Oliver Kay's Final Word
Has there ever been a player quite like Paul Scholes? A player who passes the ball with such economy, elegance and intelligence, yet, the moment his team lose possession, crashes around in such reckless fashion that he becomes a threat to the very art he purveys.
The observation that Scholes is a less than proficient tackler is hardly a new one, but consider the following: in the three Barclays Premier League matches in which he has appeared for Manchester United this season, he has been sent off for two bookable offences away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, booked for scything down Jordi Gómez away to Wigan Athletic and, although this one has been glossed over, fortunate not to be sent off, let alone booked, for an outrageous challenge on Barry Ferguson that somehow went unpunished by the referee in the opening game against Birmingham City.
The observation that Scholes is a less than proficient tackler is hardly a new one, but consider the following: in the three Barclays Premier League matches in which he has appeared for Manchester United this season, he has been sent off for two bookable offences away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, booked for scything down Jordi Gómez away to Wigan Athletic and, although this one has been glossed over, fortunate not to be sent off, let alone booked, for an outrageous challenge on Barry Ferguson that somehow went unpunished by the referee in the opening game against Birmingham City.
And now consider this: against Birmingham, he made 100 passes, 97 of them successful. Against Wigan, he made 41 passes, 40 of them successful. On Saturday, in a game played at a breathtaking pace, he made 49 passes, 47 of them successful, before taking his leave early in the second half — a little unfortunately in this case, if we give him the benefit of the doubt over his sliding challenge with Tom Huddlestone. In the Premier League those figures are astonishing.
Scholes has started this season looking brighter than he has done for some time, so much so that he and Darren Fletcher appear to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s preferred pairing in central midfield. The problem is that United are in serious danger of falling a man short; his tackling, whether out of carelessness, cynicism, incompetence or malice, really is that bad.
The rules of modern-day football do not allow for the kind of tackles that Scholes regards as fair game. Ferguson suggested on Saturday that he had been sent off “because his name is Paul Scholes”, but whatever the sympathy in this case, he has far more often got off lightly, as against Birmingham, than been punished severely. Clatter into opponents with your studs up often enough and you will get sent off every now and then.
It is a shame because he seemed to be enjoying himself at White Hart Lane on Saturday. He does not have that look often these days, which is one reason why it is tempting to predict, a couple of months shy of his 35th birthday, that he will retire when his contract expires at the end of the season. As such, we should savour him while we still can, treasuring every one of those passes. Scholes will be sorely missed when he is gone, but his tackling will not.
Scholes has started this season looking brighter than he has done for some time, so much so that he and Darren Fletcher appear to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s preferred pairing in central midfield. The problem is that United are in serious danger of falling a man short; his tackling, whether out of carelessness, cynicism, incompetence or malice, really is that bad.
The rules of modern-day football do not allow for the kind of tackles that Scholes regards as fair game. Ferguson suggested on Saturday that he had been sent off “because his name is Paul Scholes”, but whatever the sympathy in this case, he has far more often got off lightly, as against Birmingham, than been punished severely. Clatter into opponents with your studs up often enough and you will get sent off every now and then.
It is a shame because he seemed to be enjoying himself at White Hart Lane on Saturday. He does not have that look often these days, which is one reason why it is tempting to predict, a couple of months shy of his 35th birthday, that he will retire when his contract expires at the end of the season. As such, we should savour him while we still can, treasuring every one of those passes. Scholes will be sorely missed when he is gone, but his tackling will not.
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