Date: 21st January 2012 at 11:29am
Written by:

Michael Carrick’s importance to the team has been highlighted in recent months with his solid displays in the middle of the pitch.

Much maligned, Carrick’s performances have improved to the extent that those who previously cursed his place in team now laud his selection.

Carrick has benefitted from having the energetic Phil Jones beside him, the younger Jones has allowed for him to really pull the strings for United and he has even managed to get two goals this season!

Carrick will always be compared to the United greats that preceded him and sadly that is one of the things that has been held against him, for some he simply will never match up. But what better endorsement is there than one of these players coming out and fighting your corner?

Paul Scholes is a lasting reminder of United’s strength in midfield and even at 37 he ranks amongst the better midfielders in the league so his words of praise and encouragement for Carrick should be an eye opener for those that are yet to recognise the improvement he has made this term as well as his general ability.

Speaking in United Review, the club’s official matchday programme, Scholes enthused:

“From playing with him, from Ryan Giggs playing with him, from Wayne Rooney playing with him, we all recognise how important he is to the team and at the end of the day that’s the important thing: that your team-mates know what you’re doing in the team. As long as they and the manager are happy, that’s all that matters.”

“Michael is a different breed to the likes of Nicky (Butt) and Roy (Keane),” he admits. “They were brilliant and so is Michael, in a different way. He brings a calmness to the game and he parades around the pitch like a Rolls Royce. He’s a great athlete and he has quality too, which helps.”

 

7 responses to “Scholes Hails United’s ‘Rolls Royce’”

  1. Rafael says:

    Pleasd dont jump on it dude..it was jus d xmas period against nt so high quality teams he playd well..against betr teams he wil bulk undr pressure..forget barca v wont beat real wit him in d middle.

  2. Jolly says:

    Look, i’ve been a MASSIVE critic of Carrick in the past. I mean, i was hoping that Gibson was going to take his place at one point that’s how bad i got!

    But now i have calmed down and actually watched him when he plays and my opinion has changed completely.

    I agree, he does make mistakes, but don’t all players?!?!? I mean even Messi screws up on occasion!!!

    It’s the way that he plays and the position that highlights the mistakes rather than the amount or the size of the mistakes. He plays in all but the most pivotal position of the entire team, the Central midfielder is the linch-pin of any team, (except teams like Stoke who simply by-pass the midfield and go route one to the enourmous forwards!!)

    Therefore, if you watch, he has the ball probably more than most players on the pitch and so when he does lose it or make a poor pass, its in an area that we need to be able to cover quickly. In recent years when Rio and Vidic were on top form, this was easy and they could handle anything and if one slipped through we had a solid keeper to save what the missed. Now however, with a very inconsistant back four and two keepers who are still, lets face it, in their infancy his mistakes are much more serious and happen in locations that we need to be secure if we are to keep any kind of consistency.

    So if you take into account the amount he is on the ball and his pass completion rate, i would say that we fans need to give him a lot more credit and start realising that we do have a quality player on our hands.

    As the article says, if the players and the manager support you, there is nothing we fans need to worry about!!

    I for one, am championing Carrick this season and so far the guy has not let me down.

  3. Andrew says:

    I’m supporting Carrick and have been for a while, although its true that it reached a staged where I wanted him sold. He is a terrific player when he’s on form, but he does have limitation. I think he has shown that we should never sell him, he has too much quality.

    However I would also say that we need more quality midfielder’s around him and in the squad. He is a great soldier, but maybe not a leader in truly important football games. We still haven’t seen him play alongside Cleverley, which is a shame, because I feel it could be a good partnership.

    I think its unfair for some fans to keep saying that against Barcelona he will flop, because the truth is most players will. Xavi and Iniesta are incredible, as is Fabregas. Carrick shouldn’t be hammered because he can’t match them. We do have to accept that Barcelona are truly an incredible team and the best of our generation. We shouldn’t feel ashamed because we might not catch them.

    Hopefully tomorrow Carrick will be on form against Arsenal. I think we will play three in the middle, with Carrick, Jones and Giggs. We should then play Nani, Rooney and Valencia as the front three.

  4. henry says:

    Someone shud pls tell dis dude to stop writing tins dat r not true the fact carrick wnt be in d 1st eleven of any team in d top 10 of d premier league table he won’t evn sit on the bench of newcastle

  5. Rafael says:

    Lol..sum1 comparing messi wid carrick..watch sumthin else dude..nd to all carrick supporters lets talk aftr feb end since hi quality teams r up nxt..he wil bulk undr pressure