Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk just set the record straight about how tough the Premier League is to play in right now, shortly after Paul Scholes claimed that no team deserves to win the league this season.
Manchester United icons have taken a liking to talking about Arsenal, with plenty now showing off a level of entitlement.
Gary Neville compared his 1996 title win to what Arsenal face this season, clearly ignoring how football has changed over the past three decades.
Then, speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes shared his opinion that no team deserves to win the league this season.
“None of them have convinced me that they should be Premier League champions. I don’t think they should give the trophy out this year. No one deserves it. Honestly, it’s not been great to watch.”
Arsenal fans, what’s your message to Paul Scholes after he said this?
It was an infuriating comment, and unsurprisingly, one that differs from what current Premier League players are saying.
After Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves, captain Virgil van Dijk spoke to the media and shared an insight into how hard this season has been.
“The whole season is not easy. It was always going to be an up-and-down season for multiple reasons. The league is strong, and the league is demanding every three or four days, and it’s a big battle.”
It’s an entirely different take from Scholes’, who believes no team is deserving of the title in a season that the players themselves are portraying as incredibly tough.
Virgil van Dijk reminded Paul Scholes of how football has changed
So, whose opinion should we absorb, Scholes watching from afar, or Van Dijk, currently playing in the league?
The pundits with Premier League title-winning experience won their first titles 30 years ago.
They’re also, conveniently, the ones making the most noise, noise that Neville ironically worries on Arsenal’s behalf about.
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With social media pressure and scrutiny from pundits, the job is remarkably tougher, and that’s without considering how the quality of the league has transformed.
Additionally, players are now expected to juggle seasons that exceed the 50-game mark in all competitions, while fighting for the title in the most competitive league in the world.
The context only makes Scholes’ latest comments all the more laughable, having not kicked a ball in the league since 2013.
Van Dijk’s post-match comments only reinforce that Arsenal shouldn’t be listening to what pundits have to say, as what the players are dealing with is something only those currently in the Premier League understand.
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