Football News: Physical Power or Passing Prowess.

Image from: Tuttosport.com

I was browsing the deep dark corners of the Internet just a second ago, trust me I wasn't doing what you'd expect in those deep dark corners - I know! It surprised me too!

Anyway, as I'm foraging around websites I've never been on, reading articles by journalists I've never heard of and ignoring emails about an African Prince who desperate needs my help I stumble upon a quote from Andreas Pirlo (one which appears to have made it's way around the net and is now featured in an article in the MEN).

Andreas Pirlo (Juventus)- "I have been so fortunate to have played with so many incredible players throughout my career, but if I could pick one that I never got the chance to play with, it would be Paul Scholes".

Zidane (Real Madrid), Henry (Arsenal), Xavi (Barcelona), Lippi, Blanc (Paris Saint Germain), Davids, Sir Bobby (Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo - these are just some of the names that see Scholes as the benchmark of midfielders, some who wish to have played with him and had the unfortunate fate of playing against him. Yet with all these professionals the English media and the fans are unable to recognise that Paul Scholes could quite possibly be the greatest midfield player our shores have ever seen and perhaps even the greatest midfield player ever to step foot into the footballing arenas.

For Manchester United fans it seems another English talent has been overlooked, that player of course being Michael Carrick. The classy playmaker has been ever present in the Midfield of Manchester United and before that Tottenham Hotspur for well over a decade now but he has also never been graced with such admiration and respect that the likes of Pirlo, Alonso, Xavi and co. have in recent years - not from the shores of Great Britain anyway.

Sir Alex Ferguson, also known as the godfather of football believes that Michael Carrick is the best English Midfielder in the game currently, we can expect the bias but Mr. Ferguson didn't become a sir for making ridiculous comments, he's a smart, intelligent man and he understands football more than anyone of us could ever dream. Xavi also earmarked him as the danger man in the 2009 Champions League Final.

The English Game has long since been one that overlooks technique and instead favours a more traditional athletic style of player. A central midfielder with high levels of stamina and strength has and will always be preferred to the little technical messiahs.

The most iconic example being that Paul Scholes was pushed out to the left wing in order to accommodate a midfield of Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) and Frank Lampard (Chelsea) - two fantastic players in their own right but neither had the rare ability that Paul possessed.

Another example, closer to home for Manchester United fans and not strictly related to the first XI is that of Larnell Cole. A few years ago Manchester United had a new Class of '92, 3 players who were destined to take this world by storm, 1 did and the other two appear to have fallen away into he depths of the football league. Paul Pogba of course being the talent that survived, Ravel Morrison has let personal incidents cloud his talent and then we had the next Roy Keane - Ryan Tunnicliffe, so much was expected and so little was delivered.

Tunners, as he's also affectionately known was a talented young midfielder who had a lot of attributes that British coaches love, he was strong, had high levels of energy, played from box to box with ease and knew how to play a tidy pass. Next to Tunners in midfield was Young Larnell Cole, heavily compared to Paul Scholes in size and stature, his strongest attributes were his passing ability and technique, his passing could be spectacular but what stopped Larnell from progressing was the coaches belief that he was too small of a player to contend and perhaps if he was playing in Spain he may have fulfilled his potential.

Players like Scott Parker, Jack Rodwell (Sunderland), Jordan Henderson, etc. have been preferred to players like Tom Huddlestone (Hull City), Michael Carrick & Gareth Barry (Everton).

It's absolutely crazy that the guys with the best physical attributes are fast tracked ahead of those with incredible footballing ability. There's a place for physicality and technique in the modern game but in a straight up choice it's evident that England remain stuck in the past, unable to see past their love for athletes.

Written by Jordan Lombard June 03 2015 20:43:11