at 35 i wonder where he s getting all that energy from.....is he on frog juice too?
Xavi vs Scholes
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at 35 i wonder where he s getting all that energy from.....is he on frog juice too?
last time I counted there was 4/5 players in that barca midfield and your asking why our midfield didn't dominate trying to put it down the scholes ...but he couldn't stop them all by himself could he?......You rely on the players around you and/or maybe we chose to play on the counter? It turned out that way
You need the ball to dominate and we didn't win the ball well enough to give scholes the chance to dominate. In addition, Scholes is a fair bit older them their midfield lads.....
I didn't see it as a criticism of Scholes' performance. United had a tactical plan to execute and Scholes played his part.
But from there to say: "the last time Xavi and Scholes played against each other, a 33yr old Scholes managed to outplay Xavi"
is a stretch.
But from there to say: "the last time Xavi and Scholes played against each other, a 33yr old Scholes managed to outplay Xavi"
is a stretch.
Not sure how to compare the success of these two players, but they are both undoubtedly amongst the top players of their generation. At present, I'd have to say that Xavi is perhaps better than Scholes. He was magnificent in El Clasico - people rave on about Messi (and rightly so), but I honestly think Xavi is probably the best player in the world at the moment. But Scholes at his prime was a better goalscorer than Xavi is - so there's very little between the two comparing them at their best.
That's the bloody problem, as they are different types of player, and the majority of the comparisons here are trying to compare them as they are now rather than as they both were/are in their pomp. If you are comparing players (which in this case is rather odd), then do it over the entirety of their career. When you do that, Scholes is/has been just as good a passer and ball retainer as Xavi is, but he also destroys Xavi in terms of goal scoring, and at the end of the day, it's as simple as that. Xavi is a player sort of in-between Keane and Scholes in terms of how he plays. If you want to compare Scholes to someone, compare him to Iniesta (even then, on goalscoring Scholes destroys him), but then they have 10 years between them.
Nah, Scholes has never been able to pass, keep the ball and knit things together quite as well as Xavi is at the moment. He does all those things absolutely superbly, but Xavi is currently off the meter.
Agree with the comparisons thing though. There's a habit on here of claiming one centre midfielder 'outplayed' or 'dominated' another, every time his team win. As if the game is just between those two midfielders. So we now have the myths that Fletcher has repeatedly dominated Fabregas, or that Phil Neville 'had Vieira in his pocket'.
Agree with the comparisons thing though. There's a habit on here of claiming one centre midfielder 'outplayed' or 'dominated' another, every time his team win. As if the game is just between those two midfielders. So we now have the myths that Fletcher has repeatedly dominated Fabregas, or that Phil Neville 'had Vieira in his pocket'.
I disagree with Plech about Scholes lacking the above abilities in comparison to Xavi
Xavi is having a poor game tonight incidentally. It does happen
Xavi is having a poor game tonight incidentally. It does happen
I respectfully disagree
Xavi cant score those goals and Scholes did today...
If Xavi had been afforded the space that Scholes was today then it would have been all over at half time.
On a related note, Xavi has been awful today.
The thing about Scholes is that, as a professional player, he has made 3 positional changes which is almost unheard off.
There's firstly, Scholes the striker, the one who broke through into our first team and at times, looked like one of the most natural finisher we had at the club.
Than there's Scholes the goal scoring midfielder we all know and love, with his late runs into the box and powerful shots.
Lastly there's Scholes the midfield orchestrator, who changes the flow and pace of the game with his passes.
And the most ridiculous thing about Scholes is that, he's so damn good at all three roles that we do not find it ridiculous to compare him against the top players in those role at that time.
There's firstly, Scholes the striker, the one who broke through into our first team and at times, looked like one of the most natural finisher we had at the club.
Than there's Scholes the goal scoring midfielder we all know and love, with his late runs into the box and powerful shots.
Lastly there's Scholes the midfield orchestrator, who changes the flow and pace of the game with his passes.
And the most ridiculous thing about Scholes is that, he's so damn good at all three roles that we do not find it ridiculous to compare him against the top players in those role at that time.
Scholes. By an inch. There's not much between the two, but Scholes has proven to be most versatile and has scored more goals. Xavi is probably a slightly better passer, but then again he doesn't have ginger hair and asthma. Which just makes you love Scholes even more.
Part of the issue of comparison really. We see all of Scholes games, warts and all; generally most people will only see bits and bobs of Xavi, and usually the huge games where everyone is bang up for it. A tasty local derby away at Espanyol tonight and he's been poor. Compare and contrast to Scholes today. It's only one game, but we can sometimes over romance a player and make out is if they're constantly perfect. I watch a lot of Spanish football mind, and nights like this are the rare exception for him. And it's no surprise that when he struggles, Barca struggle
Barca do look awfully human when Xavi is not on top of his game.
Probably why Fabregas is such a wanted man with them.
All I know is Bramble is better than Zidane
Xavi. At his peak he has become widely accepted as the best midfielder around. He has also been far superior to Scholes in international football.
Correct.
Good post. For example I vaguely remember plech not long a go saying something along the lines of he only really watches United games. It's easy to rate a player highly when you never see his bad games, and fans have a habit of building players up that they don't watch very often.
As for Xavi vs Scholes? No idea, haven't seen enough of Xavi besides this season to judge. I know how good Scholes was 7-8 years a go though, and to top him in his prime you would have to be one of the greatest ever.
Yes, but that's because Spain have been sensible enough to build their team around Xavi, instead of sticking him out on the left wing. Scholes at his peak was considered second only to Zidane, and Xavi at his peak, from what I have seen this season, is not better than Zidane.
This really is a pointless argument though, they're both amongst the best midfielders of their generation. If there is any difference between them it is minimal
If you look at the quotes about Scholes from a fair share of very renowned players, The Ginger Prince achieved the same thing during his pomp, so your reasoning is flawed.
And taking international trophies into account in such a comparison is just wrong, seeing how Xavi is playing with one of the most gifted international teams we've seen in a long, long time right now. The same can hardly be said about Scholes' international career.
Anyways, I think the only reasonable way to seperate these two in terms of contribution will be longevity, and it will be certainly be interesting to see how Xavi holds up in the coming years. I don't think there's anything in the way of him emulating what Scholes has done and play, and perhaps even dominate to an even bigger degree, well into his thirties.
Correct
I don't need quotes to explain for me what I've watched with me own eyes.Incidentally those are the very same positional changes Guti has made during his career in order to adapt to various Galactico signings.
Scholes for me. Like weast said he canI
do what xavi does and more.
At his best he's just as good a playmaker as xavi. His long passing is much better as well. You put him into that barca team with the short passinggame and he'll own the midfield for fun.
In addition he's been a fine goalsciring midfielder. One of the best.
do what xavi does and more.
At his best he's just as good a playmaker as xavi. His long passing is much better as well. You put him into that barca team with the short passinggame and he'll own the midfield for fun.
In addition he's been a fine goalsciring midfielder. One of the best.
Well Xavi hasn't been shunted to the left though has he and has been made the central figure for Spain. And he has some good defensive midfielders to play with who allow him to do what he does best.
Paul had a great box to box midfielder in Keane at club level to play with. Allowing him to do what he does best. He never had that for England. Even Zidane had Makelele, Viera, Deschamps etc. Paul was never used correctly for England, which is a shame because he has been the most gifted English player since Gazza and before Rooney.
Guti isn't fit to fondle Scholes' masculine shoelaces though
Maybe.
By whom? I honestly don't remember that ever being that case world wide. Except on Manchester United fan boards.
Which matters little tbf. For even Scholes wasn't better than Zizou either. Scholes at his best however has NEVER had a season like Xavi had last season.
I agree.
That is even too good a task for him. Guti is just now where near a Scholes.
and xavi has become top class only in the last few years. Schooes has been there for 15 years.
Also it's bizzare for people to claim xavi has been betterfor four to five seasons. Scholes was phenomenal in the 2006 07 season.
Also it's bizzare for people to claim xavi has been betterfor four to five seasons. Scholes was phenomenal in the 2006 07 season.
Seconded.
Eh OK, congratulations I suppose?
That really should not be used as some sort of excuse for Scholes. Scholes at is peak, for some reason was never regarded highly enough to not be shunted wide in favour of the Lampard's and Gerard's of this world. Which gives Xavi slight advantage over him, because despite the likes of Fabregas and Iniesta being around. None of them can displace him from the Spanish midfield. .
Scholes has never lacked good defensive midfielder to play with. His problem was being wrongly played wide.
Scholes' only problem for England was being shifted out wide for non midfielders like Gerarrd. i.e being used incorrectly. It had nothing to do with his partners. I have little doubt that along side any of England's DM's of the time, Scholes would have been just as good for England as he was for us, as a pure attacking midfielder, and then later when he eventually developed into a proper play maker.
He just was never properly trusted to play in England's cm. Just because he was not an all action maniac like Gerard. Which was England's deserved loss.
Scholes has played a lot of that recently hasn't he? Yet, again, in terms of goal scoring, destroys Xavi.
Like it matters. He was an International player for a long spell in his career. Xavi simply has the superior international record.
We all know that. Just like we know Xavi shits on almost everyone bar maybe Ronaldinho in terms of assists made in any one season by a playmaker. In the last decade.
On what level? Get your statistics out!
I don't need a single set of stats. Xavi led Spain to the Euro championships just last season. There is little doubt he has the superior international football career.