Who could replace Scholes at Manchester United
Paul Scholes has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League for over a decade and it is difficult to imagine a Manchester United line-up without the red haired midfield maestro. With an eye for a goal and an almost unmatched composure on the ball when in possession, Scholes has also improved his passing a lot over the years. It is difficult to find many midfielders in the world right now who could possibly replace the Englishman but at 36 years of age, Scholes is nearing the end of his career and a replacement will be required soon.
Wesley Sneijder is one of the best midfielders in the world at the moment and after impressing at the World Cup, where he was arguably the best midfielder, and in the UEFA Champions League, where he was crucial to Inter lifting the title. Sneijder has a phenomenal passing range and is equally comfortable on both feet. There is a similarity between the way Scholes and Sneijder play too, both small players using deft touches to create space and look for open players. They both even have a the same weakness of being bad tacklers but Sneijder is perhaps a little better at it than Scholes has been throughout his career.
Another possible replacement could be Sneijder’s Dutch teammate, Rafael van der Vaart. The Real Madrid midfielder is very similar to Sneijder in his abilities but has a preference for his left foot, which gives him the edge in midfield as most central midfielders these days tend to be right footed. Another clear advantage Van der Vaart has over his compatriot is that acquiring him will be significantly easier. Real Madrid were looking to get rid of the Dutchman last season after Sneijder left but no suitable offers could be found and so he stayed. If Manchester United were to go out and get Van der Vaart, they will have a ready-made replacement for Scholes who will be capable of stepping into his position from the start.
Germany were one of the most impressive teams at the World Cup, especially because they had so many young players. Although the 25 Year Old Bastian Schweinsteiger was one of the more experienced players in the German team, his performance was as impressive as those of the younger players. Playing at the heart of Bayern Munich’s midfield, Schweinsteiger is the youngest of the contenders to replace Scholes and perhaps the one who is the least like him. Relying on his impressive vision and ball retention skills, the German is a strong midfielder who is very good at tackling and holding the midfield against the best players in the world. Having matured under the wings of German Captain, Michael Ballack, Schweinsteiger started off at the left wing and has since moved to the centre. His dribbling skills are something which separates him from other central midfielders. The ability of going past players is very useful in the modern game and if Schweinsteiger replaces Scholes, he will a great addition.
It is difficult to say which player would be best suited as all three have their own strengths but it is safe to say that any one of these players could fit into the Manchester Untied team and take them to the next level in the coming seasons.
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