United Stars Staggered By Larsson Signing
(Goal.com) - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that his players were astounded to learn that star striker Henrik Larsson would be joining the Red Devils' squad in January.
The loan signing took them all by surprise, with a host of other players being linked with United in the media but no mention of Larsson until it was a done deal.
Ferguson hopes the goalscoring Swede's class and experience will boost United's quest for honours this season during his two-month loan from Helsingborgs.
The former Celtic and Barcelona star is training with United this week at their Carrington HQ, prior to joining the club for a 13-match tenure.
Confirming that Larsson had received a warm welcome from his new team-mates, Ferguson said the news of his signing had stunned the squad.
"Henrik has created a buzz around the dressing room, there is no question about that," he said.
"When we announced it, a few of the players came to me and said 'that was a good one, where did you get that one from?'. They were surprised at the suddenness and the secrecy of it.
"He has come at a good time. It looks as though the championship race is going to go the whole road. Players like Henrik will only help us with that."
Larsson's United debut is likely to be the FA Cup third-round tie against his old Celtic manager Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa at Old Trafford on January 7.
Meanwhile, Ferguson hinted that there may be other arrivals in January.
"It is possible, you never know," he said when asked if he intended bringing anyone else in.
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Comments
GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED! GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED! WHERE THE REDS GO MARCHING ON! ON! ON!
Posted by: Glory Man U | December 21, 2006 10:46 PM
Something is better than nothing! Viva forever Man United.
Posted by: Revy S. Ngaiza | January 8, 2007 05:13 AM
Wow! Larson wasted no time at all for Manchester United! Seems Sir Alex knows how to pick them! I watched this first game in a red shirt for Larson & he not only found the net but played very well. I hope United can keep it going
Posted by: DynastySoccerFC ... Rasputin | January 8, 2007 04:02 PM
I love Larson, just a class player and always has been. He's getting on in years, but nice to see him contribute right off the bat at Man U. Always a fun player to watch.
Posted by: Heath Young | January 8, 2007 05:08 PM
Everyone is in a tizzy about this signing. I understand that Larsson is a heck of a player but how many more years can he possibly play at the top level? 1 maybe 2 years tops. It is a very good signing and yes he is already paying dividends but before you call out the parade and start singing Man U songs, look at this logically. It is a short term signing. Sir Alex needed some insurance up front to challenge Chelsea, and I think he got that.
Posted by: giova * * * * | January 8, 2007 09:00 PM
Well the fact that they signed him is a good thing. Of course he's an older player yet still he gives United another option as Larson is comfortable playing in big games so only time will tell. The good thing for Man U is they have a number of players scoring for them now on a regular basis & I think it has a lot to do with the teams they face giving Rooney so much attention it creates space for everyone else. Speaking of Rooney he might not have scored very many goals this season but he playing ok as a support player & he still causes lots of trouble up front.
Posted by: DynastySoccerFC ... Rasputin | January 8, 2007 11:32 PM
No one is calling out any parades, everyone knows Larson is just a stopgap signing for this year. Fergie brought him in on a very temporary contract to provide a little more firepower up front in an effort to stay in front of Chelsea in the second half of the season.
Saha has been injured, Alan Smith is still working his way back, Solskjaer is just returning from injury and Rooney is being smothered by the opposition since he's the obvious scoring threat. Larson was brought in specifically to fill this void so they don't have to continue to rely on goals coming from the midfield (Ronaldo and Scholes have stepped up, but can't do it all).
How many more years can he play at this level? I don't know how many more he CAN play (though he doesn't look to be struggling at all yet with the Champions League performance and now stepping up at United), but I don't expect him to play beyond this season at United. I think he'll do just what he was brought in to do, score some goals this season to help United continue its run for the title, and that will be it.
I'm just happy to see a player I've always admired still performing so well. It could prove a very shrewd move by Sir Alex.
Posted by: Heath Young | January 9, 2007 10:56 AM