[Keanos Magic Hat]

What role do people think Scholesy should play this year?

I know in the big games at Anfield and the Bridge he didnt perform to his best, at times the pace of these game was perhaps too quick.

However, his twenty minute cameo yesterday he showed exactly what he brings to the team. The simplicity of his passing, ability to switch play and control the game were a joy to watch. I know his team mates and many opposition players rave about him.

It ill be interesting to see how many and which games he is selected for this season.

 

[Rooneys_Temper]

I think he should be a last 20 mins super sub,he help changed the game against Bolton.I think his downside is after an hour or so he gets tired and starts chasing dead balls and getting booked.So get him revved up on the bench and use him as sub.He may have lost a touch of pace,but when u can pass a ball over 60 yards inch perfect,you dont have to run much!

 

[Jazz 16]

Good shout. I think you hit the nail on the head when you talked about the
fast paced games. When he is up against an aggressive, packed, quality midfield
he may struggle a bit more.
Due to his age and the amount of other great midfielders we have, I feel he will
play less than he normally would have.

Personally, I think Scholes should play every second game, cos he seems to
be quality every second game lol. The rest seems to do him good so missing
one game in 2 would mean he would be fresher and fitter.

Bringing him off the bench is also a great option as we saw yesterday.
Especially against a tiring team, he can control the entire tempo of the game
all on his own. Only playing 20/30 mins also means he could get forward like
he used to. We saw this against Bolton as well, where he got into some
good goalscoring positions.

I love Scholes and know he still has a lot to offer. Lets hope he can keep up his
impeccibly high standards for a good while to come yet.

 

[Keano!]

I was amazed at how he bossed the game yesterday after comming off the bench.

If only he lifted the shot an extra foot or two, he would have scored a brilliant
goal, and then the header!


He's a model pro, and long may his sucess continue. Doubt he'll play on Tuesday
considering the opposition and the other players available now...

 

[United_OG]

im right in the middle in the scholes debate i wouldnt know where to begin or what to choose to be honest but im a huge scholes fan but i also understand there are players who could lay a claim for the midfield position too..

right on the fence...

pz

 

[sweet fa]

sparingly and bring him on in the final 25 mins then utd will benifit from his vast experience and its harder to get 2 bookings in 25 mins. seriously he hasn't got the legs to dominate the midfield anymore so have the younger guys to get us the goals then scholsey can shine when the opponents are tired and beaten.

 

[Stephen]

I think he'll play Tuesday.

If he weren't I reckon he would of started Saturday?

 

[PrinceZane]

I think he should be a last 20 mins super sub,he help changed the game against Bolton.I think his downside is after an hour or so he gets tired and starts chasing dead balls and getting booked.So get him revved up on the bench and use him as sub.He may have lost a touch of pace,but when u can pass a ball over 60 yards inch perfect,you dont have to run much!

Exactly how I feel. Everyone knows the threat he brings to any defense, unfortunately his body can't do it as long as he used to. Bringing him on vs a tired defense full of energy will undoubtedly benefit him and the team as we clearly saw v Bolton

 

[babysenorita]

Im with everyone else, age is the major factor here what a shame



To me, its either Scholes or Carrick...If Carrick is playing, then i dont mind Scholes not and vice versa. One of them need to be on the field even thou im more into Scholes and Carrick partnership. I think not only scholes but its time we used our old guard wisely. And im sure Sir alex of all person knows that very well.

 

[spellbound]

It is with Scholesy as it is with Giggsy. They cant do the magic week in and week out anymore. They need a longer breather between the full games to performs as we are use to see them.

 

[reddwarf]

A fresh Scholesy is a potent weapon to bring on for the last 20 minutes in any game. I thought he was superb when he came on.

I'm sure he'll still start plenty of games too but he is a great option to have on the bench.

 

[trikam patel]

I think you can play him still from the start, but when he came on against bolton he looked like the young scholes, he was in the box a lot more like when he was able to do this years ago. I just think liverpool and chelsea dealt with scholes easily because two players quickly closed him down always allowing him not to scheme things around the pitch.

A lot of teams are finding this effective, by having two players close scholes down and not let him play.

 

[jerrakos]

start him every 2-3 games and
have him playing off the bench
as a super sub in the last 20-
30 mins in the games he
doesn't start.

i think this is how we can get
the best out of scholes as he
gets closer to hanging up his
golden boots.

 

[stretty]

I would start him every match and as and when he tires replace him , its no good bringing him on when we are in trouble , play him for 60 mins instead of 90.
he gave a superb performance when he came on , he was spraying the ball around and all of a sudden we looked good , even berbatov started getting the early ball and started to play

 

[Jay007]

Because of his age, Scholes has had to adapt his game over the last 3-4 years.

He doesn't storm forward into the box as much as the younger Scholes. He now prefers to control the game from a deeper position.

But, however sad it is to say, he can't play all games now. Sure, he had some fantastic games last season. But he also had some truly awful games in all honesty.

I think that Carrick is first pick in midfield unless hes injured, suspended or rested, as his form since he signed for us has been fantastic. And I think to have a more complete midfield, we need a more competitive midfielder next to him, of course thinking of Anderson here.

I also think that by not playing Scholes as often, we should play Possebon a bit more in League games and less important CL games (Group games when we're through, or second legs when we're in a comfortable position from the first leg.)

But Scholes still has plenty to offer so although we shouldn't play him as often, we shouldn't just discard him either.

 

[shanky]

Scholes and to extend the argument to giggs are fading out, good players none the less will display their qualities every now and then but the consistency bit is what is missing.
As far as bolton is concerned the game had opened up after the first goal and we had majority of the possession which made veryone playing look good, infact fletcher had a very good game.

 

[sweet fa]

I would start him every match and as and when he tires replace him , its no good bringing him on when we are in trouble , play him for 60 mins instead of 90.
he gave a superb performance when he came on , he was spraying the ball around and all of a sudden we looked good , even berbatov started getting the early ball and started to play

its obvious that scholes has lost some pace so it makes no sense at all to start with him against fresh opponents he will always get beaten to the 50/50 ball and cannot cover the ground like younger guys anymore.so you bring him on in the final 25 minutes against tiring opponents where gaps are appearing and scholes will punish them , if you start with him he will be replaced and before long his confidence will be gone and he will have been wasted by utd , there is still a little left for him to offer and we should play him wisely.

 

[RedForceRising]

start him every 2-3 games and
have him playing off the bench
as a super sub in the last 20-
30 mins in the games he
doesn't start.

i think this is how we can get
the best out of scholes as he
gets closer to hanging up his
golden boots.

I would start him every match and as and when he tires replace him , its no good bringing him on when we are in trouble , play him for 60 mins instead of 90.
he gave a superb performance when he came on , he was spraying the ball around and all of a sudden we looked good , even berbatov started getting the early ball and started to play

hmm.... opposing ideas.

Both are valid, but how about this/ Bring him on as a sub when we're leading?

Truth be told, it depends on the match. If we are playing against a team, who are not closing the players down so fast like Bolton then it's ok for Scholesy, but if you have a game like against Liverpool or Chelsea, I prefer Carrick/ Anderson or Hargreaves/Anderson.

When Scholes came on against Bolton, he bossed the pitch, but he didn't have that effect in the previous games this season.

 

[RedForceRising]

Scholes and to extend the argument to giggs are fading out, good players none the less will display their qualities every now and then but the consistency bit is what is missing.
As far as bolton is concerned the game had opened up after the first goal and we had majority of the possession which made veryone playing look good, infact fletcher had a very good game.

Agree with the bit in bold.

I htink the two of them are really pacing themselves during matches, so they can last the entire match, but it doesn't do us a lot of good, where as Scholes did well against Bolton and his movement was much more energetic and spritely. I think because he new there was only 20 minutes of running to do.

Another argument to use them as subs.

 

[RedForceRising]

its obvious that scholes has lost some pace so it makes no sense at all to start with him against fresh opponents he will always get beaten to the 50/50 ball and cannot cover the ground like younger guys anymore.so you bring him on in the final 25 minutes against tiring opponents where gaps are appearing and scholes will punish them , if you start with him he will be replaced and before long his confidence will be gone and he will have been wasted by utd , there is still a little left for him to offer and we should play him wisely.

Very good point. If you treat theo ld players like old players, they will lose confidence and the experience they have won't rub off on the young ones.