
Paul Scholes slammed for 'worst bit of punditry ever' after 'outrageous' comment
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has enjoyed a superb season for the Blues as he helped them finish in the top four - but pundit Paul Scholes was not impressed with his performances
Paul Scholes has been slammed by fans for "one of the worst bits of punditry ever" after claiming Chelsea star Moises Caicedo"didn't contribute" to their season. The midfielder was an ever-present for Enzo Maresca 's side in the Premier League, playing all 38 games and impressing many with his battling performances.
Caicedo managed the most passes, most passes completed, most touches, most possessions won and most tackles of any midfielder in the top flight and was a big part of Chelsea qualifying for the Champions League.
But Scholes left fans baffled by suggesting Caicedo "didn't create or control a lot of games" while also questioning his "quality".
Speaking on the Overlap Fan Debate, he said: "I think a lot of people talk about Caicedo. 'He's played 38 games'. Brilliant, what an achievement.
"But was there much quality? Did he create a lot? Did he control a lot of games for Chelsea? I don't remember that. I think there's an era now, with midfielders especially, where you can go through seasons and games without really contributing."
Scholes' comments have been blasted by fans on social media, with one calling his remarks "absolutely outrageous".
"This is genuinely one of the worst bits of punditry I've ever seen," the post read. "And if Paul Scholes has said this he quite simply doesn't watch much football. Saying Caicedo is 'not contributing much' is absolutely outrageous."
Another took aim at his "shocking" view and claimed it showed he hadn't watched much of Chelsea play this season.
"Scholes' point about midfielders as a whole is valid but his take on Caicedo specifically here is shocking," the fan wrote. "He's been class this season. Scholes should know better on Caicedo this season. I don't think he's watched enough Chelsea, simple as that."
"Paul Scholes is the worst pundit by a mile," another said. "You can't watch Chelsea's games, and do even a 30-second stat check, and think Moises Caicedo that was a star for Brighton, and now Chelsea doesn't "contribute a lot".
Caicedo joined Chelsea for a British club record deal of £115million from Brighton in 2023 and a solid first season as the club finished sixth under Mauricio Pochettino - but was much more improved after working with Maresca in 2024-25.
He started his career Independiente del Valle in his native Ecuador before sealing a move to the Seagulls in 2021. Caicedo only played one full season at the Amex before Chelsea decided to splash the cash on him.
Caicedo rounded off his superb season by scoring for Chelsea in their UEFA Conference League final win over Real Betis, netting the final goal in stoppage time of their 4-1 triumph.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

South Wales Argus
25 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Guardiola unsure if Club World Cup will affect City's Premier League campaign
England manager Thomas Tuchel recently said the involvement of City and Chelsea in this summer's tournament in the United States would hand the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal a 'huge advantage' in the title race. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also described the event as 'the worst idea ever implemented in football' because of concerns over player welfare. Guardiola, however, insists City – who face Al-Hilal in a last-16 tie in Orlando on Monday night (2am Tuesday UK) – are focused on rediscovering their best after a frustrating 2024-25 season and claiming the prize. The City manager said: 'I try to relax, enjoy the days here and the good vibes that we have, the competition and we try to win it. 'The most important thing is to recover and find within ourselves what we were. That's my main target in this tournament. 'I want them to feel that this is our path again to be competitive like we have been in eight of the last nine years. 'After this, let's see what happens. Let's see what happens after the final. We will rest for the time the Premier League allow us. 'Maybe in November, December or January it will be a disaster, we are exhausted and the World Cup has destroyed us. 'I don't know, it's the first time in our lives that this has happened. We will see when we come back.' Jurgen Klopp (left) and Pep Guardiola (right) had a big rivalry (Isaac Parkin/PA) Guardiola says he can understand the viewpoint of his old rival Klopp, now head of global soccer for Red Bull, who had a team involved in the tournament in Salzburg. Yet he suggested people complaining might be jealous. Speaking at a press conference, Guardiola said: 'I fought a lot with Jurgen many, many times. I know where his idea comes from. 'I respect him, I would defend his argument as well. At the same time, as managers, we are in a job. We don't organise the competitions. 'Once we are here, we are proud. Many, many teams complain about these competitions because they are not here, otherwise they might love being here.' Weather problems have been a recurring issue in the tournament both in terms of intense heat and thunderstorms. Chelsea's players were forced off the field due to a thunderstorm (Chris Carlson/AP) Chelsea's last-16 victory over Benfica on Saturday was suspended for almost two hours due to lightning in the vicinity. Guardiola said: 'I am an extraordinary manager but to control lightning and thunder, still I am not good enough! 'If it is (suspended) here the same reason as why they suspend the other one, I will go inside and we will continue to be active and play again. 'It is not the ideal situation but I grew up to understand not to be worried about the situations that I can't control. So no problem.'


Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Guardiola unsure if Club World Cup will affect City's Premier League campaign
Pep Guardiola concedes he does not know if Manchester City's next Premier League challenge will be 'destroyed' by their Club World Cup campaign or not. England manager Thomas Tuchel recently said the involvement of City and Chelsea in this summer's tournament in the United States would hand the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal a 'huge advantage' in the title race. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also described the event as 'the worst idea ever implemented in football' because of concerns over player welfare. Guardiola, however, insists City – who face Al-Hilal in a last-16 tie in Orlando on Monday night (2am Tuesday UK) – are focused on rediscovering their best after a frustrating 2024-25 season and claiming the prize. The City manager said: 'I try to relax, enjoy the days here and the good vibes that we have, the competition and we try to win it. 'The most important thing is to recover and find within ourselves what we were. That's my main target in this tournament. 'I want them to feel that this is our path again to be competitive like we have been in eight of the last nine years. 'After this, let's see what happens. Let's see what happens after the final. We will rest for the time the Premier League allow us. 'Maybe in November, December or January it will be a disaster, we are exhausted and the World Cup has destroyed us. 'I don't know, it's the first time in our lives that this has happened. We will see when we come back.' Guardiola says he can understand the viewpoint of his old rival Klopp, now head of global soccer for Red Bull, who had a team involved in the tournament in Salzburg. Yet he suggested people complaining might be jealous. Speaking at a press conference, Guardiola said: 'I fought a lot with Jurgen many, many times. I know where his idea comes from. 'I respect him, I would defend his argument as well. At the same time, as managers, we are in a job. We don't organise the competitions. 'Once we are here, we are proud. Many, many teams complain about these competitions because they are not here, otherwise they might love being here.' Weather problems have been a recurring issue in the tournament both in terms of intense heat and thunderstorms. Chelsea's last-16 victory over Benfica on Saturday was suspended for almost two hours due to lightning in the vicinity. Guardiola said: 'I am an extraordinary manager but to control lightning and thunder, still I am not good enough! 'If it is (suspended) here the same reason as why they suspend the other one, I will go inside and we will continue to be active and play again. 'It is not the ideal situation but I grew up to understand not to be worried about the situations that I can't control. So no problem.'


North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Children's sporting activities cost parents £443 on average a year, survey finds
Parents with children who participate in organised sport say their offspring try an average of three sports a year, with football – played by 62% of children – the most popular, followed by swimming (42%), and dance (20%), the poll for payment provider Clearpay found. Hockey is the most expensive sport, with parents spending an average £460 a year for their child to participate. Dance (£395) and basketball (£372) are the next most expensive sports, followed by tennis (£359) and gymnastics (£350). On average, the biggest outgoings are on lessons and coaching (£81), specialist kit (£67) and footwear, including football boots and trainers (£66). Budgets also stretch to travel (£62), club memberships (£59) and equipment (£43). Despite the cost, almost two-thirds of parents (65%) say they place no financial limit on how much they will spend to support their child's sport. However the cost-of-living crisis has also had an impact, with more than half of parents (53%) saying it has limited the number of sports their child can try. More than one in five parents (21%) also admit they regret how much they have spent on sporting activities their children have since given up. The poll also found major events such as Wimbledon have motivated nearly a quarter of children (24%) to try a new sport, with 37% of parents reporting that watching the British tennis tournament inspired their children to pick up a racquet for the first time. Rich Bayer, UK country manager at Clearpay, said: 'Parents are committed to giving their children access to different sports, which inevitably comes with a price tag. 'Ultimately, this investment will hopefully create a generation of people with a lifelong love of sport and active lifestyles.' Opinium surveyed 2,000 parents with children aged between five and 17 between June 13 and 20.