9 thoughts on “Replacing Scholes – Don’t Expect Any Help From Home!

  1. Thanks a lot!

    Good to hear that you know someone at a top club who is also aware from this, I feel that the big teams need to lead the way with changes to our coahing with a top-to-bottom approachh.

    I should have something else on here in the next day or two touching again on why it may be increasingly difficult to produce another Paul Scholes. It’s a case of doubt it, but you never know!

  2. There’s nothing wrong with examining why our continental cousins seem to develop youth better than we do, it may bring a change for the best but ultimately the buck stops if there isn’t the raw talent in the first place. I knew Paul when he was a kid and he had raw talent, he was basically “good at football” this is something you just cannot teach, you either have it or you don’t!

  3. Really liked this, well written and I totally agree especially with the part discussing English players and flair.

    Got a pal who coaches for Spurs academy teams and he tells me the exact same thing but with the national team performing so badly and this being highlighted more than ever it may prompt a change.

    There will never be another Paul Scholes but the country owes it to itself to at least try and replicate one of if not the finest football player it has ever produced.

  4. @I think I’ve found you a genius. Thanks for your comments, great to hear from someone who knew Paul when he was a kid! As I said before, I should have something on here in the next day or two looking at this issue in more depth, i.e., how great players come to be. Look forward to your input then as well!

    @Arun: Agree on the Morrison point, from what I’ve heard he seems to be more of a Ronaldo (i.e. plays all across the front) than a playmaker sort. Yeah I’d really love Bastian at United, I think he’d give us so many options with regards to formation and tactics, but from what I’ve heard, the chances of us signing him are still pretty low. Damn shame.

  5. Liked the article and I have been saying the same for a while.
    The fact that England have NEVER replaced Scholes and every manager since he retired has tried to get him to change his mind emphasises the point!.
    The Schweinsteiger situation is one Utd HAVE to do something about i.e. GET HIM as he would give us a platform similar to Scholes but also a presence which we are badly lacking in that department.
    He has a great footballing brain in so far that he was converted to a CM from RM and can play in a defensive and attacking position through the middle while possessing a calm but strong mentality.
    Basically a Gerrard with brains!!!
    With regards to youngsters, alot will also depend on the club they are with in terms of protection from the media etc, as as soon as they have a different approach to others they are hailed as world class and then (and its not their fault) they take their eye of the ball, unlike say spanish players.
    However I do feel that there are good technically gifted youngsters coming through but how many of them will fulfill the potential who knows, and furthermore will that said ability be drummed out of them by the time they reach 1st team status.

  6. i like the looks of Josh McEachran and Jack Wilshere. There is a continental style about them, very Europeanized concept and if they are to be treated proper footballers in this country they can come good. Ravel Morrison is in different mould i think, brings a lot of versatility to the team attack with his pace and ability on the ball. but, as you said, any of them haven’t shown any signs of replacing Paul Scholes who i see as the best English midfield talent since Bob Charlton. In any other country he would’ve played in HIS position and the team would’ve built around HIM. There’s no point in discussing how badly England treated a talent of that magnitude like that abysmal fashion, i guess.
    Agree with the logic behind bringing Bastian to United. though he started playing football at the centre of midfield very late in his career, his adaptability to any position/role in CM is commendable. He did play as a regista, remained as the fulcrum of every attacking play and van Gaal used this as the main factor behind Bayern’s success last year. Though it has to be said that there were always players surrounding him to do the so called dirty work. for Germany he played an entirely different role, was asked to play as the deep lying play maker, to mark opposition players occasionally (v Messi Arg) and he did everything almost perfectly. There’s no reason he can’t be a success at United and if there’s any player capable of replacing Scholes to an extend in football world, Bastian is one of them (Xavi is not going anywhere and Pirlo’s past it). Definitely worth a punt in next summer. Fergie, sign him up!

  7. Thanks Calvo. Yeah it’s certainly an issue that people (such as yourself) have been talking about for a while, but good news is, as highlighted by Chudi above, with each mediocre England performance it gains more and more credibility and coverage. If everyone just read a book by Jonathan Wilson it would all be sorted! People think it goes back to the 6-3 demolition inflicted by Hungary in 1953. The rots been there even before then!

    Gerrard with brains, I like that. I also see Schweinsteiger as being like Carrick but with defensive ability (as mentioned by Arun, see the job he did on Messi in the World Cup).

    I agree, I don’t think the issue is technical anymore. I put the question to Gab Marcotti on his webchat on The Times, and he thinks, and many would agree, it’s more an issue of technical discipline and knowledge. When you’ve got Harry Redknapp coming out and saying “Tactics don’t matter that much”, it doesn’t help. Now I’m sure he knows 100 times more than me about football, but come on, tactics don’t matter? Tell that to Otto Rehhagel.

  8. Cheers Tom, I can agree that its down to technical discipline and knowledge.
    Which unsurprisingly english players lack.
    And it is equally surprising that a manager can come out and say that “tactics dont matter that much”, as they obviously do,look at Mourinho,Guardiola,Van Gaal,Hiddink,Fergie,even Bentinez (for gods sake!) all successful managers and all have had to rely on tactics that enabled them to not only compete but also win trophies (soo as much as i like arry-he is not as trophy-successful as them!!), so the evidence is that tactics ARE equally fundamental as ability and its up to everyone involved in english football to not only nuture talent and letting that talent blossom with freeness but to also harness the talent with technical awareness and discipline.
    P.S. as for the “I also see Schweinsteiger as being like Carrick but with defensive ability (as mentioned by Arun, see the job he did on Messi in the World Cup).”…i would also add that Bastian has a greater mentality and aura about him compared to Carrick and even a greater self belief which transpires from him throughout the whole team, hence why a player like messi was rather subdued compared to if it was Carrick!

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