Did we make things easy for Paul Scholes today?

[Shack Attack 0]

This is a genuine question as I did not see the game today. A couple of weeks ago I watched him run the show against Liverpool and was struck by just how much time they gave him on the ball. People were raving about his performance afterwards but Liverpool had made his job easy by sitting back and allowing him to pick a pass. I was just wondering whether we did similar today.

[Trent Canary 0]

Shack - While I cant say I focused on Scholes throughout the game, what you just described is exactly why he is so good. He seems to have this rare ability to find space, when others are ball-watching. And once he has the space he always seems to know where his team-mates are and can play a first-time pass without having to look twice.He does a lot of simple things very well. Things that arent measurable, but all contribute to a winning team.

[The Great Drinkell 50]

[quote user="Trent Canary"]Shack - While I cant say I focused on Scholes throughout the game, what you just described is exactly why he is so good. He seems to have this rare ability to find space, when others are ball-watching. And once he has the space he always seems to know where his team-mates are and can play a first-time pass without having to look twice.

He does a lot of simple things very well. Things that arent measurable, but all contribute to a winning team.
[/quote]

Exactly this - Football is a simple game when played well and this guy is exceptionally good at finding space normally in a very economical way. ie he moves 2 yards and ends up in 10 yards of space.

[Gingerpele 0]

I personally think, at times, it looks like the opposition are giving a player too much time or space, when the truth really is, that player is just so good at reading the game, finding the space, making himself available....

Fox does this, not as well as Scholes obviously, but players like him, who link up the play, find the space, play the simple ball fast and often. They don''t seem to get man marked, surely that would be the simple thing. Would Barca have been so good for the past 4 years if Xavi was just marked out of the game?

[Shack Attack 0]

I agree with a lot of what you all have said but I do wonder whether Scholes is that good now. He''s a wonderful passer of the ball and given space he can destroy you but he didn''t retire last year for the hell of it. We pressed Swansea so well in our last league game and I wonder whether we could have done the same to Scholes. Like I said I didn''t see the game so I''m just wondering what others thought.

[The Gruffalo 0]

[quote user="Shack Attack"]I agree with a lot of what you all have said but I do wonder whether Scholes is that good now. He''s a wonderful passer of the ball and given space he can destroy you but he didn''t retire last year for the hell of it. We pressed Swansea so well in our last league game and I wonder whether we could have done the same to Scholes. Like I said I didn''t see the game so I''m just wondering what others thought.[/quote]Very similar to the Swansea game in many ways for me today Shack.We played exceptionally well in both games when we played a high line and prevented the opposition from having time and space on the ball. When we didn''t do this we were punished for it in both matches. A lesson that the coaching staff should be learning and implementing more.

[nutty nigel 7,601]

A wonderful first touch which always gives him more time for the second one.

 

One of my favourite players of all time.

 

Didn''t bother watching him much today though. There were some huge performances in the Norwich team. And Holts goal was sheer class.

 

 

 

 

[Aggy 765]

I get the feeling Scholes'' retirement was more to do with his body or mental desire to continue rather than his ability to do so. As said above, he reads the game so well and doesn''t need to rely on pace. All the players who continue at top levels until well into their mid/late 30s have one thing in common - they have the first two yards in their heads to use a well worn cliche!

Maldini at 40 wasn''t quick, but he would read the game and pop up in the right place at the right time. Scholes is similar - he can make that space because of his mental attributes, not his physical ones. If he was aching for most of the week after games though, there''s a point where you would rather jack it in, that doesn''t mean he can''t do that job still.

[Shack Attack 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Didn''t bother watching him much today though. There were some huge performances in the Norwich team. And Holts goal was sheer class.

 

[/quote]Rather odd comment that Nutty You watch the game that gets played in front of you don''t you? There have been plenty of comments about Scholes (not just on here. Craig Fleming called him the best midfielder in England which I thought was way over the top) which prompted my original question. Holty''s goal was a peach.

[nutty nigel 7,601]

[quote user="Shack Attack"][quote user="nutty nigel"]

Didn''t bother watching him much today though. There were some huge performances in the Norwich team. And Holts goal was sheer class.

 

[/quote]

Rather odd comment that Nutty You watch the game that gets played in front of you don''t you? There have been plenty of comments about Scholes (not just on here. Craig Fleming called him the best midfielder in England which I thought was way over the top) which prompted my original question. Holty''s goal was a peach.
[/quote]

I am rather odd Shack.

 

Scholes first touch always takes the ball away from the opposition around him. It gives the appearance that Scholes has been given space when the reality is that he created that space himself.

 

I''d agree with Flem.

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="Shack Attack"]I agree with a lot of what you all have said but I do wonder whether Scholes is that good now. He''s a wonderful passer of the ball and given space he can destroy you but he didn''t retire last year for the hell of it. We pressed Swansea so well in our last league game and I wonder whether we could have done the same to Scholes. Like I said I didn''t see the game so I''m just wondering what others thought.
[/quote]

 

I''d thought the same thing prior to yesterday, but having watched him in the flesh I have to say that it''s more about him than the opposition. He''s constantly on the move and never passes and stands, which makes him very hard to pick up.

[Buncey 1]

Scholes is a great player but what will stick in the mind for me will always be his dirty cynical side. He really shouldn''t have been on the pitch beyond 30 minutes considering he racked his studs down the back of Holts legs and followed through on one of his "tackles" which ended up looking more like a stamp than an attempt to win the ball. Not to mention Nani kicking out at our players on more than one occasion. And how Evans was still on the pitch (it took him 5 fouls before he even received a card) is still beyond me.