"Veteran" Scholes may face a 3-match suspension
With a "violent" tackle in the FA Cup semi-final between MU and Man City, midfielder Paul Scholes is at risk of being suspended for up to 3 matches. That means he may not be able to play in the match between Arsenal and MU on May 1.
In the match at Wembley, when MU was trailing by a goal after Yaya Toure's goal, Scholes extinguished the "Red Devils"'s hopes of finding an equalizer when he received a red card from referee Mike Dean. This was the result of a rough tackle on Pablo Zabaleta that left the Man City defender's thigh bleeding.
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Consequences of Scholes' tackle - Getty Images |
For now, the 36-year-old veteran will not be present in the away match against Newcastle in the make-up match of round 33 in the middle of this week. In addition, if banned for 3 matches, Scholes will miss the match between MU and Everton at Old Trafford in round 34 and especially the important match with Arsenal at Emirates on May 1.
Scholes's heavy punishment from the FA has left him with a bad image in the eyes of fans. The 36-year-old midfielder has only just returned from a two-match suspension after receiving 10 yellow cards all season. Although he is a veteran midfielder and has an important role in the team's play, Scholes is also known as a "tough" player and there are times when he cannot control his behavior.
"Looking through Scholes' career, he has been one of the club's great players and has always left unforgettable moments, but red cards like this have overshadowed those moments," coach Alex Ferguson told the Daily Mail (UK).
Sharing the same opinion with the Scottish coach, veteran referee Graham Poll said that to become a great player, Scholes needs to minimize tackles like this. "Look at the picture of Zabaleta leaving the field, we will understand why Mr. Mike Dean sent Scholes off.
This was the 10th red card of his career, a frightening tally for a player who is the brain and centre of the game. He is now just one red card away from Vinnie Jones' (former Chelsea and Wimbledon player) record of 12 red cards.
"I know Scholes doesn't want to be compared, but hopefully the red cards and suspension won't make him decide to hang up his boots at the end of the season. We'd all like to see more of his intelligent attacking moves, and tackling is a very typical product of this veteran," Graham Poll told the Daily Mail.
According to TT&VH
