Football pundits run the risk of offending players and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has spoken out about his responsibility to provide insight at the expense of their feelings.
Man Utd players are leaving themselves wide open for criticism this season and Scholes, like any other pundit, knows he has to leave his club loyalty and empathy with current professionals at the door.
Scholes appears regularly as a pundit on TNT Sports, where his opinion of developments at United and insight into his former club are an obvious part of the deal.
Frustration with the state of affairs at Old Trafford is a common theme among ex-United players in the punditry fraternity and Scholes believes that some players can be rather too sensitive when it comes to media figures having their say.
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Scholes told The Overlap Fan Debate from Sky Bet that some of today's players are "a bit touchy" about criticism.
"I had a player, this year, who contacted me and wasn't happy with some of the things I'd said," revealed the former United and England midfielder.
"He wanted to meet me at the training ground, and I said, 'Of course, no problem,' and gave him my number but he never got back to me."
While the image of Scholes turning up at Carrington to go nose-to-nose with a furious Man Utd player is fun, the TNT Sports pundit is simply willing to back his opinion and understands that his role is not to protect his successors at Old Trafford.
"I would have done it. If I'm saying things I believe and he wants me to explain why, it wouldn't have been a nice conversation, but I said if they or anyone else has a problem, there's my phone number," he continued.
"What we say shouldn't affect a player. The only people that should affect the players is what the manager thinks, the coaching staff, and their team-mates. Whatever is said on TV should be taken with a pinch of salt.
"I'm not even sure how many players these days watch football and watch what we're saying. There was one United player who obviously took a bit of offense to what I said, but you just deal with it. If he thinks he needs an explanation or a meeting over a tea or coffee, I'd be happy to give it."
Man Utd will feature on TNT Sports this Thursday when they take on Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final.
Topics: Manchester United, Man Utd, Paul Scholes
Chris Nee