“I don’t know why anyone would want to be a goalkeeper. It is a hard position to do well.”
― Paul Scholes
“Let me be clear: I am sick of having to criticise the club which I gave my life to as a footballer.”
― Paul Scholes
“It’s the thing I miss about football, I suppose: being with the team day-in day-out, getting a team ready for a Saturday afternoon, or getting yourself ready for a Saturday afternoon – it’s the most difficult part.”
― Paul Scholes
“I played for 20 years for Sir Alex Ferguson, and he could be a scary man.”
― Paul Scholes
“Sometimes fear can bring performances out from you.”
― Paul Scholes
“You knew where you stood with Sir Alex Ferguson.”
― Paul Scholes
“I suppose I should have realised that the very fact I was still playing for United at 38 years old was a sign that there was not enough pressure on us senior players from those coming into the side.”
― Paul Scholes
“Playing against Messi, as I’ve said before, is as tough a test of your concentration as any in football. At any moment, he can take the mickey out of you. Physically, it is demanding, but mentally even more so. You cannot switch off.”
― Paul Scholes
“Pirlo is a cool customer who does things in his own time. On the pitch, he just looks so relaxed, no matter what is going on around him. He is one of those greats who looks like he could run a midfield with a glass of red wine in one hand.”
― Paul Scholes
“I am always loath to assign goalkeepers too much importance, but you have to make an exception for the greats.”
― Paul Scholes
“Peter Schmeichel could make the goal look much smaller when you glanced up to hit a shot.”
― Paul Scholes
“As a young footballer at United, Steve Bruce was one of the senior pros I really admired.”
― Paul Scholes
“As a striker, as I originally was, and then an attacking midfielder, it has always been my aim in life to embarrass goalkeepers: to dominate them, to force them into mistakes.”
― Paul Scholes
“That is the issue with signing young players from other big European football nations – at some point, they will want to go home.”
― Paul Scholes
“The best goalkeeper I played with at United was Schmeichel. He was a phenomenon in training, never mind on match days. He just never wanted to concede, and he would do everything to stop you scoring.”
― Paul Scholes
“We know Mourinho can win league titles – he is brilliant at it – but how long can he do it at one club?”
― Paul Scholes
“The way a top team develops means that once you have won the league title, the natural step is to try to win the Champions League.”
― Paul Scholes
“St James’ Park was always, in the course of my career, a great place to play football, for the wildness of the crowd and the no-holds-barred football that both my team, Manchester United, and Newcastle would play.”
― Paul Scholes
“At United, my United, we had been honed into a ruthless team who played great football but, ultimately, were there to win football matches and league titles. At Newcastle, they could certainly play on their day, and the crowd was formidable, but there was a weakness – a vulnerability that you could seek out.”
― Paul Scholes
“As a club, there was never any middle ground with Newcastle. They were as high as the sky or in a pit of despair.”
― Paul Scholes
“I worked with many great assistants to Sir Alex Ferguson over the years. Yet sometimes a manager’s second-in-command is more suited to that role than any other. You confide in them – you tell them things that you would not tell the manager – and they are that bridge between the boss and the players.”
― Paul Scholes
“When a team is relegated, a new leader can help turn the page at a club.”
― Paul Scholes
“I like to watch batsmen who will entertain and, as things stand, an opening spell from Jimmy Anderson is about as good as it gets.”
― Paul Scholes
“There were players I shared a dressing room with who didn’t like each other. You don’t have to talk to each other. You just need to win matches.”
― Paul Scholes
“I never wanted to lose my place in the United team, much less my place at the club. What went on beyond the pitch was none of my business.”
― Paul Scholes
“For my whole career, I concentrated on that cycle of games from August to May and being mentally and physically ready.”
― Paul Scholes
“As players, we were paid to do a job we loved – in my case, at the club I supported. And nothing I did could be allowed to interfere with that. The manager would not have permitted it.”
― Paul Scholes
“I would never do anything to damage United, whoever the owners might be, and I am sure that no United fan would want me to do that.”
― Paul Scholes
“From United’s point of view, it is always difficult to tell just when a young footballer is going to mature into a first-class professional ready to play at the highest level, but the story of how Pogba slipped away from United has more than one strand to it.”
― Paul Scholes
“Little details about young footballers catch your eye when you have been around a big club for a long time. At first, it can be minor things, like the way certain young players stand out from the group when the academy lads cross paths with the senior team on their way to training in the morning.”
― Paul Scholes
“At first sight, Pogba was notable for his size and physicality, and when you got to know him, there was also a confidence about him.”
― Paul Scholes
“There was no better manager at developing young players than Sir Alex. He knew just when to bring them in and take them out, and he believed in Paul Pogba. For once, in Paul’s case, it did not work out. The timing was wrong, and the difference between expectation on the player’s side and the manager’s idea of his development did not match up.”
― Paul Scholes
“On my mum Marie’s side, my nana was from the Republic of Ireland, and my granddad was from the north. Lots of families in Manchester have strong Irish connections, but it never occurred to me to play for anyone other than England.”
― Paul Scholes
“When I watch Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund side, I see a manager who is determined to play in his opponent’s half, who is committed to attacking football, and, from the way he conducts himself on the touchline, is clearly an interesting, charismatic personality.”
― Paul Scholes
“At United, we like to have wingers who give the team width and pace.”
― Paul Scholes
“I do wonder whether the bigger the game is, the more the risks that David Luiz decides to take.”
― Paul Scholes
“You have to be careful when you time a move to one of the biggest clubs. Occasionally, these young players do not realise what a good thing they are on to when they know that they will be playing every week.”
― Paul Scholes
“There are times in the career of every young English footballer when they simply need to take their chance to establish themselves.”
― Paul Scholes
“Our modern coaching culture is not to put too much pressure on any one performance, to let an individual flourish over time.”
― Paul Scholes
“At some point, a young player has to grasp the opportunity and make himself undroppable.”
― Paul Scholes
“For any footballer who plays for Real Madrid in the modern era, the prospect of leaving the club must feel like a step down no matter where they go – but it does not have to be like that.”
― Paul Scholes
“In my years at United, I witnessed some signings who, over their careers, transformed the fortunes of the team. From Eric Cantona, when I was an apprentice, to Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Wayne Rooney. These were great footballers who became great United players.”
― Paul Scholes
“All good players need to be appreciated.”
― Paul Scholes
“The first time I retired, only Sir Alex Ferguson and I knew that the last league game of the 2010-11 season against Blackpool was to be my final game at Old Trafford. I was a little bit sad, but I am not one for tears. The end of a career comes to us all, and there is not a lot you can do about that.”
― Paul Scholes
“I got sent off a few times in my life, but I never lost my head. I mistimed tackles, and I made mistakes.”
― Paul Scholes
“The end of a career comes to us all, and there is not a lot you can do about that.”
― Paul Scholes
“When I finally quit for the second time in the summer of 2013, I had accepted that this really was the end, and, having got over that, the move into retirement was a lot easier.”
― Paul Scholes
“English clubs should not be pleased to go to places like Barcelona and get away without a thrashing. They should be able to compete. They have the resources.”
― Paul Scholes
“We played 63 games in the treble-winning season of 1999, and I cannot remember feeling tired once. We won the league title with the last game of the season, and along the way, we knew that in any game we could miss out on this chance of a lifetime to win all three. We had 22 players who were ready to be called on at any moment.”
― Paul Scholes
“Let me tell you what it is like playing against Messi. You are up against a footballer who can take the ball either side of you, and you have no idea which side that might be from any hint about his body-shape.”
― Paul Scholes
“My view is that you show Messi one side or the other, and if he goes past you, he goes past you. But if he slips it through your legs, then you have to obstruct him and take the foul. Just don’t ever let yourself be nutmegged.”
― Paul Scholes
“I knew the shirt-swapping business in general was getting out of hand when opponents would ask me for my shirt while we were still mid-match. Those are the wrong priorities.”
― Paul Scholes
“Things change, although I believe that certain principles – of attacking, entertaining football – should always be protected.”
― Paul Scholes
“Managers live and die by their recruitment.”
― Paul Scholes
“You buy the right players for the system that you believe will be successful.”
― Paul Scholes
“It is very difficult for me to breathe when it’s hot and humid.”
― Paul Scholes
“The hardest thing to coach is scoring goals and creativity.”
― Paul Scholes
“If you go down the leagues, you have to understand what level you’re working with, and if you get frustrated, then it’s not going to ever happen for you. That’s why a lot of managers don’t succeed where they should do.”
― Paul Scholes
“Part of being a Manchester United player under Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps the most important part of being one of United’s attacking players was that when you were in possession, you had to take risks in order to create goal-scoring chances. It was not an option; it was an obligation.”
― Paul Scholes
“In the periods of my career when I stopped passing the ball forward or when I stopped looking for the risky pass that might open up a defence, the consequences were the same. The manager stopped picking me. I got back into the team when I went back to doing it the way he wanted.”
― Paul Scholes
“United’s history was built on attacking football, which does not always mean that the team kept clean sheets or did not concede chances.”
― Paul Scholes
“To beat opposing teams, you have to attack, and to attack, you have to take risks.”
― Paul Scholes
“I was lucky enough to play at Old Trafford, and we always talked about the atmosphere on a Tuesday night, the special atmosphere you create, and the crowd is rocking when you go out for a warm-up.”
― Paul Scholes
“Saturday afternoon is the hardest thing. I can go out and watch games, but I’m constantly on my phone looking at results: what score is this, what score is that. You have no real involvement, but you’re obsessed with it.”
― Paul Scholes
“To go and watch Manchester United, whether it’s home or away, is entertainment; it’s goals – whether you concede goals or whether you can score goals.”
― Paul Scholes
“I expect positive play from Manchester United all the time, whether you’re at home or away.”
― Paul Scholes
“OK, so I never had a transfer in my career, but I used to love deadline day: Dimitar Berbatov turning up at Manchester airport with hours to go, Robinho coming to Manchester City instead of Chelsea.”
― Paul Scholes
“I don’t go looking for the post-match team pictures posted by players on Instagram, but usually, someone ends up showing them to me, or I notice them when they get printed in the newspapers.”
― Paul Scholes
“In my world, the dressing room was sacrosanct. The only time anyone was permitted to take pictures in there was when we had won a trophy.”
― Paul Scholes
“If you want a measure of how private a place the dressing room was when I was growing up at Manchester United, consider this: even Sir Alex Ferguson would knock before coming into the dressing room at the Cliff, the old training ground. The dressing room is for the players – and the players only.”
― Paul Scholes
“When you are playing for a top club, when the pressure is on, when scrutiny is everywhere, you need some privacy. You need a place away from public view where people can be open, and, at times, difficult conversations need to be had.”
― Paul Scholes
“At United, we never used to change our style much away from home. The aim was always to score goals and dominate the match.”
― Paul Scholes
“As a midfielder at United, I had to pass the ball forward, and yes, it did not always work. It did not always mean putting a chance on a plate for the strikers. It was up to them to get on the ball and score goals. Was it easy? No, but we were playing for United. It was not supposed to be easy.”
― Paul Scholes
“United fans don’t care if the team only has 40 per cent possession as long as they are watching an attacking team. My experience was that the supporters understood that even our best teams, even the teams with Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar in goal, were going to concede goals.”
― Paul Scholes
“I was fortunate to play with so many wonderful footballers and under the greatest manager of all time, but I do believe that a club’s ethos, the principles of how it plays, should outlive even the biggest individuals in its history.”
― Paul Scholes
“United are about attacking football, and everything else has to takes its place behind that.”
― Paul Scholes
“What I like about Pochettino is the way that he looks in control. He is in control of his players, in control of the way that they play.”
― Paul Scholes
“Playing in attack is difficult. You are under scrutiny, and you have to be able to deal with that.”
― Paul Scholes
“Martin Skrtel is good at rattling the opposing centre-forward.”
― Paul Scholes
“Modern managers have a lot of demands on them, and many feel, with justification, that they do not have the time to commit to watching the junior sides.”
― Paul Scholes
“As a finisher, there are few players as composed as Messi. When you can score as many different kinds of goal as he can, you have every reason to be confident.”
― Paul Scholes
“Messi is as famous as any footballer has ever been, and yet, when it comes down to it, we don’t know much about him. I read that he is a family man and likes to walk his dogs, but beyond that, he’s a mystery, really. I like that.”
― Paul Scholes
“’Elusive’ is the word that immediately springs to mind when I think about Messi’s style of play. You think you have an eye on him and then – blink – he has gone, only to reappear somewhere else in space, with the ball.”
― Paul Scholes
“The game changes so quickly, and you have to get yourself in a position mentally where you can deal with whatever is thrown at you.”
― Paul Scholes
“There is no doubt that my former manager Sir Alex exerted an influence over some referees. He was the master of dropping a comment into his Friday press conference – for instance, how long it had been since we had been given a penalty, or the treatment meted out to a player like Cristiano Ronaldo.”
― Paul Scholes
“It goes without saying that no one at United ever expected any help. We understood that decisions can go against you. We believed we were the better team, and therefore, if the referee got his decisions right, then we would win the vast majority of our games.”
― Paul Scholes
“As a player, I loved being tackled, whether it was in training or in a game. I took a full-blooded challenge as an invitation to do exactly the same thing to an opponent. I would wait for my opportunity and nine times out of 10, I would get him back.”
― Paul Scholes
“When I started as a pro at United, I played alongside Bryan Robson in the A-team and later in the senior side. With Bryan, it didn’t matter what level we were playing or which one of his team-mates got kicked. Within five minutes, you could guarantee that the opponent in question would be in a heap on the floor, courtesy of Bryan.”
― Paul Scholes
“There is something about a cup final that brings out a different quality in a footballer. Do they have the courage to win a one-off match?”
― Paul Scholes
“I won three FA Cup finals, two League Cup finals, and played in one of United’s two Champions League-winning finals. But I lost in a lot of finals, too: the FA Cup in 1995, 2005 and 2007, the League Cup in 2003, and the Champions League in 2009 and 2011.”
― Paul Scholes
“A cup final is all about seizing the moment. You cannot put right a mistake or a missed opportunity the following week.”
― Paul Scholes
“In some ways, I admire the principle of a manager who is determined that his team must play their own game.”
― Paul Scholes
“When I go into management, I want to do so with 100 per cent commitment.”
― Paul Scholes
“Managing a club like Oldham has to be an all-absorbing, seven-days-a-week commitment.”
― Paul Scholes
“When it came to playing Arsenal over the last eight years of my career at United, we always went into games against them feeling like we would win – and we usually did.”
― Paul Scholes
“My view is that the signing of players should be a simple process. The chief scout identifies them, the manager decides who he wants, and the chief executive is dispatched to do the deal. It really is as simple as that.”
― Paul Scholes
“If I was to become a manager, I would not want someone else to be signing the players for the team that my job depended on.”
― Paul Scholes
“I first remember Wayne Rooney from a game at Old Trafford in 2002 when he came on as a late substitute for Everton and, in a brilliant 15-minute performance, skipped past me on a couple of occasions.”
― Paul Scholes
“People say that Rooney could have been like Lionel Messi, a more prolific goalscorer who dribbles past opponents more. But they are different characters. You will never see Messi snapping around the heels of an opponent to win the ball back deep in his own half. Wayne does that all the time, and sometimes that enthusiasm will count against him.”
― Paul Scholes
“To continue playing late into your twenties in the same style that you once played as a teenager is not possible.”
― Paul Scholes
Leave a Reply