Post by Golden_Boy™ on Sept 18, 2006 11:21:57 GMT -1
England assistant manager Terry Venables has called on Paul Scholes to return to the international fold.
With Owen Hargreaves ruled out for six weeks with a broken leg, there is a potential opening in England's midfield - and former manager Venables is keen to see Scholes fill it.
"Watching United in action against Celtic last week, it hit home what a loss Paul Scholes is to the national team. He is the best one-or two-touch passer in the country," said Venables.
"People say he has retired from international football, but I hope he will change his mind."
Should Scholes return to the England side, however, it is more likely that he will replace Frank Lampard than Hargreaves.
Steve McClaren has moved Steven Gerrard to the right wing in order to accommodate a more defensive player in the middle of the park, and Scholes' notoriously bad tackling means he is unlikely to be asked to fill that position.
A more likely candidate for the defensive role is Scholes' United team-mate Michael Carrick.
With Lampard out of form for England since before the World Cup in Germany, though, it is far from inconceivable that McClaren could then choose to pair 31-year-old Scholes with Carrick in the middle of the park, allowing them to bring a partnership that they will be playing in for their club to the international stage.
Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath is also having to come to terms with the loss of Hargreaves, who suffered the injury in his club's 2-1 defeat against Armenia Bielefeld.
An innocuous tackle from Thorben Marx did the damage as Bielefeld inflicted Bayern's first defeat of the Bundesliga season.
"I need to wear a plaster for three weeks; then we will have to see how it goes," 25-year-old Hargreaves confirmed on his website.
Magath admits the loss of Hargreaves is a major blow to his club's gameplan over the coming weeks.
"It's certainly a big loss, because he has started the season so strongly," said the Bayern boss.
"It is a very tough blow for us, especially at this time of the
campaign."
Chances Scholesy will change his mind?
I heavily doubt it myself.
With Owen Hargreaves ruled out for six weeks with a broken leg, there is a potential opening in England's midfield - and former manager Venables is keen to see Scholes fill it.
"Watching United in action against Celtic last week, it hit home what a loss Paul Scholes is to the national team. He is the best one-or two-touch passer in the country," said Venables.
"People say he has retired from international football, but I hope he will change his mind."
Should Scholes return to the England side, however, it is more likely that he will replace Frank Lampard than Hargreaves.
Steve McClaren has moved Steven Gerrard to the right wing in order to accommodate a more defensive player in the middle of the park, and Scholes' notoriously bad tackling means he is unlikely to be asked to fill that position.
A more likely candidate for the defensive role is Scholes' United team-mate Michael Carrick.
With Lampard out of form for England since before the World Cup in Germany, though, it is far from inconceivable that McClaren could then choose to pair 31-year-old Scholes with Carrick in the middle of the park, allowing them to bring a partnership that they will be playing in for their club to the international stage.
Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath is also having to come to terms with the loss of Hargreaves, who suffered the injury in his club's 2-1 defeat against Armenia Bielefeld.
An innocuous tackle from Thorben Marx did the damage as Bielefeld inflicted Bayern's first defeat of the Bundesliga season.
"I need to wear a plaster for three weeks; then we will have to see how it goes," 25-year-old Hargreaves confirmed on his website.
Magath admits the loss of Hargreaves is a major blow to his club's gameplan over the coming weeks.
"It's certainly a big loss, because he has started the season so strongly," said the Bayern boss.
"It is a very tough blow for us, especially at this time of the
campaign."
Chances Scholesy will change his mind?
I heavily doubt it myself.
One by one the penguins steal my sanity.
Forever without exception. x
