Comment deleted by Article Creator

Comment deleted by Article Creator

Above comments only deleted as they related to a different thread. I wasn't waiting half an hour to write another article, so I amended this one!

Natural talent - Gazza.
Career - Scholes by a distance.

Gazza's career was very much a waste, with the odd highlight here and there, like Italia 90 and Euro 96. But it was a talent unfulfilled in large. He never reached his peak.

Talent wise Gazza would have run circle around Scholes, and Scholes was magnificent himself.

I think that they could have played together, the tacking would have been horrendous but going forward they would have created dozens of chances for the strikers.

"the tacking would have been horrendous"

DJ, spot on.

Slightly different types of player but Gazza had so much natural ability, when playing on instinct he was pure genius.

Gerrard

Gerrard

Paul Gerrard

Gerrard

No Steve Gerrard. The player that Zidane called the best midfielder in the world at one point

I would probably say that Scholes had things in his locker that Gazza didn't and vice versa.

An example:

Scholes had an awareness around him of where everyone is on the pitch that will very few players have.

Gazza had the ability to glide past players before tehy even knew he was doing it. Again, another very rare talent.

Scholes was moved to accommodate Lampard not Gerrard.

England never lost a game when Scholes and Gerrard were partnered together in midfield. Of course that quickly changed when Sven brought the one dimensional Lampard into the team.

Scholes > Gascoigne

On talent and what was produced.

Gascoigne was flashy and stylish in his play. A flair player who caught the eye. But more talented? No chance, not for me. I've seen Acholes utterly demolish the great midfields of his era. Completely run games against players as good as Gerrard, Pirlo, Davids, Alonso and Xavi when at his best. Nobody could touch him. He never had any physical gifts, pace, strength or height. What he did have was his footballing gifts, his brain and his tenacity. In every way he blows Gascoinge out of the water for me, and just because Gazza was a dribbler who caught the eye definitely doesn't make him in Scholes league. It's almost become 'the legend of what Gascoinge could have been' and in my opinion, it's been blown way out of proportion. One thing I will give him, is that he was a player ahead of his time in terms of style in this country. Not in Scholes league though for me. I'd bracket Gascoinge with Lampard and Gerrard. Great players who weren't far off the absolute pinnacle, but just weren't quite there.

^ Don't think I'm coming across fair in my above comment in regards to Gascoinge. I DO think he was a true prodigy. A genius even, and VC is correct when he says they both had gifts the other didn't. But Gascoinge was a lesser genius to me. I suppose it depends on who you prefer. No right answer, but ask me who I'd want in my team in a champions league or World Cup final, who I'd want lining up in the centre of the pitch, and I would never chose Gascoinge over Scholes, regardless of opposition or tactics. That makes my decision very easy when picking between the two.

I would take Gazza over Scholes, if both were 100% ,into a World Cup final over Scholes. Gazza had a far better passing range than some comments suggest.
Shame he was facked by the time he was 24.

comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
DJ, spot on.
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Seconded

Not to lend a helping hand to the Scousers but Scholes was moved to the wing to accommodate Lampard not Gerrard as the article stated.

article corrected

What dj said.

But accept I may be slightly biased.

One more thing to add.

Not sure you would catch Scholes blubbing. Gazza definately had one up manship in terms of turning on the water tap.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Unfortunately i'm only old enough to remember Gazza being injured for Lazio and waltzing through defences in the SPL, it was ridiculously easy for him in Scotland.

I do remember him not being fully fit for France '98 and Hoddle dropping him from the squad, that took balls IMO and I respect Hoddle for doing it.

NO England manager has dropped an injured star name (Beckham & Rooney) since i don't think, too scared.

Gerrard is a brilliant midfielder but I think he revels in the "saviour" or "one man team" narrative, it's all about him. Scholesy is definitely more team orientated than Gerrard, and can control a game more effectively.