Scholes is better at the pin-point long cross-field balls than Xavi, Xavi is better at just keeping the ball, patiently probing and hitting defence splitting through-balls. Reflects the differences in the environments and cultures they have played in. I think they are both wonderful players who could have done equally well if their roles had been reversed.
Don't think this is true tbh, Xavi chooses not to play many long balls, correctly adjudging that they're rarely the best option, but when he does he gets them right.
Disagree, tbh. As someone once said (Shankly?) it's not about long balls or short balls, but the right ball. Jerry's first against us in the 2nd Round came from something as straight forward as a long ball over the top.
Agree with this so much.
I'd say Gerrard's all-round game for his club is better - scholes is woeful at tackling - but from an international pov, would have to agree. He was only bettered by Rooney and Cole at Euro 04 of our players, IMO.
This is because we had the worst central defensive pairing to wear England shirts since Southgate and Gardner against Sweden six years ago.
Maybe not usually, but reckon one can at least admire the 60 yard crossfield pass when it's accurate and the first touch is good, from a technical standpoint if nothing else.
Scholes being woeful at tackling doesn't change the fact that his passing, vision, touch, game intelligence, shooting and technique are streets ahead of Lampard or Gerrard's.
Didn't look like winning one whilst he was playing either tbf.
Wouldn't say it was particularly delightful tbh. Says more about the state of the defence than anything else.
Gerrard made a name for himself as the deep lying playmaker. It's where Houllier played him and he carried Liverpool to 4th in 03-04 playing that very role. Had he not done that they would not have won the European Cup in 05 as they would not have been in it. His form was so impressive in that season that he went into the Euros with more expectation on him than Rooney, I reckon.
I reckon England looked good enough in 2002 and 2004 to potentially win either tournament. One thing they did lack was that little bit of luck that sometimes makes all the difference - Beckham having his metatarsal broken by Aldo Duscher in a Champions League tie in 2001/02, meaning he went into the World Cup unfit, and England ending up in Brazil's half of the draw put a dampener on their chances - stick England in Germany's half and they'd easily have made the final in 2002. Once you get to a final, anything can happen. Wayne Rooney getting injured against Portugal in Euro 2004 were another bit of misfortune that stopped England from having a chance at ending the 36/38 years of hurt.
Always thought Gerrard's game when he was younger was as more of a box-to-box dynamo who could grab a game by the scruff of the neck and drive/drag his team to victory myself - whilst he certainly played deeper under Houllier, I'd still consider it to be a different role to the one Scholes has played since 2006.
