Manc Slag Scoles-eh puts the boot in

[adrenachrome]

STARS CARE MORE ABOUT MONEY THAN THEIR COUNTRY SAYS PAUL SCHOLES

PAUL SCHOLES has launched an amazing attack on “selfish” England players who have used the international stage to earn lucrative moves to bigger clubs.

In a candid appraisal of life with the Three Lions, Scholes lifts the lid on why England have constantly failed in major tournaments, blaming past and current internationals for placing personal glory above team ethic.

For the first time, Scholes, rated by world class stars including Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Xavi as the best midfielder of his generation, reveals that the self-centred mindset of a number of his team-mates was one of the main reasons behind his international retirement at the age of 29.

He believes that selfishness and the pursuit of riches are hindering England’s ambitions under current manager Fabio Capello.

Scholes revealed: “I always felt when I first started going away with England that players at clubs like Aston Villa and similar clubs like that were always trying to use England as a way to get to a top club.

“You wondered, were they there for the right reason? I think they are very selfish people. It was there in my day and it’s still there. There are players who are looking to get their bit of glory, their bit of the headlines thinking ‘Oh I will get a move from this’. That is the biggest problem with England players. Most of them are just too selfish.”


He admits that the players from the bigger clubs like his own, Manchester United, would become unsettled by the actions of the wannabes.

“It was a frustration for the United players,” he added. “They could see that some players were wanting to do enough to get to a big club.

“Everyone wants more money but was this the right environment to try and do that? I suppose it was one of the reasons for me stopping playing for England.
   
“I got fed up. When you are going into a team, you want to be part of that team and playing well, but there are individuals who are after personal glory. When there is a simple pass of 10 yards, they might try and smack it 80 yards. They will do things to try and get themselves noticed.

“If you look at the Spain team now, they all seem to play for each other. There isn’t one of them who would try to do something in a game that doesn’t suit the team and the way they play.”

Scholes refutes the suggestion he quit England because of the then England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson playing him out of position, wide on the left. “No, that was never a problem. I played on the left for United I don’t know how many times. I probably had my most successful time scoring goals in that position so it was never a problem,” he stated. But Scholes, who brought down the curtain on a glittering career in May to concentrate on coaching, does concur with Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher’s controversial view that, for some players, losing in an England shirt didn’t hurt as much as in your club attire.

“I still hated losing whether it was Manchester United or England,” he said. “Maybe that’s half the problem then if players are going into that squad and not caring about it. There’s definitely an element of what Jamie said about not being bothered about England losing.”

An audience with the modest midfielder comes around about as often as a sighting of Haley’s Comet but they are always worth the wait. He is held in such esteem with the Old Trafford faithful that already 50,000 tickets have been sold for his testimonial next month. Manchester United fans know the quiet family man is a complete antithesis to today’s bling and fling footballer. Scholes doesn’t do hype, clearly shown by another of his reasons behind England’s embarrassing fade-outs in the big tournaments.

“We’re the favourites every time (in major tournaments) and we will probably be again next time,” he said.

“We will beat Macedonia 6-0 in the qualifiers and we’ll be 5-1 favourites for the World Cup. It’s just the way we are. I think it’s quite laughable, don’t you? It’s just the mentality of English people, we think we’re going to win everything.

“If we went to the Euros or World Cup, I was hoping we’d win. I felt I was in a good team, especially with Glenn Hoddle in France (World Cup 1998). I thought we had a good chance then.

“England go to these tournaments with the greatest of hopes when really the reality of winning something is not really there because there are so many good teams. The French of a few years ago, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, we are not as good as them.”

It’s also clear to see now why Scholes knocked back Capello’s attempts to bring him back on board for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Scholes declared: “I think under Glenn Hoddle and Eriksson you knew the way you were playing. But I am thinking how England play now and I don’t really know. I do watch the games but does Gareth Barry play? Do you have a holding midfielder, one up front? I couldn’t tell you England’s style of play.”

Maybe in a few years Scholes will be able to make the same impact as a coach as he has as an outstanding player.

He will discuss his new role with manager Sir Alex Ferguson when he returns from holiday later in the month.

“I think it will be more hands-on coaching (rather than an ambassadorial position) maybe with the reserves,” he said. “What I would do – whatever level I went in at – is to try and make them play the style of football I like to be played.”

Would-be prima donnas look away now.

[Lucky Eddie]

Scholes telling me about putting England above self - APRIL THE FIRST OR WHAT!

[luke25]

We already knew this but its refreshing to hear it from the other side too.

[Caiphus]

When he last played for England, wasn't the only Villa player in the squad Jlloyd Samuel?

[Dante Lavelli]

Clappy thing for Scholes.
I wonder which player he had in mind when he specifically named us?
Barry? Vassell? Southgate?

Despite the Clappy comment above I'm not sure he's completely right here. I actually think it's the Man U type players who are the problem. They've already made it... I reckon a squad of English players on the periphery of the squad - from clubs like villa, everton etc- would feel so privileged, and work so damn hard (for each other) that they'd out perform the squad full of primadona like Ferdinand and Gerrard.

[KevinGage]

Barry and Mouthgate would be the standout candidates, bearing in mind his retirement date vis a vis England.

We could go the way off being miffed at the slight re 'top' club, but you know what he means.
Man U players probably haven't seen us as that for a very long time. Doubt they'd be fazed by history lessons, still holding the record for most England internationals and so forth.

[placeforparks]

it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.

[Nev]

Despite the constant presence of a core of undroppable players, the blame for Englands failure lies elsewhere once again.

We will never learn.

[placeforparks]

you don't win anything with villa players.

[Arsey]

I can be bothered to read all that but it is hard to argue that the bit in bold isn't true

[darren woolley]

I've always thought that when players pull on a England shirt the players think of themselves now other players have noticed it too.

[eastie]

it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.

I'd say Barry did eventually.

[LeeB]

It's funny that he mentions people trying 80 yard passes instead of the simple ball, when the worst perpertrators of this were Beckham, Gerrard and Lampard, who as far as I can remember never pulled on a Villa shirt, or that of a "simillar club".

It seems to me that in his 'honesty', Scholes has actually said more about the attitude of players from his club and the other big hitters, an "us and them" attitude which probably explains why those on the outside of their cozy cliques are so desperate to get in.

[mrfuse]

I agree with his comments to an extent England willl never be a great team again because their are too many greedy, selfish,overpaid,overated players but i also i agree with the comment that the players at the top teams are just as bad as the players in other teams.

I think because Fergie has been so dominant at United especially with the likes of players like Scholes that they had it driven in to them that United is the most important thing nothing else.

If we had more players like scholes we would have a chance, he reminds me of the current type of players in the spanish team.

I could be wrong because i dont follow them as closely but you get the impression that players like Iniesta, Xavi, Alonso are decent people that have a more grounded upbringing.
The opposite of most of our England team, Im sure they enjoy the money but dont get distracted with what that money brings.

Im fed up of our current England team and most of the modern day footballers when you see footage and documentaries of past England teams like the one that one the world cup that was a time when you felt proud of the national team not the knob heads of today!

[placeforparks]

it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.

I'd say Barry did eventually.

he spent a whole summer learning the words to "you'll never walk alone". he only signed for man city when they showed him a powerpoint presentation in some desert and a few zeroes on a slip of paper.