Best PL Midfielder

Allezfan · May 20, 2015

Scholes and Gerrard are possibly the two most overrated players that have ever kicked a ball. Makelele's another who was nowhere near as good as people think he was.

Vieira and Keane are in a different class to anyone else in this poll.

blue4eva77 · May 20, 2015

Allezfan said:
Scholes and Gerrard are possibly the two most overrated players that have ever kicked a ball. Makelele's another who was nowhere near as good as people think he was.

Vieira and Keane are in a different class to anyone else in this poll.

Horrendous ! So horrendous that that has got to be you fishing.

Allezfan · May 20, 2015

blue4eva77 said:
Horrendous ! So horrendous that that has got to be you fishing.

I've never rated scholes. I've gone into it a lot on here. He always disapeared in big international and european games. He was horribly dirty and got away with it due to being a man u player so everyone chuckled over his not being able to tackle when he ran through someone for the eighth time that game. He was crap defensively and never dictated the tempo of games the way keane and vieira did. Like gerrard he scored a lot of goals and like gerrard that overshadowed the fact he was never capable of controlling a midfield.

blue4eva77 · May 20, 2015

Allezfan said:
I've never rated scholes. I've gone into it a lot on here. He always disapeared in big international and european games. He was horribly dirty and got away with it due to being a man u player so everyone chuckled over his not being able to tackle when he ran through someone for the eighth time that game. He was crap defensively and never dictated the tempo of games the way keane and vieira did. Like gerrard he scored a lot of goals and like gerrard that overshadowed the fact he was never capable of controlling a midfield.

Each to their own like but Scholes is easily one of the best midfielders to ever play the game; not just in the premier league but ever in my opinion. Scholes was able to control the tempo of games in different ways than your Keane's and Vieira's though. The later dictated it through their no nonsense tackling and breaking up opposition attacks before they began; Scholes was able to control his own teams tempo with his excellent close control and possession based football, as it was difficult to take the ball away from him. Capable of the killer pass, both short and long. He was a playmaker and almost everything Utd did attacking wise went through either him or Giggs. He controlled and dictated the tempo in different ways for me.

Don't understand your comment that he disappeared in big games, European games ? Some of the best names to ever play the game have commented on him. Zidane even says he was his toughest opponent and Giggs mentioned about his ability to control the tempo of games.

Zidane on Scholes - My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation.

Xavi - Paul Scholes is a role model. For me – and I really mean this – he's the best central midfielder I've seen in the last 15, 20 years. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. He's spectacular, he has it all: the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision.

Giggs - I’d go for Scholesy as the club’s greatest ever player. I’ve seen him do things that no other player can do. The way he can control the tempo of games, and his range of passing, are both incredible

ToffeeDan · May 20, 2015

Tough question but, thinking about which player would I most have wanted in an Everton shirt it would have been Scholes. His tackling was a bit crap (Keane for that?) but no big deal.

But he made time - a precious commodity - could pass and sure as hell could shoot. What's not to like.

No8Bally · May 20, 2015

I have to go with Lampard.

bignev23 · May 20, 2015

Keane and Viera were both boss at winning the ball back of the opposition as well as being great at putting the ball away whilst Scoles was tremendous on the ball his tackling was appalling.

I think prob overall I'd have Keane, Toure was unstoppable the other year for City but he's not been at that level for a year or two now.

Allezfan · May 20, 2015

blue4eva77 said:
Don't understand your comment that he disappeared in big games, European games ? Some of the best names to ever play the game have commented on him.

Scholes and Man U vastly underachieved in european football compared to their domestic domination. And he did the square root of nothing as an international player.

He never dominated the top level the way the likes of zidane or xavi or pirlo ever did. He just didn't. Look at pretty much every time united met a top team in europe for 15 years.

He was alright for an englishman, but nowhere near the truly world class. He had a decent shot on him but his passing was never as good as people make out.

blue4eva77 · May 20, 2015

Allezfan said:
Scholes and Man U vastly underachieved in european football compared to their domestic domination. And he did the square root of nothing as an international player.

He never dominated the top level the way the likes of zidane or xavi or pirlo ever did. He just didn't. Look at pretty much every time united met a top team in europe for 15 years.

He was alright for an englishman, but nowhere near the truly world class. He had a decent shot on him but his passing was never as good as people make out.

I think you have got Scholes mixed up with Nicky Butt mate.

I don't think you can compare the Premier League to the Champions league so you can't say they have vastly underachieved in comparison. Utd have been in numerous Champions league finals with Scholes in their squad and are pretty much regulars of the last 8 and beyond. They have matched the other biggest teams in europe with appearances in finals and semi's etc, so they haven't underachieved like you think.

........ and when was the last time an Englishmen actually did do something on the international scene. Not that they were great (they were a decent side though) but I seem to remember the England national side looking very lost from the moment Scholes quit international football.

Allezfan · May 20, 2015

blue4eva77 said:
I think you have got Scholes mixed up with Nicky Butt mate.

I don't think you can compare the Premier League to the Champions league so you can't say they have vastly underachieved in comparison. Utd have been in numerous Champions league finals with Scholes in their squad and are pretty much regulars of the last 8 and beyond. They have matched the other biggest teams in europe with appearances in finals and semi's etc, so they haven't underachieved like you think.

........ and when was the last time an Englishmen actually did do something on the international scene. Not that they were great (they were a decent side though) but I seem to remember the England national side looking very lost from the moment Scholes quit international football.

He started in 1 cl final, where he was subsituted due to not being effective and would have started in a second had he been available. Lets not overplay his european record. Karembeu's is better. He was ineffective against the top teams.

You can talk all you like about how zidane and xavi have told the press how good he is. Players always praise each other in the press, it's only polite. It's funny how none of his peers ever voted for him in the ballon dor elections, though. Where he never got a vote from anyone. And David Ginola did. Just saying.

spence03 · May 20, 2015

Roy Keane. Arsenal fan I work with says he was the only one who got close to dominating Vieira.

By the same token I can't remember Gerrard or Lampard doing too well against either Keane or Vieira Vieira.