Paul Scholes Could be Midfield General

Having just returned to full fitness Paul Scholes should be chomping at the bit to make an example of League One Southampton.

Scholes has been in and out of the team regularly this season owing to small and annoying injury problems. However, he made his recent return to the side during the 5-0 thrashing of Birmingham City and Sir Alex Ferguson should see this as the ideal game to play Scholes in, against a supposed weaker team.

Scholes has more experience than the majority of the United squad. This is an FA Cup game where the opponents have nothing to lose. Therefore, it’s important that United have a calming influence in the midfield who can take control of the situation if the start of the game doesn’t go as planned.

What makes Scholes so effective in the middle of the pitch is the fact that he rarely gives the ball away. It seems to stick to his foot like glue and this is important because there could be long spells of possession where it’s important for United to retain the ball and look for a way through the defence.

Scholes also seems to hover in the areas of the field where there is the most space. For example, he’ll always hang on the edge of the opposition area when United get a corner. This means he’s in prime position for a knock down that will enable him to fire the ball on goal. He’s scored a lot of goals during his career this way.

Another area where Scholes is effective, and why it’s important to play him in this sort of match, is his aggression. Scholes is well known in the game for being a heavy tackler of the ball. He does this in high areas of the pitch, which means when he does get it right, there is very little between him and the opposition goal.