HEINZE HAILS THE HENRIK EFFECT
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Henrik Larsson is an ideal role model for young players, according to new Manchester United team-mate Gabriel Heinze.
The former Barcelona and Celtic striker is expected to make his debut against Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday following his loan move from Helsingborg. With Louis Saha out with a groin injury, Larsson is expected to partner Ole Gunnar Solskjaer up front. And Argentina full-back Heinze has welcomed the former Sweden international's influence at Old Trafford.
"If you are a bright young player you can learn from Henrik Larsson," he told MUTV. "He is one of my favourite players in the sense of what he has achieved, not just in Spain, but also at Celtic. "I think he is great signing for us and will do really well here. "He has not been a success for no reason. Larsson has been excellent wherever he has gone and done well wherever he has played. "I saw him a lot for Barcelona. He was remarkable there considering he had come back from a bad injury. "Yet when he returned he was the same player as before. "He was one of the best forwards in Spain and is going to be a great addition to our squad."
Larsson had a chance to extend his stay at the Nou Camp but instead kept his promise to return to his hometown club. But with the Swedish league enjoying a traditional winter break, the lure of United proved to be too great.
Larsson is determined to make the most of his first time in England after becoming a cult hero with Celtic, where his goals became the stuff of legend. He has already been for a stroll on the Old Trafford pitch and said on his website: "I just cannot wait to get out there for real. "The facilities are fantastic - second to none.
"I have also had a little time to look around Manchester and it seems to be a really nice city. "Of course, I am not a tourist. I am here to play football so a lot of my time has been with the club and training with the other players." -
hope he proves himself this saturday.
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yeahh..!
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Originally posted by winning 11:yeahh..!
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he's gonna score on his debut!!
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wooo!!!
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Don't expect too much from him lah... He is after all a 35 yrs old guy... He is still good enough i guess but just don't have too high a hope on him... He is more or less like Solskjaer i feel...
Moreover he has never play in the EPL before so still hard to say... The SPL is easier, only 2 good teams and he happened to play for one of them so the defenders he came up against were average only.
And looking at Shev and Ballack taking so long to settle into the EPL and a new team... He will only have 10 weeks to do so... so if he doesn't do well, don't be too upset.
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rem his last games were for Barca.Originally posted by zocoss:Don't expect too much from him lah... He is after all a 35 yrs old guy... He is still good enough i guess but just don't have too high a hope on him... He is more or less like Solskjaer i feel...
Moreover he has never play in the EPL before so still hard to say... The SPL is easier, only 2 good teams and he happened to play for one of them so the defenders he came up against were average only.
And looking at Shev and Ballack taking so long to settle into the EPL and a new team... He will only have 10 weeks to do so... so if he doesn't do well, don't be too upset.
and I believe his hard impact may be his goal-scoring feat but the other impacts on the youngsters such as rooney will be priceless. -
Yeah I mean he is not tested yet in the EPL where physical and agressive play is dominant.. Let's hope for the best..
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Shrewd capture by SAF.
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I wonder if the fans would create a new chant for him.
Score on your debut, Larsson!
Cheers.
C.K -
frankly, I prefer him to lay a few assists to help our baby shrek find his feet...
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as long as man utd plays some real soccer. then i'm all smiles.
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screw the baby shrek lah haha.. i want a horny shrek who has goal fetishes..Originally posted by iceFatboy:frankly, I prefer him to lay a few assists to help our baby shrek find his feet... -
oot a bit...
how long will be Saha be out? -
2 weeks.. maybe more who knows.. if larsson starts pumping in goals..Originally posted by thoreldan:oot a bit...
how long will be Saha be out?
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one thing came to my mind.
what if larsson gets injured in 1st match is out for 3 months?
touch wood, wouldnt want that to happen, but this can happen -
then his loan is cancelled..
and this deal is a shot in the foot..
and MUFC may have to spend some to buy or Rossi will be hailed the next Alan Shearer..
and MUFC will have again, a trophyless season..
drama, enough?? -
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. -
hope he can make an impact tonight
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he did, he scored on his debut.
but what's impt, is his link play, and he seems to bring out the Old "Rooney".
but one can still detect some rusts in his play, and his inability to mix in with the rest cause I do see a lot of stray passes too, which in Saha's case can be more productive.