In a withering rant against his former club and their supporters, one ex-Man United player has delivered a reality check to those who believe that Bruno Fernandes is the new Paul Scholes.
Johnny Giles played for the club between 1957 and 1963, but he’s none too impressed by those likening the Portuguese to the former England international.
“It does bother me when I hear people talking about Fernandes being the next Scholes and the perfect midfield player,” Giles said, according to the Daily Star.
“That is not the case. He is nowhere near Scholes and never will be. People at the club will be kidding themselves if they believe he is going to do what Scholes did. He doesn’t play anywhere near the way Scholes played, even in a positional sense.
“Scholes was one of the best midfielders I have seen who could connect the team from back to front. He was the best I have seen at that for a long time, especially when he was playing with Roy Keane, David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs.
“He was the one who knitted it all together, and was one of the great midfield players, so I don’t think Fernandes is a Scholes. Fernandes is a goalscoring midfield player. He should be an asset to the club, but not in the way he is being described at the moment.
“He will be more like a Lampard as, every time I see him, he always has a good shot on him and good ability. He will be a goalscoring midfield player and there is nothing wrong with that. Scoring goals and making goals makes him an asset – but he won’t initiate.”
Although some may dismiss Giles’ comments as the ramblings of an out of touch ex-player looking to make waves in the media, he has a point.
Scholes, although he scored goals from midfield, was never a natural goal scorer as such. A links man, for want of a better phrase, he was the conduit between United’s defence and attack. The reverse is true of Fernandes.
It’s far too early to say whether the Portuguese will end up being as influential as his contemporary, but supporters of the Red Devils will certainly be encouraged by the impact that he’s made in such a short space of time at Old Trafford.