good for all talk of his advancing years. However, ‘goodness’ is relative; I have lowered expectations from our old guard, and Scholes has performed above the bar I’ve set for him. [Had he been 29, I'd have different expectations of him.]
As I recovered from narcolepsy a good many hours following our win against Besiktas, I read Ferguson’s comments on his plans for Paul Scholes: “I don’t think this is Paul’s last season,” said Fergie. “What else has he got? He’s a football man.”
Scholsey would argue he’s a committed family man and he’d settle down nicely in a heartbeat if given the chance, but that is besides the point. [I love Scholes precisely for this reason; he's a throwback to a different era as a model professional.] Ferguson goes on to add, “He’ll miss more than he plays, but if I can get 25 games out of him at the level we saw against Spurs and Besiktas, we’ll be delighted with that. I don’t think this will be his last season, not the way he plays. He’s not the type that bursts into the penalty box these days, is he?”
For the sake of argument, 25 games at the level we saw against Spurs is acceptable, but at the level we saw at Besiktas is not. The obvious question would be to ask if he really should carry on in a United shirt.
But a more pertinent question, subtly different, gets lost in the process, which is, why should United be in a situation where they have to rely on a 34 year old midfielder or another 35 year old (Ryan Giggs) to make up the numbers?
Loyalty is a beautiful thing, especially when it’s a two-way street; we’ve all witnessed that with Ferguson’s soft corner for Giggs, Neville and Scholes. But it appears the players don’t seem to have a feel for calling it quits when they are obviously past it. [I'll make an exception on Ryan Giggs.] Neither does Ferguson realise it.
There is far too much respect for Scholes and Neville from both manager and fans alike — and deservedly so — that even if someone stood up, gathering all the respect they could muster, and tell Scholes and Neville to call it a day, that person would only face abuse.
Ferguson is known for making tough decisions. But on his favourite men from the golden generation, he’s dithered. Ferguson may think Scholes is good for another season, but I hope he’s just saying this publicly in a manner of traditional ‘manager-speak’.
Scholes and Neville are United legends without doubt, which is why I’d rather keep those good times in my mind than watch them over-extend themselves in their twilight years. Trust me — especially in the case of Neville — it’s not always a pleasant sight.
Note: In case you want tickets to the Man City game, don’t forget to take part in our competition in association with Betfair. Details here. Tonight (Thursday midnight GMT) is the latest you can enroll.
Related items from Red Rants:
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- Some Reading Material Ahead of Grand Slam Sunday
- Roundup: Recycled, Unsubstantiated Trash Dominate United News
- It’s Still All About Ronaldo, Love
- Brazilian’s United Debut and Other Stories
Tags: Manchester United News
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@NicoQB: Berba is being used and abused.
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@Grognard: Quasi’s body double AKA Bellamy should be available minus the golf club.
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@Grognard: Nah, we’ll play 4-4-2 on Sunday, with Evra and O’Shea staying at home (I hope) to protect against their fairly good breakaway offense.
I think without Robinho and Tevez and Adeboy it’s gonna be like playing a full fledged Everton of a couple years ago. Tricky to break down, and stubborn even if we get a goal of two up.
Throw in the derby factor and this could be a volatile confrontation, lots of cards, maybe a red or two (thankfully Scholes is already suspended) so Rooney and Vidic better watch their step.
I like the idea of playing Anderson and Fletch in the middle, with Nani and Park on the flanks. Obviously Rooney and the Berbs to attack with Owen getting his 15 minutes at the end on the game.
Predict 2-1 United.
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@Cyclops-Red: …and at 32m he deserves it.
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@Grognard: It’s amazing how a misfiring MF affects the whole team! You watch the workmanlike, unsophistication of a MF unit and you don’t see anything spectacular, but when playing as a tight unit they influence the style and ease in which you transition the ball to the nth degree.
As our MF has gone from one trial to another our viewing pleasure has become a trial unto itself. Stranded forwards with nowhere to go but toward the ball, and marooned center backs exposed by the errant pass in an excruciatingly slow build up!!
There has be a time when this ends and when we play that old style that SAF has made us so accustomed to, but when and how, and why wasn’t this addressed during the summer, has to be key questions for all United fans to ask right now!
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RR.
It’s an interesting point you raise because there are two fairly reasonable sides to the argument with Scholes/Giggs and to a lesser extent Neville.
You would imagine that the most effective way to motivate a squad of players is by making it clear that the individuals that performs the best during a game and during practice will be those selected for the team. It creates a healthy rivalry amongst the competing players and rewards performance over other issues.
In the case of Scholes and Giggs, you would have imagined that, by now, they would be ready for the knackers yard, and the youngsters you have lined up behind them, would excel in all areas but experience. However we have two Eveready bunnies here and there seems no end to their competitiveness and high level of performance, and so if the youngsters can’t push their way past, then so be it!!
That being said, what the heck are you doing with the development of your youngsters (and your future)??
It’s a tough call, because we play and win games in the moment. You would always select a team that has the best oppotunity to win the game. And at the moment the stubbornness of these players to hang it up, will contribute to our success at the moment!
But the future for of team and our youngsters is mired with questions that can only answered in the future!
Go figure, we’re in the midst of a season now, and I want to see victory in every game. A better time for this discussion is in the summer when the moment is the future!
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@Grognard: Well lets all save our phlegm from this point on.
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@Redrich: oooo i like that formation… hope we see ando and fletch mid pair i still want to give valincia a chance but park didnt look terrible last game when he came on… but we have to i mean have to get a good look at fletch and ando midfield.
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Fergie looking forward to extending Ginger ninja’s contract!..
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@Redrich: Its all about buying the right players to fill the holes mate. Right now we have a lot of pedestrian players in our first eleven and that just doesn’t cut it. Man Utd should have a world class player at every position or at least close to that. Why should we be any different than Barca or Madrid in that area?
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@Redrich: My tv screen is not going to be happy but fortunately I have the Windex ready too.
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@Grognard: If you have an LCD, I suggest a very large piece of plastic wrap placed across the entire screen.
In the meantime, fill the spittoons!!
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@Grognard: I hate to say it, but with our policy of not buying if it’s “not a good value”, we can hardly be put in that same category, can we??
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I agree Grognard. Roy Keane was the first to notice Ferguson’s tendency to tolerate mediocrity and it got him chucked out of the club. Our midfield has been our achilles heel for the last five years and nothing ever changes.
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Also I keep hearing these comments indicating David Silva would be open to a move. I say we sign him up!
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@Redrich: I’m drinking lots of fluids to built up a strong reserve of ammunition.
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@Redrich: We have passed on so many great players who were good value it’s almost laughable now to think of it. My goodness we could have cleaned up on just Real Madrid’s Dutchmen
alone and we would have been a much better team. Wesley Sneijder for one has fit in beautifully at Inter. How I would have preferred him to any of our current midfielders playing along with Fletcher and hopefully one day Hargo.
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@colver: And yet we have won all those trophies. It’s hard to make a case against a team and a manager when he does things wrong and still keeps winning. But this year I am certain that it’s all going to finally blow up in Fergie’s face as he has finally lost the security blanket he was carrying around so confidently for six years. Ronaldo is gone and gone too are our chances for serious trophies.
I think what really bothers me is that for two decades under Fergie we were the envy of the world in terms of our success and the way we played. Now I feel we are still respected but much more so for past accomplishments. I seriously wonder how many foreign stars look at our team and the way we rotate players and the tactics we use and they say to themselves, no way am I going there if they come knocking. Fergie is hurting us not just on the field but in our future attempts to attract big name stars.
Many might think I am overreacting but it is plain as day to me that after twenty years of watching this man manage and this team play a certain way, that things have changed drastically and I for one am not happy about those changes. My feeling has always been, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. If Fergie was truly concerned about the legacy and future of the team after he retires, he wouldn’t turn the the whole thing upside down and create chaos before he retired. All for one reason too. To guarantee his own legacy and to try to win one more European Cup by playing an unattractive but tried and true style of football that has been successful in the past but that has been scourge of football. And all I can say to him over that is SHAME ON HIM. The man has literally sold his soul for that one European glory as well as passing Liverpool in domestic titles. And yet, how he expects to accomplish this after losing Ronaldo and not spending a dime to replace him is beyond me?
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@colver: I have been reading those quotes to and I for one would be in heaven if we signed such a great player who possesses all the need skills that we have been missing in our midfield. Versatile, able to play on the left side or in the middle, he possess great instinct and vision and is a tremendous passer of the ball who has the skill to deliver long hard passes, through balls or finesse passes and lobs that break down defensive walls. He also scores goals and possess a great shot and the aggressiveness to enter the box and try to get on the end of something. Personally, I think he is exactly what the doctor ordered.
But instead of him, the stronger rumor that is circulating is Fergie’s desire to buy Luis Fabiano from Sevilla. Nothing against Fabiano as he has shown himself to be the real deal of late, especially with Brazil, but is Fabiano what we really need? I think not. Right now we have three outstanding forwards in Rooney, Berbatov and Owen and two of them are struggling for playing time. Add tot hat mix Macheda who will also need to be given some time to play in the future to encourage and promote his growth and confidence. Where in all that does a Fabiano fit in and why isn’t it obvious and as clear as day to Fergie that midfield is where our needs are? Millions of fans can not be wrong. There is a large group of supporters throughout the world who have bitched and complained very loudly over our inadequacies in midfield. But the Gaffer thinks we all have shit for brains. Sure in Fergie we should trust but is it also possible that he is dead wrong and we are right? It wouldn’t be the first time. Food for thought.
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