Why
Ferguson has put his trust in the striker Ronaldinho calls his
idol
Henrik Larsson signalled he was ready for English football when he
skipped round a couple of challenges and chipped Edwin van der Sar
on a training pitch at Manchester United's practice ground this
week. It was reminiscent of Wayne Rooney beating three men and
lifting the ball over David James in his first England training
session. Except Rooney was 17 at the time whereas Larsson is at the
sort of age when, for many footballers, insecurity can appear on
the horizon.
Three months into his 36th year, Larsson will become the oldest
striker Sir Alex Ferguson has ever used when he makes his debut
against Aston Villa in the FA Cup tomorrow. He looks sleek and
athletic, 35 going on 25, and Ferguson spoke regretfully about what
the striker might have achieved for the club if he had signed five
or 10 years earlier. After training with him for the past fortnight
Ryan Giggs has called him a "natural goalscorer."
Ronaldinho, his former Barcelona team-mate, described him yesterday
as his "idol" while Gordon Strachan, his former manager at Celtic,
predicted Larsson would "make himself a legend" at Old Trafford.
Craig Brown, the former Scotland manager, went even further.
"Michael Owen is the poor man's Henrik Larsson," he said. "Will
Larsson score goals in the Premiership? Well, he's scored plenty at
international level, and often against England."
What a strange game football is. If Ferguson had announced last
season that he intended to sell Ruud van Nistelrooy and bring in a
35-year-old on loan from Helsingborgs there might have been mutiny
among United's supporters. When that player has a European Cup and
Golden Boot on his CV it is different. Larsson is a more
accomplished finisher than Rooney. He is a better reader of the
game than Louis Saha. A more prolific scorer than Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer. He may be at the end of his career but for the next 10
weeks his presence could be hugely significant to United's
season.
Ferguson spoke of a player who will bring a new dimension to an
attack that has already scored 49 goals in 22 league games this
season. Larsson may fundamentally be a striker but he can also play
left or right. He is guileful and experienced enough to slip in
seamlessly and Ferguson has talked about him being an "impact
player" when he starts on the bench.
"This is a guy that has been at the top end of striking for over a
decade," said Ferguson. "He virtually won the European Cup for
Barcelona last season. He's still in great shape. He's sharp,
alert. He's quick. He looks really good. Everybody's looking
forward to seeing what he can do."
There are one or two stories to suggest Larsson is not quite the
angel that is often portrayed in the media. Yet it is safe to say
he will not be photographed stumbling out of Manchester's swankiest
bars in the early hours. Ferguson wants Larsson to be a role model
for the likes of Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, and there is
sufficient testimony from former team-mates and colleagues to
suggest he will immerse himself in the camaraderie and togetherness
that have been the hallmark of United's great teams.
The other benefit is that his presence could inspire other players
and maybe drag Rooney out of what, by his standards, has been a
slightly disappointing season. Saha might be motivated by the
arrival of a challenger for his place. The same can be said of
Solskjaer.
