Paul Scholes Just Dropped the Worst Take I've Heard All Year

By Lewis Barnett 4 June, 2025 6 mins read 50 Views

Look, I've been watching football for decades. Seen some terrible punditry in my time.

But Paul Scholes on The Overlap Fan Debate yesterday? Jesus Christ. The man just torched his own reputation with one of the most brain-dead takes about Moises Caicedo I've ever witnessed. And Chelsea fans are absolutely losing their minds over it - rightfully so.

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When Legends Forget How to Watch Football

Here's what happened: Scholes, sitting there like he's still got any credibility left after that Oldham disaster, decided to trash Caicedo. You know, the same Caicedo who just won Chelsea's Player of the Season AND Players' Player of the Season. The 23-year-old who started every single Premier League game this season. Every. Single. One.

"I think a lot of people talk about Caicedo. 'He's played 38 games'. Brilliant, what an achievement," Scholes said with this dismissive tone that made my skin crawl. "But was there much quality? Did he create a lot? Did he control a lot of games for Chelsea? I don't remember that."

You don't remember that, Paul? Maybe because you weren't watching. The kid had the most passes of any midfielder in teh league and was the fifth-best tackler. But sure, tell us more about how he's "not contributing."

The Internet Went Nuclear (And I Don't Blame Them)

Chelsea fans didn't hold back. One absolutely destroyed him on X: "This is genuinely one of the worst bits of punditry I've ever seen. And if Paul Scholes has said this he quite simply doesn't watch much football."

Another one brought up his coaching record - ouch: "This is why he only coach a team for two weeks and got sacked the next morning since then no team wanted him in the lower division."

Brutal. But honestly? Deserved.

When you're sitting there as a pundit getting paid good money to analyze football, maybe actually watch the games first. Caicedo was Chelsea's anchor all season long. The guy who kept them stable when everything else was falling apart. He's not flashy like some Instagram highlight reel, but he does the dirty work that wins matches.

At Least He Got Something Right About Hojlund

Credit where it's due - Scholes made sense when talking about Rasmus Hojlund. Finally, someone defending the kid instead of writing him off completely.

"I'd keep Hojlund. I know he's not been great, but he's a 22-year-old kid who has been asked to play centre-forward for Manchester United on his own for the last two years," Scholes said. And you know what? He's absolutely right about this one.

The poor kid has been "absolutely flogged to death" (Scholes' words, not mine). Playing every week with zero support, zero rotation, zero chance to breathe and learn from experienced strikers. Throw him in with Osimhen and Gyokeres like Scholes suggests? Now we're talking.

But here's the thing that kills me - Scholes can see the nuance in Hojlund's situation but completely misses it with Caicedo. One's a struggling young striker who needs support, the other's a defensive midfielder having a brilliant season who apparently "doesn't contribute much."

The Bigger Picture Nobody's Talking About

This whole mess highlights something that's been bugging me for months. Former players becoming pundits and just... not doing the homework. They coast on their playing reputation while delivering takes that would get laughed out of any serious football discussion.

Scholes was a brilliant player. One of the best midfielders I ever watched. But being great at playing doesn't automatically make you great at analyzing - especially when you're clearly not watching closely enough.

And look, I get it. There's pressure to have hot takes, to say something that gets people talking. Mission accomplished, Paul. But maybe next time try watching Caicedo actually play before you decide he's not worth the hype.

The man's 23 years old and already running Chelsea's midfield like a veteran. Show some respect.

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