Masterclass shows how irreplaceable this star is
The midfielder has shown he doesn’t intend on slowing down any time soon with some great performances in the twilight of his career but despite this we all know he can’t go on forever and last night against Celtic he not only showed how good he still is but also why he will be sorely missed and damn near impossible to replace.
Last night was a Paul Scholes masterclass, Berbatov maybe getting all the praise but for the 45 minutes he was on the field it was Scholes who ran the show. His vision and passing were a joy to behold and we were given a precursor to what we were about to see when he laid off a what can only be described as a dream ball to Gabriel Obertan in the opening minutes of the game.
The cross field balls he played were a joy to watch as they landed at the feet of whoever he picked out. A true playmaker in every sense of the word his reading of the game allowed him to determine the outcome of all and everything. You may think I’m being too generous in my praise but here is where you see the difference he makes.
Come 45 minutes Scholes was taken off and the change was there for all to see. Our attack didn’t look as sharp without him there to pull the strings and it’s no coincidence that Celtic got back into the game without him there to dictate the tempo of the game in the middle of the park.
This isn’t a slight on Gibson or Fletcher who were on the field at the time but it was noticeable and there are few other midfielders in the wold that could have done as good a job as him. We’ve talked about who could possibly replace him but after watching him last night it just reaffirms for me the stance most of us have taken in regards to the job, nobody can fill the role.
If this is indeed his last season, I suggest you fully appreciate his work because we may never see a player of his talents and abilities again.