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.

Anfield glory

I can not believe what i have witnessed. United going to Anfield playing poorley (again) but another late show bringing us another 3 points closer to the title. The hero again was VanDerSar in goal. The save he made from Crouch with about 5 minutes to go kept us in with a snith, and it seems that if you give us that this season, we will bite your hand off. Ronaldo with the perfect freekick, and the unlikley hero of Jonny O'Shea there to score the most vital of goals in stoppage time. To be honest, we were poor again. Scholes and Carrick didnt really get into the game enough and we looked like creating nothing up front. The ever-so reliable Vidic seemed to go back to his form of last season, and looked shakey. Luckly Bellamy didnt have enough quality to take advantage of his mistakes. The main player who shone for me was Rio Ferdinand. He just seems to be a big game player, and most importantly for me, does against Liverpool. The big down point was Scholes getting sent off for a stupid half hearted punch at Alonso, and we will be out for our next three games. Rooney is a doubt for Lille on Wednesday after picking up a knock. All eyes are now on Chelsea away, april 15th the penciled date. However due to the possibilty of both clubs being in the FA cup semi-finals, the fixture is more than likley to be re-arranged. Although im excited by that fixture there are important must-win games before that. Bolton and Blackburn at home are must wins, and we no neither side will come to Old Trafford and lay down. Middlesborough away in the FA cup will be interesting tie, and hopefuly fergie will play his best side. It will Larson's last game for us, which is a shame, as i think hes been a revelation since arriving. On the injury front Ole is out for a month, after more surgery on his knee, and Fletcher is out for 2 weeks.

The Treble is still on.

This is our year

After Saturdays fight-back against Fulham, I now genuinely believe we can win the title. The sight of true champions is winning when you don't deserve to, and that’s what we did. United were awful, the worst I have seen us play all season (excluding champions league away games). The defence looked shaky, we couldn't string more than five passes together and we made Fulham look like Brazil. VanDerSar was the key. It was like watching Schemical back in 1990's, making save after save to keep us in the game. Then when a point looked inevitable, up stepped Ronaldo with his 16th league goal. But this was like no other, this was so important. He had been quiet all game, then out of nothing were 2-1 up in stoppage time. Picking the ball up just inside his own half, he finally decided to run at Fulham, and their defence stood no chance. The 7000 us behind the goal are going ballistic, the players are going ballistic, and Fergie is jumping up and down like an adolescent teenager. We had done what we hadn't been able to do for the last four years, be pathetic but still win. March is a key month with Champions League games against Lille, two FA cup matches (hopefully), and crucial league games against Liverpool, Bolton and Blackburn. The only down point today was the £45 tickets Fulham had charged away fans. Ridiculous considering city fans were only charged £25. This categorising of games has to stop, why should we punished just because were the best-supported club, and clubs know that could charge a £100 and United would still fill the ground. It's good to see Reading have lowered ticket prices for Tuesday replay, particularly as both teams will be weakened.