A tribute to a true legend

This week Ole Solskjaer has announced that next season will be his last in English football. The Norwegian has been at Old Trafford for 11 years, and will always be a legend in the United ranks. Playing over 300 games for the reds, and scoring nearly 150 goals, Solskjaer was nicked named the baby-faced assassin, and quickly became one of the deadliest finishers in football, firing the Reds to the title in his first season.

Often used as sub, Solskjaer played a huge part in the historic Treble winning season. He scored the winner in the Champions League final and the winner in the last minute against Liverpool in the FA Cup. Solskjaer also created history by scoring four goals when he came off the bench with 12 minutes remaining at Nottingham Forest.

Solskjaer’s longest run in the team came in the 2002-03 championship winning season. He was used as a replacement right-winger when David Beckham became injured at the turn of the year. Solskjaer took the role in his stride, and assisted many of Van Nistlerooys 44 goals that season. He also scored 16 goals, and played a vital role in the 2-2 draw at Highbury, which kept United top of the league, where they remained for the rest of the season.

The past few season have been rotten for Solskjaer, missing two campaigns through injury but he returned this season with a bang, scoring 11 goals already this season. Solsjaer will always have hero status with United fans because of his loyalty to the club. He had the opportunity to move Spurs, but claimed ‘it’s all down hill once you leave Man Utd’. Solskjaer has won five championships, two FA cups, the Champions League and the intercontential championship. He has also been capped by his country 66 times.

Solskjaer will always a special place in my heart for the way he battled for our great club. The word Legend is often over used nowadays, but this man truly is.

What does the Future hold?

This season has been the biggest improvement for a United side since the Premiership began. The reds have raised the bar, and are still fighting on all three fronts. But what does the future hold? Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Ole Solsjaer and Edwin Van Der Sarr are in their mid-thirty’s, and despite this years amazing success, will need to be replaced in the near future.

Ben Foster has proved this season that he is a capable number one with Watford, and has earned the right to contest the United shirt with Thomas Kuzack, who has not yet had a real run in the first team.

Frank Ribery has been linked with since 2004 but has now stated that he wants to leave France in search of Champions League football. In my eyes this should alert Sir Alex as he proved at the World Cup how affective he can be. The pace down the flanks would make us also most impossible to defend against, and Ribery would be the ideal replacement for Giggs.

Owen Hargreaves is almost certain to sign for the Red Army in the summer, and will bolster a strong central midfield with Scholes and Carrick.

The main problem area for Ferguson is signing a top-class striker to play with Rooney. Although the goals have been flying in this season, no player is yet to reach 20 league goals. Berbatov would be an excellent addition to the attack. He has proved this year that he can score goals at the highest level with Spurs, and has scored goals in Europe before.

Jan Huntealar has been described as the next ‘Rudd’, and has replaced the Stretford End legend in the Dutch national side, however is yet to prove he score goals consistently.

Ex-Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen is available and would be a useful addition to the squad, but he plays to similar to Rooney.

The main target for the Reds must be Fernando Torres. The Athletico Madrid striker would link perfectly with Rooney, and has proven at international level that he can do the business in Europe. The striker has replaced Raul in the Spanish side, and will guarantee Fergie 20 goals a season.

The Treble Treble

With just over a month left of the season, not even the most die-hard red could imagine the position that United are in. The reds are three points clear of Chelsea, in the FA Cup final and are in the semi-final of the Champions League. The amazing Treble season of 1999 could be repeated, after United were written off by everyone at the start of the season. The talk was that Liverpool were now Chelsea’s biggest rivals, and that we had an ageing squad with a few talented youngsters. How wrong the pundits were.

Nemanda Vidic and Rio Ferdinand have formed an exceptional partnership, conceding just 20 goals in league matches. Old boys Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have rolled back the years and are playing like they did in the 99 season. Rooney has looked great but injuries and suspensions seem to hinder his consistency. Despite that he has 21 goals this season, which is brilliant considering he is still only 21. The big difference for the reds this year has been Cristiano Ronaldo.

The player was berated by the press after his world cup antics, but we still loved him, and he has shown the world why he is the best. His pace and trickery turns defence into attack within seconds, and he has scored 16 league goals. The difference with Ronnie this year is that he no longer holds onto the ball. He releases the cross much earlier and it catches the other team off guard. There is no question that he should win the Player of the year.

There have been some big moments this season, which just seen to be going our way. The Ronaldo goal at Reading, which meant we didn’t lose back to back games, the Saha winner at Blackburn (the first time we won there for 9 years) and the two last minute winners at Fulham and Liverpool. What ever happens it been the best football we’ve played since 2001, and we have proven that we should never be written off.