Paul Scholes | 2011/12 Performances

[SharkyMcShark]

I'd love to see him stay on. He's my favourite ever player so him coming out of retirement was like Christmas morning - him staying for another season would be like having another Christmas on boxing day.

I think he'll stay if offered a deal - he said when he retired that he didn't want to only be involved for 20-30 games a season and wanted to be in for most of them, but when he came back he said that he'd missed it too much so was willing to put a shift in as cover (which became him becoming one of our best players) (again) because everyone else in CM had their legs fall off - Fletcher, Clev and Anderson).

Given how much he missed it I think he'll accept a similar role if offered for next season.

Great player and a great man, but it's time to go and enjoy retirement. He vanquished all the demons of last season and proved to everyone just how great he is even at 38. I really don't want to see him to a Garry Neville so its time to retire at the top.

It seems that if he was interested in playing next year he'd hold off going to the euro's for a proper rest. Wait and see I think.

It's different though - Neville relied much more on his conditioning and physical abilities than Scholes does. Once they went then he was finished.

Scholes is more about his footballing brain - he can run the game from the centre of the park at a stroll against the lesser teams.

 

[Feed Me]

I'd love to see him stay on. He's my favourite ever player so him coming out of retirement was like Christmas morning - him staying for another season would be like having another Christmas on boxing day.

I think he'll stay if offered a deal - he said when he retired that he didn't want to only be involved for 20-30 games a season and wanted to be in for most of them, but when he came back he said that he'd missed it too much so was willing to put a shift in as cover (which became him becoming one of our best players) (again) because everyone else in CM had their legs fall off - Fletcher, Clev and Anderson).

Given how much he missed it I think he'll accept a similar role if offered for next season.

It's different though - Neville relied much more on his conditioning and physical abilities than Scholes does. Once they went then he was finished.

Scholes is more about his footballing brain - he can run the game from the centre of the park at a stroll against the lesser teams.

How important was the fact that he had a six month rest though? It'll be very different if he comes in from the start next season.

As far as I'm concerned, leaving both Scholes and Giggs in our squad markedly reduces the likelihood that we get the midfield reinforcements that we desperately need.

When we go toe-to-toe with Man City next season, what will have changed?

 

[kps88]

I'd like him to stay if he's happy being managed by SAF and not playing every week.

 

[SharkyMcShark]

How important was the fact that he had a six month rest though? It'll be very different if he comes in from the start next season.

As far as I'm concerned, leaving both Scholes and Giggs in our squad markedly reduces the likelihood that we get the midfield reinforcements that we desperately need.

When we go toe-to-toe with Man City next season, what will have changed?

I'd personally give him until mid-September to early October off - start the season with the young lads like this one, ease him back as required.

 

[prateik]

I love Paul Scholes and I was delighted when he came back this season. There's no denying that he's been absolutely unbelievable for half a season. But I don't want him to stay. We need to cut the cord because we're shockingly dependent on him. Time to plan for the future.

That makes no sense. If he is good enough.. he is young enough.
He cant play every week.. we need more.
For large parts, after Scholes came back, the only midfielders we had fit were Carrick and Scholes. Ando, Clev and Fletch were out.
We need to make sure that doesnt happen again.
Scholes has been amazing. He must stay on.

 

[Feed Me]

I'd personally give him until mid-September to early October off - start the season with the young lads like this one, ease him back as required.

But then what?

The midfield is in decay. When are we going to take the plunge and regenerate? We haven't bought in a midfielder since God knows when. And the likes of Anderson and Hargreaves have been poor signings when all said and done. The last midfielder to really make an impact for us was Michael Carrick.

As far as I'm concerned, if we retain Scholes and Giggs and make them as integral again next season, we'll stand still at best.

 

[Feed Me]

That makes no sense. If he is good enough.. he is young enough.
He cant play every week.. we need more.
For large parts, after Scholes came back, the only midfielders we had fit were Carrick and Scholes. Ando, Clev and Fletch were out.
We need to make sure that doesnt happen again.
Scholes has been amazing. He must stay on.

Sooner or later, we have to take the plunge and buy midfield players for the here and now and for the future. Our midfield is in decay.

 

[prateik]

Nah. I dont agree with the taking the plunge by letting Scholes go bit.
We should have enough cover and depth to get us through if he fades badly.. and we can think about replacing him after that.
Nev retired midseason because he couldnt do it any further. If Scholes just cannot play anymore, he will leave himself.

Till then, we really need him.
We need more. I agree. Doesnt mean Scholes has to leave though.

 

[prateik]

You keep saying the midfield is in decay..
Carrick is hardly in decay. He has a good few years left and has just had his best season in a while.
Anderson, Cleverley are kids. Scholes and Giggs are the only old ones.
We do need more. We will get someone for the central positions. Not sure about a DM after when Fergie said recently, but I expect us to sign someone.

The solution isnt to get rid of the best of the bunch just because the rest arent ready yet.
Fergie is the master at squad management. He'll handle it right.

 

[gooDevil]

Please come back Paul, we love you! Heed not the doubters.

 

[Feed Me]

You keep saying the midfield is in decay..
Carrick is hardly in decay. He has a good few years left and has just had his best season in a while.
Anderson, Cleverley are kids. Scholes and Giggs are the only old ones.
We do need more. We will get someone for the central positions. Not sure about a DM after when Fergie said recently, but I expect us to sign someone.

The solution isnt to get rid of the best of the bunch just because the rest arent ready yet.
Fergie is the master at squad management. He'll handle it right.

I'm talking more about the dependency on Scholes and Giggs - it's not healthy. We've been crying out for midfield reinforcements for ages but we seem to keep falling back on the old guard and the fact that the likes of Cleverley and Anderson are young. It's not enough. In the case of the latter two, they can't be relied on for a full season. And in the case of the former two, we can't rely on them for a full season. There's only Carrick that gives us that consistency.

It seems to me, correct me if I'm wrong, that Scholes/Giggs in the squad reduces chances for new players to stamp their mark on the side.

Why can't we just sort it? I don't think it's an unreasonable request.

 

[Nate Dogg]

I would like to see both Scholes and Giggs stay on for another year, or at least until SAF retires.

I appreciate both will not play many games but oh boy imagine the influence and benefit it would give to our squad, especially the younger player who can learn so much from them.

 

[prateik]

I'm talking more about the dependency on Scholes and Giggs - it's not healthy. We've been crying out for midfield reinforcements for ages but we seem to keep falling back on the old guard and the fact that the likes of Cleverley and Anderson are young. It's not enough. In the case of the latter two, they can't be relied on for a full season. And in the case of the former two, we can't rely on them for a full season. There's only Carrick that gives us that consistency.

It seems to me, correct me if I'm wrong, that Scholes/Giggs in the squad reduces chances for new players to stamp their mark on the side.

Why can't we just sort it? I don't think it's an unreasonable request.

If you mean anderson and Clev.. then I dont really think we can draw that conclusion from this season. They simply werent available for large parts of the season.
Pogba? He wasnt ready. Without Scholes, Fergie wouldve played Rooney or Park ahead of him.

I do think we will add as I've said before. And hopefully the others wont be out as much as this season. Keeping mentioning the injuries sounds like an excuse and I dont want to do that over and over again, but we had our midfield options severely limited because of injuries this season.

The over dependence isnt good.. but with a signing and less injuries, we wont be this dependent on them next season.
Still doesnt mean we need to let Scholes go just yet.

Again. I agree we need more in midfield, just dont agree that we have to let Scholes go for that to happen.
He offers us so much that no one else can. He is one of a kind.

 

[Art]

I would always have Scholesy in my squad if he wants to play irrespective of what his age is.

But regarding the others,

I used to be Anderson's biggest fan but for some reason have morphed into one of those who think he is dispensable this summer. Fletcher was a fecking beast for us in his prime but to expect him to come back and perform with his condition is something I wouldn't want. I would rather him take care of himself if it means calling it quits. Which leaves us with Carrick,Scholes,Cleverly,Giggs.I know the likes of Fletcher and Park have been terrific for us in the past 5 years or so but Manchester United isn't a club that is being run to keep loyal players happy. It is a football club that is built out of the mentality to win.Winning matters to us. Which is why I think we should let players go.Heck we let John O'shea go who IMO has been far more vital to our success than Park(or its atleast debatable) . Two proper central midfielders might have a good chance in boosting our chances in going back to challenging on all fronts.There is no right formula out there that says -"Buy HAZARD , MARTINEZ and M'VILA and you will win the CL and the league".All we can do is make that investment in the hope that they can improve our squad which judging by fergie's knowledge they almost always do. I know bringing in two midfield players is never a good idea as it is the most vital area in the football pitch in terms of dictating play but we need to make that investment this year to allow a gentle transition to take place.

Say we didn't buy any central midfielders this year and Scholesy and Giggsy called it quits next season and we went in for new faces next year, we wouldn't have our wisest players to guide the new signings properly. Two new CMs please Fergie so that they have the chance to play alongside United's best.

 

[SharkyMcShark]

But then what?

The midfield is in decay. When are we going to take the plunge and regenerate? We haven't bought in a midfielder since God knows when. And the likes of Anderson and Hargreaves have been poor signings when all said and done. The last midfielder to really make an impact for us was Michael Carrick.

As far as I'm concerned, if we retain Scholes and Giggs and make them as integral again next season, we'll stand still at best.

I see your point but I feel it falls down in 2 key areas

1. We let him go last summer and did F all to replace him or bolster the midfield (which is to say that letting him go does not necessarily equate to bringing in new blood).

2. Unlike Giggs he is still capable of being a top level midfielder in the centre of the park.

I've said in other threads that if everyone is available for selection choosing a central midfield 2 or 3 from Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, Anderson and Cleverley isn't as bad a choice as people are making out.

The issue is availability - rumours persist about Fletcher's playing future, Anderson is at the point where despite generally looking classy when playing he has sustained three serious injuries in the last three seasons and missed a shit ton of football, and Cleverley is a) largely untested and b) prone to picking up niggling injuries so far.

Carrick and Scholes were the only ones consistently available for selection throughout the season (counting Scholes season as after his comeback obviously). That our midfield was looking staid towards the end of the season was basically down to the fact that SAF was entirely unable to rotate in this area without dipping into centrebacks or wingers to play there.

If you consider that pool of players fit and on form I'd argue we're only really missing a holding midfielder (in the mold of a Tiote, Khedira, Busquets or de Jong) (obviously three of those aren't really viable transfer targets).

I'd also argue we don't need a dedicated attacking mid. Rooney occupies the no10 role for us, so I'd rather us get for example someone like Hazard who can play there but also play wide just as effectively than someone like Kagawa, who is not as effective when played wide. But that's an aside to the issue of Scholes really.

 

[Cina]

To be honest, I'd be very worried at Scholes playing a full season, can he last? He had 6 months of rest this season after all.

I do not want us to be reliant on him like this season. He should be a luxury in the midfield, not a requirement.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I said it when he returned. A club like ours have no business relying on a player his age to be key. We had better sort that out next summer.

 

[Amir]

Of course I want Scholes to stay. And Giggs. But it can't affect what we need to do in midfield. We can't avoid make a decision or a signing because we have them. While they played well yesterday, going into the last match of the season with both in the lineup is a blessing and also a problem. We have to look forward.

 

[Jimy_Hills_Chin]

I haven't bought a football shirt for years but I might buy an England one with Scholes on the back should he go to the Euros.

 

[DevilRed]

Would like to see him stay but would also like to see Fergie have more restraint in playing those two together or every week. The days of playing them every week and for 90 minutes should be long gone. In fact we probably shouldn't play Scholes for more than 5 matches in the first half of the year. Keep him fresh for the final push just like this season. It worked wonders when he came in after the new year because he was like a new signing. With our abundance of young midfielders breaking through I don't see why we can't do the same next year. For me, next season should be the last for both of them. Hopefully they can go out on a high note with us winning back the league title.

 

[Striker10]

yeah he's done very well - looks like the player of old, even grabbing a few goals. I think we have to buy but if we could get say 15/20 games out of him for the next 2/3 seasons...then we should do it. I did think we'd let him go, and rebuild but the goals have returned..the desire to get in the box.

His influence is easy. Without him, the league would probably have been wrapped up a good while ago.

 

[SATA]

There's no quotes from him there that he's going to the Euros. In fact i would be very surprised if he goes. Would he get shunted to the left again to accomodate Barry/Parker/Lampard/Gerrard? Why even bother, Scholesy?

 

[Striker10]

I love Paul Scholes and I was delighted when he came back this season. There's no denying that he's been absolutely unbelievable for half a season. But I don't want him to stay. We need to cut the cord because we're shockingly dependent on him. Time to plan for the future.

He's younger then Giggs isn't he?

I think the club, need to reinvest...but I think for 15/20 games or for games that need a bit of magic, they're still capable of producing.

 

[Cina]

A year younger.

 

[Smores]

Manage him properly and he'll give us another brilliant season. I don't see why anyone but the muppets (desperate for a hype signing) would want us to send him on his way.

If we need to make room it'll be Fletcher,Giggs that make way first.

 

[Amar__]

I'd love him to stay couple of more years. Only problem is that I wouldn't like him to have poor season because many people would remember him only by that, and that wouldn't be ok. If he can repeat his performances from this season, I hope he will stay at least two more years.

 

[Ole90+3]

To be honest, I'd be very worried at Scholes playing a full season, can he last? He had 6 months of rest this season after all.

I do not want us to be reliant on him like this season. He should be a luxury in the midfield, not a requirement.

This.

If he is happy enough to stick around for another season or 2 as a luxury player then I can't see a reason why he shouldn't

Scholes and Giggs shouldn't be a reason not to sign 2 midfielders this summer as they cannot be relied on to stay fit or perform consistently throughout the season.

 

[DFreshKing]

Hope he signs another year, been brilliant to have him back.

Class act and a genuine World class player of his generation.

 

[NewDawnFades]

Manage him properly and he'll give us another brilliant season. I don't see why anyone but the muppets (desperate for a hype signing) would want us to send him on his way.

Even the most muppety of muppets would surely want Scholes to stay anyway. Would do someone like a Kagawa or Hazard no harm to have a year of Scholes stewardship.

 

[Gazza]

Fergie's apparently given an interview stating Scholes is on for another year at United

Can anyone confirm? (Twitter talk at this point)

Edit: Doron Salomon, who's fairly credible, confirms Scholes is signed up for another year (reporting Fergie's comments)

 

[ArmchairCritic]

He's staying! SAF says he wants him to play 25-30 games of real quality next year.

 

[Hans Moleman]

DTguardian
Sir Alex Ferguson interview tonight: confirms Paul Scholes is staying another season #MUFC

 

[Sw33t]

He said it, I loved it

 

[Orton]

Will be like a new signing.

 

[charlenefan]

Yep just confirmed at the awards do, Scholes staying on for another season next year being his and Giggs' last season

 

[pocco]

He's staying!!

 

[ArmchairCritic]

Fergie's apparently given an interview stating Scholes is on for another year at United

Can anyone confirm? (Twitter talk at this point)

Yes I'm watching the awards he's just said it. Might be his and Giggs' last season though.

 

[RonaldoVII]

Fantastic news, he's been excellent.

 

[Richter]

Will be like a new signing.

Fergie and Wenger's favourite sentence and every United/Arsenal fans worst nightmare to hear

 

[Gazza]

In the same interview SAF apparently suggests next season is the last one for Scholes & Giggs (?)