Scholes defensive ability

reelworld

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Massively underrated.

The only thing he can't do is sliding tackle. But defensive skill is much more than just about that. His excellent positional sense means he can intercept passes, and closing down space available for opposition players. That's even less risky than tackling and both ends up with the ball in our possession.

Reading people posts around here, one would think that he was absolutely hapless. You can't play in midfield for Manchester United when you can't defend. Too much emphasis being put in sliding tackles, as in that's the only defensive skill worth having. It's fecking not.
 
Yeah, but he can won the ball in a few different ways. All I'm saying when I read people said that Scholes can't defend, they usually put it because he can't tackle. That's just so wrong
 
reelworld said:
Massively underrated.

The only thing he can't do is sliding tackle. But defensive skill is much more than just about that. His excellent positional sense means he can intercept passes, and closing down space available for opposition players. That's even less risky than tackling and both ends up with the ball in our possession.

Reading people posts around here, one would think that he was absolutely hapless. You can't play in midfield for Manchester United when you can't defend. Too much emphasis being put in sliding tackles, as in that's the only defensive skill worth having. It's fecking not.
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Scholes cannot defend but he has all essential skills to mark a player and run any midfield

The only English footballer who is the real Enganche, Number 10!

Rating a creative footballer on defensive skills is the worst aspect of English football, the reason they were unable to produce a player on the calibre of Zidane or a Riquelme.

Even the real talented ones from Hoddle, Le Tissier to Scholes all get underrated thanks to a jingioustic media and their obsession towards 4-4-2 and lump it up techniques.
 
reelworld said:
Yeah, but he can won the ball in a few different ways. All I'm saying when I read people said that Scholes can't defend, they usually put it because he can't tackle. That's just so wrong
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Point taken. He intercepts and anticipates very well. If he improved his timing and didnt go in so aggressive then there would be no problem.
 
In his last if not one of tournaments for England, he was the impressive defensively of all the midfielders. Remember a game where he looked like the only one on the pitch
 
not a good tackler but very good defensively. Great positioning and tracking back. You dont believe me? Watch the first leg at Nou Camp.
 
reelworld said:
Massively underrated.

The only thing he can't do is sliding tackle. But defensive skill is much more than just about that. His excellent positional sense means he can intercept passes, and closing down space available for opposition players. That's even less risky than tackling and both ends up with the ball in our possession.

Reading people posts around here, one would think that he was absolutely hapless. You can't play in midfield for Manchester United when you can't defend. Too much emphasis being put in sliding tackles, as in that's the only defensive skill worth having. It's fecking not.
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Totally agree. Massively underrated with regards to defensive ability. I'm fairly sure he kicks folk on purpose half the time anyway :devil:
 
Our semi-final versus Barcelona at Camp Nou last season was proof of Scholesys defensive ability.
 
reelworld said:
Massively underrated.

The only thing he can't do is sliding tackle. But defensive skill is much more than just about that. His excellent positional sense means he can intercept passes, and closing down space available for opposition players. That's even less risky than tackling and both ends up with the ball in our possession.

Reading people posts around here, one would think that he was absolutely hapless. You can't play in midfield for Manchester United when you can't defend. Too much emphasis being put in sliding tackles, as in that's the only defensive skill worth having. It's fecking not.
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His positional sense is fantastic.

He is not the best at timing his challenges, but his defensive abilities would be flattered if he was 4-5 inches taller and was a bit stronger, we know he has a fantastic nod.
 
He's a nibbly little customer, always nicking the ball off the opposition. It must be very annoying to play against him. I'd probably end up smacking the bugger.
 
vijay said:
Scholes cannot defend but he has all essential skills to mark a player and run any midfield

The only English footballer who is the real Enganche, Number 10!

Rating a creative footballer on defensive skills is the worst aspect of English football, the reason they were unable to produce a player on the calibre of Zidane or a Riquelme.

Even the real talented ones from Hoddle, Le Tissier to Scholes all get underrated thanks to a jingioustic media and their obsession towards 4-4-2 and lump it up techniques.
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I agree somewhat, however United play in the Premier League and so we have to focus on these things due to the physicality of the league. It is a massive boost for us that our creative players like Tevez and Scholes are able to defend as well. And not just in terms of getting stuck in, but having the brains to counter act against physical sides, i.e positional sense. Scholes has fantastic awareness of space, both when attacking and defending.

And to be honest, Scholes wasn't as effective when played behind v.Nistelrooy in a 4411 formation despite having extra attacking license. Scholes is fantastic at controlling a game from the middle of the pitch when played in slightly deeper, not just in and around the box. His positional sense and work rate enable him to control the midfield even at his age now.
 
reelworld said:
Massively underrated.

The only thing he can't do is sliding tackle. But defensive skill is much more than just about that. His excellent positional sense means he can intercept passes, and closing down space available for opposition players. That's even less risky than tackling and both ends up with the ball in our possession.

Reading people posts around here, one would think that he was absolutely hapless. You can't play in midfield for Manchester United when you can't defend. Too much emphasis being put in sliding tackles, as in that's the only defensive skill worth having. It's fecking not.
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Don't mix positional sense with defensive ability. Scholes has a very weak defensive game. A strikes defensive game infact. Too erratic. He also isn't even a regular interceptor of passes as you seem to believe. That isnt' a statement of underrating either but the truth. However he is good at helping keep the teams shape due to his positional sense. Thus, He helps out by being an extra body in defensive positions. Which is very useful. So he is not really hapless. That is why he has always thrived in United's midfield.
 
vijay said:
Scholes cannot defend but he has all essential skills to mark a player and run any midfield

The only English footballer who is the real Enganche, Number 10!

Rating a creative footballer on defensive skills is the worst aspect of English football, the reason they were unable to produce a player on the calibre of Zidane or a Riquelme.

Even the real talented ones from Hoddle, Le Tissier to Scholes all get underrated thanks to a jingioustic media and their obsession towards 4-4-2 and lump it up techniques.
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Agreed
 
Part of a players defensive ability is the ability to make space for themselves or others in tight situations when they are under pressure. Scholes is the master of that. That in itself makes him pretty good defensively. He simply can't tackle.
 
Rowem said:
And to be honest, Scholes wasn't as effective when played behind v.Nistelrooy in a 4411 formation despite having extra attacking license. Scholes is fantastic at controlling a game from the middle of the pitch when played in slightly deeper, not just in and around the box. His positional sense and work rate enable him to control the midfield even at his age now.
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Scholes had a great season when he played in the free role beind Ruud and was our second highest scorer. Withdrawn forwards like Baggio or Bergkamp even if drifted out for longer periods without getting any where near ball usually create some thing whenever they touch the ball. Scholes a far more busier player gets lost. Apart from that as an attackin midfielder there is no glitch in his playing style.

The greatest and the most consistent passer I've seen at United in my life as a supporter...Beckham and Veron not far behind though.
 
Scholes is an awesome defender if you think about it. He manages to stop so many counter attacks and more often than not he gets away with it.

Genius.
 
It's not his tackling that is the problem, he can't run, he's been helped immensely by the control we have over possession and territory since Carrick signed, he'd be exposed without that
 
He should take a chapter from Pirlo's defending. Just go for the smart intercepts, plug the gaps in midfield and don't go for the big tackles. But then again, the tackle without thinking is his way of staying involved in the game...
 
Rowem said:
I agree somewhat, however United play in the Premier League and so we have to focus on these things due to the physicality of the league. It is a massive boost for us that our creative players like Tevez and Scholes are able to defend as well. And not just in terms of getting stuck in, but having the brains to counter act against physical sides, i.e positional sense. Scholes has fantastic awareness of space, both when attacking and defending.

And to be honest, Scholes wasn't as effective when played behind v.Nistelrooy in a 4411 formation despite having extra attacking license. Scholes is fantastic at controlling a game from the middle of the pitch when played in slightly deeper, not just in and around the box. His positional sense and work rate enable him to control the midfield even at his age now.
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You must be kidding. We played some of the best attacking football with Scholes behind Ruud around 2001-03, dare I say better than last season.
 
We just need bodies in our own half to deny the opposition any space. Whether they can defend or not is a secondary problem for an attacking midfielder. He should just try close down opposition players and that is what Scholes does.
 
Lot of you clowns really need your head checked. Another season, same old shit being spouted by the same people.
 
Jamie Redknapp blowing apart the Scholesy can't tackle myth

So what is it like to suffer from one of Scholes's ginger tiger bites?
Last updated at 9:08 PM on 30th April 2008

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When I was a player and the Manchester United team sheet came into the dressing room, I'd hope that Paul Scholes wasn't on it. He could really hurt you...and not just with his tackles.


It makes me laugh when people say that Scholes can't tackle. He can, he knows what he is doing. I spoke to Roy Keane about him and he agreed — when Scholesy leaves something on an opponent or goes through someone, he means it. That bite in the tackle is not mistimed. It's for real.




It's not a nasty streak...it's a winning streak, a real edge. You can't survive in the Manchester United first team for so long without it.

On the pitch, he left me with a few reminders of Liverpool versus Manchester United matches but I used to enjoy meeting up with him for England.

I wouldn't say we were mates but we would talk and he's a nice fella off the pitch: quiet, nothing fancy or cocky but a good lad, a passionate football man.

We played together in central midfield for England and he is such a good footballer, which is why he has adapted to the deep, holding midfield role in some recent games.

He started as a striker as a young lad. He's an excellent finisher but Sir Alex Ferguson obviously thought he had more to offer.

The ginger tiger can run a game with his passing and Fergie wanted him in the engine room.

Scholes can pass with both feet, he can go short and long and he shifts the point of attack by regularly switching the play.

When you don't want to be chasing the ball against teams like Barcelona you need his accuracy and the time and space he can create.

Yes, Scholes can ghost into the box, he is a good volleyer and still hits a cracking shot but his best art is his sidefoot passing.

He'll pass around corners and create openings but he will also ping the ball into the feet of his intended target.

It doesn't bobble along slowly, it comes at you at pace and helps you to make up your mind about what to do next.

He is such a terrific appreciator of a clean pass. His presence will grace the Champions League Final.

P.S. Paul Scholes might have been Manchester United's match-winner against Barcelona but the biggest shift of the night was put in by his fellow midfielder Ji-sung Park.

The Korean ran a staggering 7.4 miles at Old Trafford, much of the time closing down opponents who enjoyed 63 per cent of the possession.

Park's super-human efforts helped United keep an all-important clean sheet although it was hardly a one-man effort.

Michael Carrick covered 7.2 miles in the engine room while Carlos Tevez buzzed around up front for 6.8 miles
 
His the best player in the world when in possesion of the ball and in tight situations. Yes he is better than people give him credit for when defending. However his slide tackles are always late. But his determination to hurry his opponents is the key to his defensive game. He basically is a xavi with the attitude minus the execution of gattuso he's basically paul scholes.
 
The problem is the frequency with which he tries to sliding tackle. If he knew he was bad at it and just didnt do it that would be a massive improvement.

You are right about the other things. Of course he can defend.
 
CnutOfAllCnuts said:
Og course they do.

Chief is an idiot though.
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Phew, thought I was going mental then.

Simon Adebesi said:
The problem is the frequency with which he tries to sliding tackle. If he knew he was bad at it and just didnt do it that would be a massive improvement.

You are right about the other things. Of course he can defend.
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I'd say the majority of the time he knows what he's doing when he slides in.
 
reelworld said:
Overrate it? :lol:
Look at some of the post in this thread.
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Apologies about my grammar (overrated) :boring: Perhaps we should stick to the context of this thread and remember the last game of the season where we needed to win against Wigan to secure the title and Scholes should have been sent off in the first half.
 
All 3 United said:
Apologies about my grammar (overrated) :boring: Perhaps we should stick to the context of this thread and remember the last game of the season where we needed to win against Wigan to secure the title and Scholes should have been sent off in the first half.
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That's got nothing to do with his defensive abilities. That was Scholes being stupid.
 
reelworld said:
Massively underrated.

The only thing he can't do is sliding tackle. But defensive skill is much more than just about that. His excellent positional sense means he can intercept passes, and closing down space available for opposition players. That's even less risky than tackling and both ends up with the ball in our possession.

Reading people posts around here, one would think that he was absolutely hapless. You can't play in midfield for Manchester United when you can't defend. Too much emphasis being put in sliding tackles, as in that's the only defensive skill worth having. It's fecking not.
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Its not enough to be the player given responsibility to hold and allow the midfielder next to you to get forward, such as would be needed playing next to a player like Rodrigo.

Scholes' defensive ability is the least of all our first team midfielders.

RedDevilCanuck said:
not a good tackler but very good defensively. Great positioning and tracking back. You dont believe me? Watch the first leg at Nou Camp.
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One of two games that season where he put in even half that defensive shift. The other being against Roma where he was also good defensively.
 
All 3 United said:
Apologies about my grammar (overrated) :boring: Perhaps we should stick to the context of this thread and remember the last game of the season where we needed to win against Wigan to secure the title and Scholes should have been sent off in the first half.
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I'm not making fun of your grammar, I'm laughing at the notion that you think I'm overrating Scholes defensive ability. Many people here that think that he can't defend based on the fact that he can't tackle as if that's the only skill needed to defend.

Scholes are more than capable of doing defensive work because he's a superb reader of the game, and positionally excellent. That makes him able to won the ball without going into tackles but by interceptions and closing space down.
 
All 3 United said:
Yes thats Scholes tying to defend! Basically he isn't tight enough or goal side of the player he is marking so ends up lunging!
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If I remember correctly, that situation happened when Wigan hit us on the break after we lost possession.

Do you expect Scholes or any other of our midfielders to mark tighly and be goal side when we are in possession of the ball??
 
CnutOfAllCnuts said:
If I remember correctly, that situation happened when Wigan hit us on the break after we lost possession.

Do you expect Scholes or any other of our midfielders to mark tighly and be goal side when we are in possession of the ball??
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I don't think we have always just been hit on the break when Scholes makes one of his trade mark tackles!
 
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