Pat Nevin: 'Scholes turned match in Amsterdam'

The Manchesters - City and United - appear to have approached the Europa League with very positive attitudes judging by their first games in the competition this season. Obviously the team selections were going to give away a great deal about Roberto  Mancini and Sir Alex’s states of mind and they could scarcely have been more direct in their attitudes, both would clearly like to win this one.

I am pretty relieved about that as I could have understood a less enthusiastic approach but I would have been sorely disappointed. Not just for us on Channel 5, but for the traveling fans, the tournament itself and for the way the English game is projected on the continent. I have said it before; the English are the only nation that has sometimes shown a negative and even an arrogant attitude towards this trophy.  The backing of giants like United and City can only add to the kudos of the competition, so well done to both.

Sir Alex didn’t actually sound to upbeat about United’s performance and there was sloppiness in parts of the game, but the class showed through in Amsterdam when it needed to. Ajax were clearly up for it and their fans were enthused throughout but it was rarely if ever in doubt, particularly after the first goal.

Two players in particular stood out for me. On Channel 5 I concentrated my half time analysis on Phil Jones after what was an almost unstoppable first half performance coming forward from the right full back area. He actually spent most of his time further forward than Nani who was playing on the wing. The question remains as to what his best position actually is and to be fair I am not sure I know myself.

There are some players who can look pure class just about anywhere on the pitch, so if he is at centre back, centre midfield or right back I suspect he will generally be turning in top class and indeed improving performances for United for a decade to come. In my time I played with Norman Whiteside at Everton and only then realised what a fabulous player he was and would have been had his career not been so cruelly curtailed by injury. I can recall him playing centre back, centre midfield and centre forward all at an international level. I believe, actually I will go further, I know that he would have become one of the world’s great players had he not be dogged by that injury from so early in his career. I just hope Jones keeps fit and fulfills all his incredible promise.

Another youngster who looks fairly promising is that lad who has just come into the team recently, Paul Scholes. All joking aside his impact in Amsterdam was bordering on hilarious it was so good. I suspected he had been watching Eli Manning in the Super Bowl the other week as he led the New York Giants to victory. When Paul came on he just dropped into the pocket and picked off a serious of delightful passes with ridiculous ease, in short just like Eli he controlled the game totally from that deep lying position, acutely aware of absolutely everything that was happening in front of him.

Maybe he isn’t getting as far forward as often as he used to but he is using not only his brain, but the youthful legs of others to do that work. I just hope he doesn’t do anything as silly as hang his boots up (again) at the end of this season, he can go on even if it is only for certain games at specific times.

Ajax arrive in Manchester this week to be greeted by the red hordes, Channel 5 again and I suspect by a slightly more youthful United side this time. The tie is all but won if concentration is kept at a decent level, I just hope there will be a few cameos from the young Scholes and maybe even the kid Giggs.

Talking before about Jones, what about a little argument about who is currently the best right back playing in England, do you think Micah Richards might have something to say about that? To be fair I don’t really think I could call that one right now as Micah is also somewhere approaching unstoppable right now when he is going forward. After so many years when it was Gary Neville or nothing, finally the Premier League has two absolutely world class looking players in the slot. Come to think of it I think I am pretty happy I am not playing right now as wing play might just be a bit tricky against them seeing as you would spend most of the time chasing them back inside your own half.

Actually I would want to have had a go at them because I loved to test myself against the best to see if I could find a weakness, I will keep watching and analysing anyway and when I find a weakness in either I will let you know.

City look set fair to progress as well and the player I hope scores at least a hat trick is Super Mario. After the disgraceful taunts in the first leg in Portugal I think a few goals would send a nice little message to the low-lives concerned. I am also growing to like Balotelli more and more as I have met up with various  people while I make a documentary about him.

The untold stories from his youth are fantastic and I have got some great insights from his sister, his schoolteacher, his first coach and a team mate from his youth side. But it is what ex pros who know him have said to me that has been most surprising. From Pierluigi Casiraghi to Gianluca Vialli to my old mate Ivan Bonetti and Former Italy manager Marcello Lippi they have all intimated the same idea…he could be and probably will be one of the top three players in the world, it is only a matter of time. I know he is good just as every City fan does, but that good? I will be watching him even closer from now on to see the evidence that I have obviously missed.

Stoke City on the other hand don’t have any true world stars but I have to say I was still gutted when they lost their home first leg against Valencia. On the positive side the Spaniards just got hammered 5-1 at the weekend, so maybe their form has dipped.

Actually I have just checked again it was at the Nou Camp against Barcelona and Messi scored four, so we are still looking for a miracle for Tony Pulis’ lads after all.