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.”

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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.

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