Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: adrenachrome on July 10, 2011, 02:08:48 AM
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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.
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Scholes telling me about putting England above self - APRIL THE FIRST OR WHAT!
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We already knew this but its refreshing to hear it from the other side too.
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When he last played for England, wasn't the only Villa player in the squad Jlloyd Samuel?
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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.
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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.
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it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.
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Despite the constant presence of a core of undroppable players, the blame for Englands failure lies elsewhere once again.
We will never learn.
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you don't win anything with villa players.
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I can be bothered to read all that but it is hard to argue that the bit in bold isn't true
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I've always thought that when players pull on a England shirt the players think of themselves now other players have noticed it too.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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I have a lot of time for Scholes, an excellent professional and "that goal" he scored against us at Villa Park will live long in the memory, despite it pissing me off at the time. I think he unfortunately makes some very good points.
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I actually liked Scholes as a player, and can't disagree with what he says here. The assertion that it hurts less for players when they lose playing for England rather than for their club is pretty undeniable and reflects much of what is wrong with today's game. Having said that I feel the same about club vs country.
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You could put some creedence on what he has said if he wasn't one of the "billy big bollocks" tapping them up!
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couldnt give a shit what some over rated ginga manc who quit england thinks...
he is targeting the wrong people, as its actually half his mates from the sky four who are ****** and have consistantly let england down...
he was one of them himself before he quit...
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In terms of revelations, this is up there with "Pope embraces Catholicism" and "Bear takes steaming dump in woodland glade".
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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.
I think Scholes is saying they wanted the moves to clubs who paid the biggest wages, in that respect both Barry & Southgate got what they wanted.
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We were picked at random, surely.
He isn't wrong mind ..... we are just that club.
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While eating his cornflakes this morning ''Stewie'' Downing read that aricle and shuffled uncomfortably in his chrome swivel-chair.
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I'm not so sure he picked our name at random. I remember Ferguson referring to Villa as "a good little side" back in the mid-nineties. I think Fergie has instilled an air of disdain in his players about Aston Villa - it's part of the reason why they have developed this great winning record against us these past fifteen years.
The problem here is that we haven't had a manager or leadership at the club these past fifteen years with the balls and winning mentality to tell Fergie and Man Utd where to go. It's time for us to give them a good, old-fashioned Villa Park hiding - the natural order needs to be restored.
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The ginger whinger seems to be in need of scapegoats for the fact that England teams peopled almost entirely by United, Chelsea and Liverpool players weren't rolling over the world's elite in the manner thay were in the EPL and having their tummies ticked by the media as they were in their club shirts.
Fact is, everyone of those Villa players were there on merit, not because of who they played for. Could the same be said of his mate Neville.
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I'm not so sure he picked our name at random. I remember Ferguson referring to Villa as "a good little side" back in the mid-nineties. I think Fergie has instilled an air of disdain in his players about Aston Villa - it's part of the reason why they have developed this great winning record against us these past fifteen years.
The problem here is that we haven't had a manager or leadership at the club these past fifteen years with the balls and winning mentality to tell Fergie and Man Utd where to go. It's time for us to give them a good, old-fashioned Villa Park hiding - the natural order needs to be restored.
uh-huh..................and this hiding.......how exactly is that going to happen pray tell......................maybe if we can persuade Messi to partner Bent and have Milner back.
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I'm not sure who he's referring to, he first started "going away with England" in 97/98.
As for Scholes himself, my brother-in-law who is that rare breed, a Red Manc, tells me that Scholes is the exception up there. The most down to earth bloke you can imagine, who you'd more likely see having a quiet pint in some back street pub with a childhood mate than out in some flash, poxy wine bar in the centre of town. The bloke, despite his wealth and fame seems to find comfort sticking to his roots.
Barry Bannan couldn't pick a better role model, both on and off the pitch. As Xavi said, "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. He's spectacular, he has it all, the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision. If he'd been Spanish he might have been rated more highly. Players love him."
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I like MK have a lot of time for Scholes, and agree that BBannan and Delph could do a lot worse than modelling themselves on him.
Regarding England the impression i always get is there are at least 2 kind of players, the wannabees to hwho hes referring, Southgate certainly falls into that category, as does Barry, and the egos, of which Lampard and Gerrard fall into.Its all about Lampard when he plays, and Gerrard has never played as well for England as well as he has for Lplop.
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I think his comments stem from the recent behaviour of the likes of Milner and Downing as much as the players he played with for England. I respect him as an individual for his character (off the pitch) but I detest him for the number of straight red cards he should have received but never did.
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I detest him for the number of straight red cards he should have received but never did.
Sure but you can't blame him for that. Blame the referees or Fergie. You do raise a good point though, Scholes was a nasty little bastard when he wanted to be.
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He does come across as a decent bloke, I've seen him a few times on TV at non PL games with his son which makes me think he's trying to bring him up to realise that there's more to football than Manu.
He's spot on with his comments too.
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I think his comments stem from the recent behaviour of the likes of Milner and Downing as much as the players he played with for England. I respect him as an individual for his character (off the pitch) but I detest him for the number of straight red cards he should have received but never did.
Agree with the fist part. Like it or not, we are a stepping stone and have been since the mid nineties. Every single time one of our players performs for England, the very next transfer window the either leave or intense rumours of them leaving start followed by them leaving during the next window.
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I'm not so sure he picked our name at random. I remember Ferguson referring to Villa as "a good little side" back in the mid-nineties. I think Fergie has instilled an air of disdain in his players about Aston Villa - it's part of the reason why they have developed this great winning record against us these past fifteen years.
The problem here is that we haven't had a manager or leadership at the club these past fifteen years with the balls and winning mentality to tell Fergie and Man Utd where to go. It's time for us to give them a good, old-fashioned Villa Park hiding - the natural order needs to be restored.
uh-huh..................and this hiding.......how exactly is that going to happen pray tell......................maybe if we can persuade Messi to partner Bent and have Milner back.
That's the spirit!
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Did alright for himself considering he couldn't tackle a fish supper.
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Clappy thing for Scholes.
I wonder which player he had in mind when he specifically named us?
Barry? Vassell? Southgate?
More like Barry, Milner, Young and Downing...absolutely no coincidence that as soon as AY and SD start getting involved in the England squad that they start manufacturing a move to increase their wages. In all honesty, you cant really blame them either.
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Typical of most of the arrogant comments that tend to come from anyone associated with ManU.
I suppose the Utd players in the England team think that everyone else is beneath them and should keep passing the ball to them, not try and show that they can play too. How dare these lowly Villa types get ideas above their station!
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it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.
Probably because Southgate (just like Downing), wasn't good enough. He thought he was, but everyone else knew otherwise.
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How does he know? Has he been hacking their phones?
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Clappy thing for Scholes.
I wonder which player he had in mind when he specifically named us?
Barry? Vassell? Southgate?
More like Barry, Milner, Young and Downing...
None of whom will have ever been in an England squad with Paul Scholes. So they're obviously not the players that he's talking about.
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This would be the Paul Scholes that retired from international football. No one put a gun to his head, he decided to call it a day. He did so at the time with the precise explanation that he wanted to extend his club career.
In 2006, he was also offered a place in the England squad for the World Cup finals. Not the drudge of qualifiers, but the finals themselves. He said no.
Fuck off Scholes.
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I was stuck in traffic on the M1 tonight going south from brum to London. I was listening to an interview with John Barnes on TS (I know, but it was a long journey) and he was very good.
At the end, Paul Scholes' quote was brought up. John Barnes said, 'Actually, this is true, not for the other 'Aston Villa' clubs but for Man Utd. players and for other 'big' club players for England.' (He was talking about Liverpool but the same thing applies to Chelsea and whoever else in that position, after 1993.)
He continued, 'They are so elitist that they think all the England players should think that way and react that way.'
Scholes is not describing anybody else but the 'big clubs players' when he says that 'England players' try harder and pass longer and wilder, and by doing so, screw everything up, because they are trying to impress. 'They play for the very biggest clubs and so they think that they are the best - therefore they will go for the impossible pass. The England team will not improve until everybody in it thinks he is equal.'
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I don't think he used our name by accident because even though he didn't play alongside the likes of Barry, Milner, Ash or Downing, he's still close enough to the set up to know that those players (and others from similar sized clubs) use the England get togethers to get a move. I say it wasn't an accident because it's pretty common knowledge that of all of the clubs in the past few years we've been done the most.
You just know during England get togethers the agents for these players are all rubbing shoulders with representatives of the "bigger teams" angling for that next big deal. And we wonder why England will forever onwards win fuck all because the players are talking money, cars, big clubs instead concentrating on being the best they can be for their country.
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I have some agreement with that because I saw how many times Capello turned up at VP last season. Althoug I'm very pleased for one of our players when they get named as a full international, the other part of my mind is thinking, 'Great, and what happens when they get tapped up by the big-club room mate?' AAArgh!
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He may be right about some players using England as a means to engineer a big money move, but to imply that it was only the players from the more powerful clubs like Man Yoo that genuinely cared about playing for England simply doesn't wash. The core of "undroppables" that have represented England over the last 10 to 15 years are Gerrard, Lampard, Campbell, Ferdinand, Rooney, Beckham, Terry, Owen, Neville, the two Coles, Shearer and Scholes himself. All bar Shearer from the SKy 4 clubs. It is them that have consistently failed to perform at major tournaments. To blame it on the wannabes is feeble revisionism and utter bollocks.
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it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.
Probably because Southgate (just like Downing), wasn't good enough. He thought he was, but everyone else knew otherwise.
Didn't Southgate miss out on a move to Chelsea due to him playing for us in the Intertoto and thus becoming cup-tied in Europe?
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I like Scholes, always have. He's about as honest a footballer as you will get in the last 10 or more years. No agent for him squeezing the last drop out of his employer, no stories of him in the tabloids for the wrong reasons, no pictures of tacky barn conversions, no pictures of tacky top of the range car conversions, no stupid oversized head phones hanging from his neck, nothing about his WAG.
He played football and was very good at it (the tackling apart) for a long time. If we had a few more or they were all like him at the top level the game would be in a much better state.
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Clappy thing for Scholes.
I wonder which player he had in mind when he specifically named us?
Barry? Vassell? Southgate?
More like Barry, Milner, Young and Downing...
None of whom will have ever been in an England squad with Paul Scholes. So they're obviously not the players that he's talking about.
Southgate & Ehiogu.
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Hendrie, Collymore, Merson, Dublin?
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it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.
Probably because Southgate (just like Downing), wasn't good enough. He thought he was, but everyone else knew otherwise.
Didn't Southgate miss out on a move to Chelsea due to him playing for us in the Intertoto and thus becoming cup-tied in Europe?
That might have been. Of course it was pre Abramovich when Chelsea were not much bigger then us. Cuddly Ken was in charge who was one of the few chairman that made Doug look decent but they had the plus point of London and some aging Europeans who helped sell the club in the media slightly better.
I think Southgate believed Arse were going to need him to replace Adams or Manure to replace Bruce. Instead he went to Middlesvilla to replace Pallister. The trouble was he was good in a 3 CH back line but average when playing with two central defenders and then top clubs were going that way.
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Hendrie, Collymore, Merson, Dublin?
All of which didn't get anything better after us.
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it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.
Probably because Southgate (just like Downing), wasn't good enough. He thought he was, but everyone else knew otherwise.
Didn't Southgate miss out on a move to Chelsea due to him playing for us in the Intertoto and thus becoming cup-tied in Europe?
That might have been. Of course it was pre Abramovich when Chelsea were not much bigger then us. Cuddly Ken was in charge who was one of the few chairman that made Doug look decent but they had the plus point of London and some aging Europeans who helped sell the club in the media slightly better.
I think Southgate believed Arse were going to need him to replace Adams or Manure to replace Bruce. Instead he went to Middlesvilla to replace Pallister. The trouble was he was good in a 3 CH back line but average when playing with two central defenders and then top clubs were going that way.
I think it was the Matthew Harding era of Chelsea when they were getting access to significant funds for the first time.
When it was just Ken Bates pulling the strings we were signing their captain off them (Andy Townsend).
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&:
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Inadvertantly he's distilled everything that the modern footballer feels about playing for his country. If you play for a top club it's a chore and you'll use any excuse to get out of it; if you come from any other club, it's a chance to put yourself in the shop window for a move.
Struggling to buy into the salt-of-the-earth Scholsey line. He essentially gave up on the ultimate challenge of every footballer with aspirations to greatness (winning the World Cup) at 29 because he felt that those around him were not worthy of himself and his ManU mates. Anyone with issues about the conduct of former Villa players can put whatever spin on it they like to find agreement with him but what he's essentially doing is showing disdain for our club.
Still, he likes a pint with his mates and doesn't have a Ferrari, so that's all right then.
Interestingly, playing with Cristiano Ronaldo - someone else more intent on making an impression to catch the eye of a "bigger" club than playing the simple ball - never seemed to trouble him to the point of walking away from the game.
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Inadvertantly he's distilled everything that the modern footballer feels about playing for his country. If you play for a top club it's a chore and you'll use any excuse to get out of it; if you come from any other club, it's a chance to put yourself in the shop window for a move.
Struggling to buy into the salt-of-the-earth Scholsey line. He essentially gave up on the ultimate challenge of every footballer with aspirations to greatness (winning the World Cup) at 29 because he felt that those around him were not worthy of himself and his ManU mates. Anyone with issues about the conduct of former Villa players can put whatever spin on it they like to find agreement with him but what he's essentially doing is showing disdain for our club.
Still, he likes a pint with his mates and doesn't have a Ferrari, so that's all right then.
Interestingly, playing with Cristiano Ronaldo - someone else more intent on making an impression to catch the eye of a "bigger" club rather than playing the simple ball - never seemed to trouble him to the point of walking away from the game.
Exactly. The squeaking Manc slag can go and fuck himself with a rusty dildo.
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it's funny because neither barry or southgate ended up at the 'top' clubs they were attempting to engineer a move to.
Probably because Southgate (just like Downing), wasn't good enough. He thought he was, but everyone else knew otherwise.
Didn't Southgate miss out on a move to Chelsea due to him playing for us in the Intertoto and thus becoming cup-tied in Europe?
That might have been. Of course it was pre Abramovich when Chelsea were not much bigger then us. Cuddly Ken was in charge who was one of the few chairman that made Doug look decent but they had the plus point of London and some aging Europeans who helped sell the club in the media slightly better.
I think Southgate believed Arse were going to need him to replace Adams or Manure to replace Bruce. Instead he went to Middlesvilla to replace Pallister. The trouble was he was good in a 3 CH back line but average when playing with two central defenders and then top clubs were going that way.
I think it was the Matthew Harding era of Chelsea when they were getting access to significant funds for the first time.
When it was just Ken Bates pulling the strings we were signing their captain off them (Andy Townsend).
I doubt it as Harding was dead in 96 when we signed Southgate. Yes he left a legacy but Chelsea were in financial trouble as it ran out just before the Abramovich came through. As I originally said, the Chelsea move might have been on the cards, but apart from the media bias, they were not much diffeerent to us apart from wininng a cup or two. They were definitely not a Big 3 or 4 side at the time when it seemed Southgate was touting for a title challenging side.
As an aside, I remember when the helicopter crash was reported and on Beeb breakfast, they did not know who was on board. As the male presenter was covering in other news you could hear the woman co-presnter go "Oh No" and then they went back to the studio and she announced it was Harding. My first thought was she must be a Chelsea fan, my second was wondering how Ken had manage to pull that off.
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Inadvertantly he's distilled everything that the modern footballer feels about playing for his country. If you play for a top club it's a chore and you'll use any excuse to get out of it; if you come from any other club, it's a chance to put yourself in the shop window for a move.
Struggling to buy into the salt-of-the-earth Scholsey line. He essentially gave up on the ultimate challenge of every footballer with aspirations to greatness (winning the World Cup) at 29 because he felt that those around him were not worthy of himself and his ManU mates. Anyone with issues about the conduct of former Villa players can put whatever spin on it they like to find agreement with him but what he's essentially doing is showing disdain for our club.
Still, he likes a pint with his mates and doesn't have a Ferrari, so that's all right then.
Interestingly, playing with Cristiano Ronaldo - someone else more intent on making an impression to catch the eye of a "bigger" club than playing the simple ball - never seemed to trouble him to the point of walking away from the game.
Whether he played for himself or the team, I don't think anyone can argue that Ronaldo did not deliver on the pitch for Utd.
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Clappy thing for Scholes.
I wonder which player he had in mind when he specifically named us?
Barry? Vassell? Southgate?
More like Barry, Milner, Young and Downing...absolutely no coincidence that as soon as AY and SD start getting involved in the England squad that they start manufacturing a move to increase their wages. In all honesty, you cant really blame them either.
Platt came back from Italia 90 learning Italian
Steve Hodge?
Villa fans should hate our players playing for England, it always screws them up.
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I like Scholes, always have. He's about as honest a footballer as you will get in the last 10 or more years. No agent for him squeezing the last drop out of his employer, no stories of him in the tabloids for the wrong reasons, no pictures of tacky barn conversions, no pictures of tacky top of the range car conversions, no stupid oversized head phones hanging from his neck, nothing about his WAG.
Have you seen his missus?
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(http://totalfootballmadness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Claire-x.jpeg)
(http://www.offthepost.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/paul-scholes-party-animal.jpg)
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(http://totalfootballmadness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Claire-x.jpeg)
(http://www.offthepost.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/paul-scholes-party-animal.jpg)
An interview question from Mrs Merton to the lovely Debbie McGhee springs readily to mind
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I like Scholes, always have. He's about as honest a footballer as you will get in the last 10 or more years. No agent for him squeezing the last drop out of his employer, no stories of him in the tabloids for the wrong reasons, no pictures of tacky barn conversions, no pictures of tacky top of the range car conversions, no stupid oversized head phones hanging from his neck, nothing about his WAG.
Have you seen his missus?
No I haven't and I'm not interested in the slightest what she looks like or, where she's going on holiday to or, which restaurant or night club she might have come out from early in the morning looking worse than she possibly already looks.
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(http://totalfootballmadness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Claire-x.jpeg)
(http://www.offthepost.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/paul-scholes-party-animal.jpg)
An interview question from Mrs Merton to the lovely Debbie McGhee springs readily to mind
The squeaking sun dodging herpes-infested Manc slag.
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Scholes one of my favourite players outside my own club,
absolutley one of the best of all time in the prem, but to say he's in the class of Xavi and Iniesta as AF has said this week is going to far,
yes great premieship player, but not great in Europe or as a international,
i remember the 'golden generation' of Englands midfield, Scholes,Lampard,Gerrard and Beckham in the euro's all were crap, and if you tried to pick who was the worst you would be hard pushed but i reckon it was Scholes probably because of the heat, when he returned he quit.
this was always the case in any major international tournament,
compare that to the Barca midfield and theres a massive difference
then when did Scholes play in the Man Utd midfield that took all before them and blased a trail accross Europe, al Barcalona,
it never happened, yes they won the champs league twice once when he didnt play and they got jammy in injury time,
and once they bored us to death and won because Terry couldnt stand up straight to take a pen, hardly inspiring
as much as i like Scholes as a player and a person,. he never proved himself at top international level, and to put him on par with the Barca pair is overating his talent