The baby-faced assassin. Super-sub. Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer has his fair share of monikers at Old Trafford. But can the Norwegian add "United legend" to that list?
I'm not so sure. Many people may argue with me, but I don't think Solskjaer did enough to be considered a Manchester United legend.
His recent testimonial was a tribute to his 11 years at the club, and celebrating his time at United. But does being at a club for a long time make you a legend?
No. Look at John O'Shea. No-one would consider him a United legend and he is nearing the 11 year mark. Some may argue that Solskjaer did more in his time than O'Shea, but then lets take Mikael Silvestre instead. He is also nearing the 11 year mark, and has played more games for United than Solksjaer did, yet very few would consider him near United legend status, if any.
The fact is that a player dubbed as "Super-sub" shouldn't be considered a legend, as that suggests he was better off the bench than when he started matches.
This is by no means an attack on Solskjaer, he was a good player, and a model professional, but the term "United legend" is a very exclusive club, and I just don't think Solkjkaer is good enough to get in that group.
United fans would probably bring up the 1999 Champions League final. First, if he was so good why wasn't he starting that game? And just because he stuck a toe out at the right time in the right place, does that really make him a legend?
He won the Champions League for United, but does that make Juliano Belletti a Barcelona legend? After all, he came off the bench to complete a 2-1 comeback to win his club the Champions League.
Or perhaps it was the dramatic fashion of Solksjaer's winner that makes him a United legend? Well then, surely Jerzy Dudek is a Liverpool legend?
But the main reason I don't think Solskjaer is a United legend is his ability. He was a good player, as I have already said, but look at some of the players in the United legend club. Sir Bobby Charlton. George Best. Eric Cantona. I'm sorry, but Solskjaer is nowhere near the quality of these players.
So, although he will forever be in United folklore for that night in Barcelona, he isn't a United legend in my book. Not yet anyway, but perhaps a soon to be vacant spot as United manager may give him the chance to elevate to United legend status.
61 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
John Knight 11 months ago
I could say the same about Robbie Fowler, did Liverpool win anything of meaning with him playing in the team. Did he ever get that crucial last touch to secure the most successful season in English football history. As a United fan, I admit Solksjaer was never the most skillful player at United - probably not even in a United top 20 players list based on ability. There may have been an element of luck in it all - as a late, desperate substitute - but Solksjaer happened to be there for that single moment in 1999 and thus secured United legend status. Truthfully, his legend status in decades to come will be built solely on that Catalan final. Yorke and Cole were the prevailing strikeforce in that season, yet Solksjaer took the ultimate glory. That's the luck and fate in football.
You don't necessarily have to be a great player to be a club legend. Ole is a Manchester United legend. Not a legend of football.
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Brad Simkulet 11 months ago
I think John is right. It might not be fair that he is a United legend, but I think that can't be avoided. He just is, like it or not. But he's definitely not a football legend.
I think Jerzy Dudek is a good example of another legend who may not deserve it, but will end up a club legend anyway for Liverpool -- again, all based on a night in Istanbul.
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Barney 11 months ago
robbie fowler had the quality solksjaer didn't though, and, i think that you do need to be a great player to be a club legend, but thats not the only thing you need to be.
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Greg Wharf 11 months ago
"robbie fowler had the quality solksjaer didn't " in what way??
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mark andrew 11 months ago
Wow Barney , thats a big call to say that Solskjaer didnt have the Quality of Robbie Fowler , and it deeply hurts to read that .
I know Fowler was a very good footballer but he does NOT come close to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer , even if i wasnt a Man U fan i would say the same .
He is an absolute Legend , The Final goal in '99 was enough to make him a legend already without his 6 Premier league winners medals and the dedication he has given ,
look at the interview at his testimonial on you tube where he calls us the best fans in the world , he is almost crying mate and he isnt even a Mancunian , You would expect that from Paul Scholes when he retires because he is a local lad and Man U is in his blood , but there is like a family bond now with Ole that will never be broken in a lifetime .
Robbie Fowler won Nothing Compared to Solskjaer so to even Compare the two is Completly wrong mate . They are in different leagues .
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Barney 11 months ago
they are indeed in different leagues. fowler was streets ahead of solksjaer! in a worse team and in the same amount of games, fowler scored a lot more goals. plus, if you're comparing these two players its unfair to say solksjaer won 6 premier league trophies, as it was man u who won them, not solksjaer, so we can only really compare them on goalscoring and individual honours, of which fowler has three and solksjaer has none.
as chris said, he is a cult-hero without a doubt, but a legend? not in my opinion. no way was he one of the best man utd strikers of all time.
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mark andrew 11 months ago
Nah your wrong barney .
Ole Solskjaer won 6 Premier league medals with United , Thats Six more than Fowler has won .
He won a Champions League Medal thats one more than Fowler .
catch the drift , you can score a million goals but if you dont get the Medals then what are you ?
Robbie Fowler is Never in a Million years more a legend than Solskjaer, not a chance , even if i was a mickey mouse fan id say the same fella .
He hasnt got any more Quality than Solskjaer had either , Ole was a nightmare for defenders .
Ok put it this way , You said you considered George Best a Legend ( so do i by the way )
But Ole Solskjaer had more success than George Best In terms of trophies won and Medals ,
Yes, Best had a better appearance and Goal record than Ole ,
But how do we class Ole any Further away than We Class Best ?
I rate them Both Legends of Manchester United and Legends of Football , Simple as ,
Robbie Fowler is no where near that status , like i said RF was a very good player , but a world Legend ?? ....No
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Barney 11 months ago
no fowler wasnt a world legend, nor was solskjaer, and hes nowhere near the same league as best!! again, solskjaer had a great team around him. had fowler been playing for man u, i have no doubt they wouldve won all the trophies they won. judging them on trophies alone gives a distorted view. again ill bring up silvestre hes won 5 prem titles (5 more than fowler), and a champions league (one more than fowler), but does that make him a better player? no. im sorry but in my view solskjaer is a long long way behind fowler. very few strikers in premier league history can go toe to toe with god.
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mark andrew 11 months ago
How can you mention silvestre in this ? we are talking about a striker against another striker , you cant compare them at all .
So let me get this straight , ive been a Man United fan longer than you have known of the word .
I watched Solskjaer LIVE in every game of his career and your telling or trying to tell me he is NOT a legend , you really are out of your depth on this one ok .
Bobby Charlton ( Man uniteds biggest living Legend ) Said Solskjaer was a true great of this sport , he was proffessional , calculated , clever and he was always happy no matter what . then when asked to describe Ole , do you know what he said Barney ? he said outright Ole is a LEGEND .
So who out of you and SIR bobby are the best to judge that ?
A 16 Year old boy who someone quite rightly pointed it out was 4 years old when Ole joined United and 6 yrs old when he " calculatedly stuck out a toe " in '99 ?
Or a man who is a Huge Legend over the world sir bobby ?
Im tending to think bobby charlton is in a better position than you to class Ole a legend , not just at Old Trafford but all over the world .
You can have your opinion , of course you can , but you are DEFINATLY in the minority of a couple who think he isnt a legend and that opinion is the WRONG one im afraid .
I mean the very fact you try and compare Ole to Silvestre and Robbie Fowler and even bloody John O'shea shows that your Knowledge on football is majorly weak .
And I know George Best is a Legend Over the world .He is a Legend in my eyes too .
But tell me why he is considered a Legend ? is it coz of his six League trophies And a Champions League ? No its because he was the man who made flying wingers a dying art , scored so many goals and was a generally nice bloke .
I think you will find Ole fits into them categories , he was a Nice bloke , He won more than George Best did and If George is a Legend , so is Ole .
And i am guessing that if i asked you if you think Steven Gerrard is a legend , you will say yes .
Do you consider Roy Keane as a Legend ? I do , you know why ? no you dont because you was 6 years old at the time .
But a certain Champions League Semi- Final 99 , Juventus , We was on our way out of the champions League , Roy Keane wore his Heart on his sleeve , he carried the team , he got the Important Goal that booked our place in history , then got booked and suspended for the Final .
That is something that will go down as legendary too .
And dont even tell me that you probably know more about football than me , yes sat Behind a PC you have all the info you need .
But i was there , i could tell you most things about football without even looking at a website , that you coulnt .
To wrap it up Ole is a LEGEND .
Fowler is a has been .
Silvestre is a great Defender but shouldnt even be mentioned on this thread .
Same for John O'shea . .
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Barney 11 months ago
Right well firstly im not "telling" anyone that solskjaer is not a legend, i am voicing my opinion that I dont think he is. Im am not judging him, nor have i said i know more than bobby charlton about solksjaer, i am merely voicing my opinion, something i thought you had no problem with, but obviously not. You just seem like a hypocrite now, when someone gets angry at you because you write your opinion you dont see the point in it, yet you go onto my article and do exactly that! to tell someone their opinion is wrong is so hypocritical of you.
again naivety is showing through here by claiming that just because im young (and im 17 now thank you very much!) i don't know much about football history. you say you consider george best a legend? how the hell would you know? you weren't even alive while he was playing! so by your definition, you cannot say best is or is not a legend, nor anyone from before 1988, when you were just 6 years old. you cannot say bobby charlton is a legend, therefore you cannot say he has the right to say others are legends, as you werent alive when he was playing.
and yes i do consider gerrard a legend, why wouldnt i? he has quality, longevity and legendary moments. and yes i do consider Roy Keane a legend and yes i do know what you were talking about even before you mentioned the 99 semi-final because you thought you had to.
and how can you call fowler a has been?! because he isnt as good now as he was in his prime? nor is solskjaer! otherwise he'd be sitting on the bench like he was in his heyday! so if fowler is a has been then so is solskjaer! you say i cant judge solskjaer because i didnt see him play "LIVE every game of his career" (i very much doubt you did either) but then you are able to pass judgment on Robbie Fowler when you have seen him probably the same amount of times ive seen solskjaer? again, highly hypocritical.
The fact is the Premier League has only seen a handful of strikers better or as good as Fowler. they are shearer, cole, ferdinand, henry, sheringham, bergkamp, wright, zola, ian rush, and van nistelrooy
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Barney 11 months ago
and cantona as well
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Jon Marum 11 months ago
Barney, I believe you share a surname with a fictional character from brookside; Jimmy Corckhill, who was pretty much mental. I can only assume he was in fact real and you are a relative!
Solksjaer is a legend- end of. I enjoyed your article but sometimes people's points of view arent just different they are plain wrong and idiotic... admit you are wrong because you are coming across as a very bitter and jealous success starved scouser!
ps fowler and solskjaer were very evenly matched talent wise... but solskjaer is the true legend because of what he achieved with his talent.
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Barney 11 months ago
oo yeh and best was also a legend because he was one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. solskjaer was not. and being a "nice bloke" doesnt make you a legend im afraid.
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Barney 11 months ago
right well i dont know about that as ive never watched brookside in my life, i have better things to do. but trying to insult my surname? thats really clutching at straws. and if sticking to an opinion is being "a very bitter and jealous success starved scouser" then i guess im a "a very bitter and jealous success starved scouser". i aint changing my opinion just because people disagree with it!
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Jon Marum 11 months ago
I wasn't insulting your surname just drawing a comparison to highlight how ridiculous your argument is!
I guess this is something we shall have to agree to disagree on! everyone else knows solksjaer is a legend so we will just be content in that knowledge...
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Barney 11 months ago
we will indeed agree to disagree. oh and by the way, my opinion isnt ridiculous, just because people dont agree with it.
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mark andrew 11 months ago
1. I definatly 100% seen every game Solskjaer has played in for Manchester United , From the day he made his debut against Blackburn in 96 , which is where i lived at that time .
2 . I Stated yes you have an opinion which is fair enough , i also said in my opinion that yours was wrong , which is my opinion ....... your getting it all mixed up , im not criticising your work , in fact ive stuck up for you when u was under attack in another argument on another article , so you cant say im not fair . I only Have a go at people when they make mindless comments , so a hypocrite , no . !
3. Oh my god , Steven Gerrard . if he is a legend then Ole is definatly a Legend . Stevie G is a very good player but what on earth has he done in the league ? 2nd place is the best Liverpool have finished in the league with gerrard in the team . And yes they won the CL in 2005 , Gerrard scored the first Lpool goal , Ole Scored The WINNER which won the cup , 2 people scored after gerrard so they made that night just as much as Stevie G . it doesnt make him a legend by any chalk of the imagination . A hero amongst Lpool fans is more a viable name to give Gerrard for now at least , he needs to win the league before even being considered .
4. At what point did i ever say i seen George Best in action live ? or Charlton ? I dont talk like ive watched them live and know everything about them , unlike you with solskjaer . but from books , video's of them and the fact that both are United Legends is how i know Best and Charlton were Legends , it aint exactly hard to figure out is it , just look at the tributes left to George best all over the world when he died . That tells you all you need to know . And the fact that Bobby Charlton is a Sir , yes barney a SIR , you dont get a Knighthood if you aint a bit special , so thats another one easy to work out .
5. I can safetly Call Fowler a Has Been Barney , he was a good goalscorer in the 90's but that counts for JACk if you dont get the success to go with it . And how can Fowler ever Be Classed as a Legend ? do Legends pretend to Snort cocaine on a football pitch ? I think you will find that they dont , thats a great example to kids . so no Barney Robbie Fowler is No where near as Good as Solskjaer in any way shape or Form . Solskjaer Has Retired from football , so how can he Be or Not be in His Prime ? thats irrelevant . Fact is he was Better than Fowler in Many peoples eyes , i bet if you did a poll Solskjaer would come out on top .And ill also have you know ive watched Fowler since the start of his career too barney , my mum used to own a pub and always had the football on sky sports and i Know for a fact ive seen more games of Fowler than you and more football games than you . Ive watched Football since 1989-1990 and ive not stopped watching it since so im in a better position to see who had the better career out of the two .
6. Dwight Yorke was better than Fowler , Peter Beardsley was better than Fowler , thats two more that you missed out on , and Obviously Solskjaer too .
I wont be writing another post on here because your argument is really weak , i have seen a lot more football than you , unfortunatly you are delving into something you havent seen the full story of as you was not watching Ole from day 1 , sorry but your opinion is wrong In MY view . You will just argue and argue , we could argue til the end of time but it wont ever get to an end because your a Lpool fan and we have different views .
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Barney 11 months ago
so youre trying to tell me you have seen solskjaer in every friendly hes played for man u, every single league game home and away hes played, every champions league game home and away, every league cup game home and away, every fa cup game home and away, every other competition hes been in home and away? again, i highly doubt that.
and youre not getting my point that it doesnt matter that solskjaer won premier leagues and so he is a legend above fowler and gerrard. soslkjaer didnt win those leagues on his own! he was surrounded by superior players throughout his career and it was the team that won those trophies, NOT ole gunnar solskjaer.
and youre trying to tell me the only thing gerrard has done is score a goal in a champs league final? and that hes done nothing in the league, just because liverpool have only achieved 2nd place? what about the 2006 fa cup final. the gerrard final. what about all the games he has clawed us back in to the match and then won it for us. tell me, if he has done nothing in the league, why has he been in every team of the season for god knows how long?! even when hes been playing out of position! he has captained liverpool, worn his hearrt on his sleeve and been a talisman for us for years.
and i dont recall talking about solskjaer like ive watched him live and know everything about him. my point is that if i, according to you, cannot put my opinion on whether solskjaer is a legend just because i was young when he made his debut, you cannot give your opinion as to whether sir bobby charlton is a legend as you werent alive when he made his debut. you're just taking it as standard because everyone else tells you so. And if watching clips lets you be a judge, then i am able to judge solskjaer as ive seen many a clip of him.
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mark andrew 11 months ago
Yes i have seen him in every game in competition , Every Friendly .......No , but friendlies dont count as his success story and friendlies are boring and dont matter to me , its games that can win things that matter to me , they mean F All to me, they were and still are just practise games, ready for the new seasons .
But FA cup ....H+A...yes
UEFA CL .......H+A.....yes
League cup ...H+A...yes
EPL...............H+A......yes
Charity shield..H+A...yes..............so you can doubt all you want , fact is i seen Ole's Competetive career from start to finish .
Even if he did HELP United to win the League , Have FOWLER or GERRARD helped Liverpool to win the league ?...........NO they havent .........so how can you class them as legends and Not Ole ? Fact is they still havent won it and Ole Has .
No matter which way you look at it , he has done more to help his team and won more than Gerrard and Fowler Put together .
Are you trying to tell me that Solskjaer didnt wear his heart on his sleeve at United ? Because i think you will find he always did .
So what if Gerrard has done that , its not brought you a league title has it ? And you say all Solskjaer has done is help united .
Well dont you Think Gerrard had help off his team mates ? he definatly is NOT a one man team .And i watched that FA cup final , and yes Gerrard played well , but so did the rest of the team .
And it was against West Ham for gods sake , they shouldnt of even needed to rely on gerrard to win it .
And a Question for you , If Gerrard is your talisman and you havent won the league , then how are you going to win it in Future ? If your talisman cant even guide you to league success then you bitter Kopites have no chance , and Dont say , we havent had the players because that is pure crap , Babel , Voronin , Mascherano , Torres , Kuyt , Riise , Gerrard , Carragher , Finnan all players of high Quality yet you cant get close to United or chelsea .
But Barney your not seeing my point on best and charlton, Bobby Charlton was Given a Knighthood by the Queen , thats the Highest accolade you can get , so the fact he has that is enough to tell the Dumbest of people he was a legend . im not judging on anything ive watched , Because i already know .
I think this article is a case of a Sad , Jealous , Bitter Trophy wanting fan .
For me its end of .
OLE G SOLSKJAER is a LEGEND ( To United fans , ive seen Chelsea fans say yes he is , ive seen Arsenal fans say yes he is , and even some Kopites that arent all bitter and twisted said yes )
STEVIE G IS NOT ( maybe one day he will be for outsiders , to scousers , yes he is , but to anyone else , NO )
NOR is FOWLER ( again to scousers he is , but to anyone outside lpool NO )
Oh and isnt it funny how you had no answer for when i said how can Fowler be classed a Legend because Legends dont Pretend they are Sniffing coke off a pitch ,
Funny that , you only hear what you wanna hear . or answer what you have an answer for ,
Whats up ? cant find an excuse to get him off the hook and still count him as a legend ???????
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mark andrew 11 months ago
Charity shield meant to say yes , not H+A .
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Barney 11 months ago
well no i passed over the fowler comment as there were so many other things in your argument that made no sense to me. do legends go out and drink themselves into an early grave or rehab? no, yet gazza and best are legends. do legends cheat by handballing a ball into a net? no but maradona is still a legend. one moment of something people dont agree with isnt enough to ban you from legend status for life. he won a fair play award, so he wasnt a nasty, dirty or unclean player. solskjaer never won a fair play award.
and again i bring up the point, just because you helped your team to a prem trophy doesnt mean you are a legend. silvestre helped man u to prem trophies but he is not a legend. dont say you cant compare them because one is a striker, because you are talking about contribution to the team, which everyone on the pitch can do. if youre talking about comparing strikers the most important thing is goals, of which fowler scored more than solskjaer.
and for your information i know plenty of man u fans, chelsea fans, arsenal fans, everton fans and lots of other clubs that know fowler is a legend.
and you think im a "Sad , Jealous , Bitter Trophy wanting fan"? well first im quite happy actually, second what would i be jealous of?? equally what do i have to be bitter about?? and trophy wanting? what you think i think this article is going to win liverpool trophies? you think i think that because i wrote this article liverpool will go and win the league? no! and what type of fan isnt trophy wanting?!? if your not maybe you arent as big a fan as you make out to be...
oh and "I wont be writing another post on here because your argument is really weak". kinda went back on that a bit didnt you!
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Jeff Harbert 11 months ago
Solskjaer was so much more than just a "super sub". Some of the goals he scored were fantastic and his commitment to the club was second to none. I remember when he rejected a big money move to Tottenham even though it would've meant more playing time. Time and time again he rescued United and he never failed Sir Alex when he called upon him. 20LEgend.
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Keith Griffin 11 months ago
If Solskjaer aint a legend, then what more would he have to have done to become one in your eyes?
Intresting article mate.
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Barney 11 months ago
he just wasnt good enough to be a legend in my view. you need a mix of sheer quality, longevity and some legendary moments. solksjaer has the latter two but just not the first one. as i said, i think he will rightly go down in man utd history, but hes not quite a united legend.
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Myles Bailey 11 months ago
If the person who wrote this is not a United fan he will never understand the relationship Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had with supporters at Old Trafford. The fans in the seats, the ones who sing 'You are my Solskjaer'. There's more to being a legend than mere statistics Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored so many goals of significance to fans of Manchester United e.g. the F.A. Cup against Liverpool that would only ever be appreciated by United fans. His ability to snatch vital late goals made you believe...if you've never had that feeling it would be useless to describe it to you and his model professionalism and loyalty. The boy was a supporter in his youth and showed it on the pitch. 20legend. Dont dare question it.
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Greg Wharf 11 months ago
it's not the one night that made him a legend, it's his loyalty, his professionalism, the amount of time he was the hero of the day, the incredible quardruples he scored, the sacrafices he made and everything that is OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER, to compare him with silvestre is quite ridiculous, just ask the 68,000 fans packed inside old trafford, or maybe Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson, Dennis Law, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Roy Keane and certainly ask any defender who has played against one of the most dangerous finishers football has ever seen. No he might not be a football legend like Beckham, Bergkamp, Zola, Ronaldo etc, but he certainly is a United legend.
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Fino Since 1976. 11 months ago
I started to read you profile and quickly realized that berating you was probably pointless.
You are 16 years of age what right do you have to question Ole's place in United history ?
What were you, 4 years old when he scored on his debut versus Blackburn ?
I was there I have been at many, many games, and the one thing I can say about OGS is he never let United, the Manager or the fans down, He is described by Sir Alex as the best finisher he has worked with (think about that for a minute).
You were probably lucky enough to see him play a dozen times in the latter end of his career.
You're throwing names like Belletti & Dudek around, Did Belletti stay at a club for 11 years and serve that club like a consummate professional, can Dudek say he never let anyone down (ask Diego Forlan about that one). and what are you talking about with O'shea and Silvestre ? both made there debuts in the 1999/2000 season Silvestre was a first team regular but O'shea only really started to feature 5 years ago, and the only thing he's ever done that could be considered 'Legendary' is 'Sticking out his toe' in front of the Kop in the 90th minute.
I can't believe you can describe his goal in the 99 Champions league final as "Sticking out a toe".
Why wasn't he starting that game ? If you were talking about something you actually had any knowledge of, you would know that we had one of the best striking partnerships that this country as ever seen in Yorke and Cole that season and yet Ole managed 18 goals in 17 starts in United's greatest ever season & saw both Yorke and Cole off to become Ruuds strike partner in 2002 (a pairing that brought 61 goals in one season).
Do you not count all the other goals either maybe you would like to strike off the 94th minute goal Versus Liverpool that helped us progress in the FA Cup in 1999 too ? or perhaps the 4 in 10 minutes at Forest, not to mention the countless important strikes as a sub over the years (he even managed one in his last season versus Villa at home 1-1 87th minute..Ole -Bang!.....2-1)
I think Ole is a United Legend, almost 69,000 people who went to OT on Saturday think he's a United Legend, as does 'The' Manager (unless of course you know more than he does) His ex-team mates people like Giggs and Scholes who played with him for 11 years, ex-Reds Like The great Dane and Teddy (who came to pay there tributes to him on Saturday) think he is.
If you ever bother to get into Manchester put the question to any Red, pop along to the ground and look up at the Stretford end - It spells it out for you 2oleGEND !
I see that you want to be a Sports journalist when you 'Ahem' Grow up, I think you stop reading Brian Woolnough son !
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Barney 11 months ago
1. its very naive to say because im young i dont know much about history, i probably know as much, if not more, than you
2. what right do i have to question his place in history? i have every right, its my opinion
3. can dudek say he never let anyone down? no, can solksjaer? no! so dudek missed some he shouldve saved, youre saying solskjaer has never missed one he shouldve scored?
4. It's funny how dudek's save in extra time from sheva from point blank range was 'just sticking out a hand and hoping for the best' but solksjaers goal wasnt just sticking out a toe.
5. 'Why wasn't he starting that game ? we had one of the best striking partnerships that this country as ever seen. this proves my point, he wasnt even in the top 2 in his own position at the club! yorke and cole wouldve been second place to any of the other united legend strikers
6. in the 2002/2003 season you talk about that partnership scored 34 goals, 25 of which were van nistelrooys
7. yes, im not disputing he didnt score important and timely goals and 4 in 10 minutes is impressive but that isnt enough to make him a legend. Bobby Charlton played hundreds and hundreds of games for man utd scoring hundreds of goals and consistently performing, yet you put solskjaer who scored a few important goals in the same league? just because those goals were late on?
8. the 69,000 people who went to watch his testimonial is lower than your usual average attendance, and im willing to bet a number of them were 16 or under, so by your definition cant pass judgement on whether he is a legend, and of course united fans are going to be biased! had he not stuck that toe out in 1999 would he be considered a legend? no i dont think he would!
9. Who the hell is Brian Woolnough?!?
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Anthony Sanchez 11 months ago
I stopped reading when you started comparing him with o'shea and silvestre.He is a legend.
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Alan McGuinness 11 months ago
Have to disagree with you here Barney. Solskjaer surely has to be a United legend based on '99 alone. Ok, it was a simple enough finish, but it won United the Champions League. If a player does something like that then they should be considered a legend. For example, I class Wanye Bridge as a Chelsea legend just for THAT goal against Arsenal in 2004.
The term 'legend' may be banded around a bit much these days, but I think Solskjaer deserves it.
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mark andrew 11 months ago
There you go . Even a fan of our Biggest Title Rivals Chelsea Says that Ole Gunnar is a Legend .
And that Barney Rubble , says it all .
Nice one Alan , you sir know your football , you recognise that a Rival is a true Great , i have to applaud you for that .
Same as i recognise that JT and Frankie will one day be in that Same position to be classed as Legends of the game . And even though Rivals i will freely Admit that .
In fact For me Frankie is A legend already , to step out 2 weeks after your mother passed away and play in the Final of the biggest club competition , and score twice , is nothing short of Magical . that is a man with the heart of a lion .
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Barney 11 months ago
wow barney rubble thats good! what are you doing on here you should have your own stand up show!
i dont say solskjaer isnt a legend because he plays for man u, after all, i freely admit giggs is a legend, and he is one of my favourite players of all time, so my article is not affected by the liverpool v ,an u rivalry.
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Chris Kirk 11 months ago
I think Cult-hero should be the term used to describe Solksjaer.
Legends are Edwards, Charlton, Best, Robson and Keane.
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Michael Griffin 11 months ago
He is a legend, and for me, only legends like robson, keane, charlton and law can really hand out that kind of accolade, and they have to ole. he is a legend, simple as.
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illya mclellan 11 months ago
LEGEND
Main Entry:
leg·end Listen to the pronunciation of legend
Pronunciation:
\ˈle-jənd\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English legende, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French legende, from Medieval Latin legenda, from Latin, feminine of legendus, gerundive of legere to gather, select, read; akin to Greek legein to gather, say, logos speech, word, reason
Date:
14th century
1 a: a story coming down from the past; especially : one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable b: a body of such stories c: a popular myth of recent origin d: a person or thing that inspires legends
'And just because he stuck a toe out at the right time in the right place, does that really make him a legend?'
yep, it does.
you know what it won and the circumstances of that win. the champions league being the pinnacle of european footballing achievement. he will be remembered by United fans and new fans who are not even born yet will marvel at him for what he did.
that my friend is a legend.
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Rob White 11 months ago
One of the perfect examples of why Ole is a legend is his sending off against Newcastle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBrFlDpQudY). I will never ever forget that moment and it just shows you how committed he was for the club. I think it ranks number 2 the best things he's ever done for the club... his 'sticking a toe out :D' being number one!
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Steven Ho 7 months ago
Wow. I completely forgot about that.
What pace! I've never realised that Ole had so much pace.
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Kevin Moore 11 months ago
I think you are missing the point spectacularly, being a legend isn't about facts and figures, Solksjaer is revered for his loyalty and commitment. United fans like players who subscribe to the ethos of the club and who love pulling on a red shirt.
You speak of Best as a legend, i don't think many people would disagree but is he one of your legends? did you watch him play week in week out? Robson,Hughes and Cantona will always be my personal legends and Solskjaer is pretty close too.
Legend isnt some title that is bestowed upon you like a knighthood and ultimately it is down to personal opinion, and when yours is so contrary, expect it to be challenged.
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Stefan H 11 months ago
As a United supporter I am obviously going to be biased. But here is why our baby-faced assassin is a legend. Ok, no Ole never had the arrogance and skill of Cantona, he never had the 5 million games of Bobby Charlton, he never had the skill of George Best or the leadership of Roy Keane etc etc etc. BUT! What Ole had was similar to these players, Love for the club and all it embodied. What Ole had was the same ability to finish like Van Nistelrooy, played with the heart of Roy Keane, the love of United like Bobby Charlton, and the same level of respect that Cantona got.
Please remember Ole was plagued with injury and unlike most decided to try and beat it. He eventually did but it was all but over for our Ole. He will always be a Legend to every United supporter. And at the end of the day thats what matters to us. We dont want to know if you have a different opinion on the matter because it just doesnt matter!
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ryan jones 11 months ago
ryan gigss on seeing solskjaer for the first time in training "we have just signed the new alan shearer"
alex ferguson in his autobiography on using him as a sub - solskjaer can read the game, spot weaknesses, come on, exploit thm and change the game
he is an impact player. if you followed football you would realise that my friend. its tactics.
did banks just fall over to save that header from pele? did giggs just run 50 metres to score that goal in 1999 against arsenal. legends are made in moments like that.
good luck on your sports journalism career. from that article you will need it. maybe try cricket...or rugby.....
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Barney 11 months ago
no banks didnt just fall over to make that save, that was a legendary moment but not enough to make him a legend. He is a legend because he was the greatest keeper England have ever had, had longevity, and had legendary moment s such as that one.
'did giggs just run 50 metres to score that goal in 1999'. Well, yeh. but it takes a lot of skill to do that against that arsenal defence. again that goal wouldn tbe enough to make him a legend. He is a legend because he is the second best winger united have ever had, the most loyal player they've ever had and he had legendary moments like that.
solksjaer had longevity. solksjaer had legendary moments. but was solksjaer the best striker man u have ever had? no. 2nd best? no. 5th best? no. even 10th best? probably not!
and youre saying that to be a successful sports journalist i cant write my opinion, but what people want to hear instead? well thats shown you for the idiot you seem to be. and thanks for the advice but i do already write about cricket and rugby
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Daniel Gateway 11 months ago
I'm not usually one to question the intelligence and wisdom of 16 year olds but in reading this article I just couldn't help myself. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a United legend not just because of the Nou Camp although that moment was the embodyment of everything that was great about him. He is a legend because having come from relative obscurity he spent 11 glorious years at united and was a loyal and humble servant to the club and the fans. In many ways solksjaer is an unsung hero mainly because of people like you critiscising the fact that he was prodominatly used as a "super sub", however this I can assure you was not because he couldn't cut it or was not good enough to start every game it is because as the manager himself says his mains strengths were in reading the game. Most players starting the game on the bench tend to sulk about not starting, however solskjaer never took his eyes off the opposition defence exposing weakness and deciding where they were most vunerable hence why he was so deadly when he came on. As a result of this is it not fluke that he was on the bench in 99 and it was no fluke that he was perfectly positioned to win us the championship. I can see your point to a degree that solksjaers ability was perhaps not at the same level as best or law but 11 years of loyal service and never a word of complaint no matter how many games he started from the bench, and outstanding goal scoreing record, being a role model for any young people watching the game and finally the fact that in only his second season as a coach Fergie has made him reserve team coach mean that he IS a united legend. Which I will remind u is not for you to decide, perhaps we should let the fans answer that question and I think you'll find that at old trafford they do so week in and week 2 0LE GEND
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Jon Marum 11 months ago
intersting article and I've enjoyed reading the comments!
as a united fan I can confidently predict Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a legend in the vast majority of our eyes. There is one reason above all else for this - his goal v Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou on May 26th 1999. you may have poured copious amounts of scorn over this in your article but he is a legend because he ensured the most memorable nght of my life so far. He completed for his club something that had never been done before, something which hasn't been close to being equaled and something which is unlikely to ever happen again in English football: the (real) treble (I refuse to even humour Liverpool's pathetic excuse for a treble in 2001)
However, Ole will not only be remembered for this. He is probably the most natural finisher I have seen in a united shirt (RvN included). He scored all sorts of goals- tap ins headers long rangers volleys you name it he scored it. I remember one spectacular goal away at lille i believe in 2001.
He is also a legend for being a model pro. I met him once outside the ground when he was injured. He spent 40 minuted signing autographs. I cant think of many who wud do that now. Ole you are a real legend no matter what anybody may say! I think i can say on behalf of all united fans you will be missed and good luck with the reserves next year!
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Sean Kelly 11 months ago
Barney is so right, the reason he's called a super-sub is because he was never good enough to start. A true legend would of been the first name of that team sheet.
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mark andrew 11 months ago
Does anyone read or listen ?????
Ole was named super sub for a reason .
He watched a game unfold , he spotted weaknesses in opposition defence from the touchline , then he came on and exploited the weakness .
Alex Ferguson stated time and again that this was the way Ole liked it , the way he was best at use , he was calculated in his actions , he could come off the bench and score every time , do you really think thats a coincidence ?
Nothing to do with he wasnt good enough to start .
Fergie said if it was for him Ole would of started every match possible but he knew he would get more out of Ole's Calculated side and Ole Knew that as well .
If he was sub out of not being good enough do you really think he would of been at United for so long ???????
We dont keep players who arent good enough .If he was no good he wouldnt of been so happy to be sub , he would of wanted to move .
Taibi , not good enough and went .
Pelissier , not good enough and went .
Barthez , not good enough and went .
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Barney 11 months ago
john o shea. crap and still there.
mikael silvestre. crap and still there.
wes brown. crap and still there.
so many holes in all your arguments mark! and thank you sean!
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Jon Marum 11 months ago
John O'shea "crap" but scored the winner at Anfield in March 2007!
Silvetre "crap" but scored 2 against the scousers at OT in Sept 2004
Wes Brown "crap" but scored against liverpool last season...
they might be "crap" but they still do well for us don't they?
maybe we shud start identifying rubbish liverpool players.... lts see... Reina, Degen, Skrtel, Aurelio, Kuyt, Benayoun snt good enough and you jst got rid of the biggest lump of shite Kewell- thank god he turned us down!
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Barney 11 months ago
just because you score a goal or two in your time it doesnt mean you are good. after all, titus bramble has scored before.
1. Pepe Reina: Best keeper in the premiership over the past two years, no-one has kept more clean sheets.
2. Phillip Degen: Haven't seen him play in a proper match yet so cant judge him.
3. Martin Skrtel: Looks like being one of the most promising players in the premiership. reminds me of a certain nemanja vidic
4. fabio aurelio: im not his biggest fan. i preferred riise, but aurelio is by no means a bad player
5. dirk kuyt: great player most teams would love to have in their team. does more for his team than anyone ive ever seen
6: Yossi Benayoun: a fantastic dribbler of the ball who can open up any defence on his day, and besides he is a sub so of course hes not gonna be as good as the starting eleven. just look at solskjaer...
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Jon Marum 11 months ago
dont make me laugh... everyone knows reina is the dodgiest keeper in england since dudek!! reina is shite... end of!!
kuyt works hard good team player but short on talent
skrtel reminds you of vidic cos hes got a shaved head and from eastern europe... he's nowhere near as good!
benayoun is ok but again i dont think he is anwhere near good enough for a top 4 club... although i would actually say there's a top 3 now.
so we know where we are now... solskjaer is a legend, man utd are a better team than liverpool who are shite...
Barney, you write the article well, points are well made too but they just arent valid. The headline of your piece is is solskjaer a man utd legend. well yes he is. but you argue whether he is a footballing legend. that perhaps he isnt... not in the same way zidane or pele are anyway.
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Barney 11 months ago
well, i thank you for recognising my argument and not just dismissing it like some narrow minded people have, even if you dont agree with it. but as for liverpool being shite... ummm no, we arent shite. derby are shite. a team that consistently finishes in the top four and have got to three champions league semi-finals in four years including two finals, are not shite. and yes man u are a better team than liverpool but im not disputing that. and as for solskjaer is a man u legend, again we'll have to agree to disagree
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Sean Kelly 11 months ago
haha nice one Barney. And mark in defence to your arguement a legend or a great striker can pick weaknesses and wholes in a defence without watching 60 minutes of the game on the side line first.
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Fino Since 1976. 11 months ago
I stopped arguing with 16 year olds the day I left School !
Who really cares about a dippers opinion anyway ?
We love Ole - He is a United Legend, He could go on to be an even bigger legend in the future !
This child needs to get out into the world and stop acting like an adult behind the keyboard.
Can you even imagine what an annoying adult he will become ?
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Barney 11 months ago
well if you can read you'll know im actually 17, and if when im an adult i become anything like you, please god kill me now!
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Karl Collier 11 months ago
I havent read all the comments but I'd like to add that Ole was a professional player, he ate, breathed and slept football.
He's 100 times the man Fowler could ever be, Ole was and is loved up and down the country, loved from all around the world. You never once saw him gesturing to the fans like Fowler. He had respect for people, respect for United and respect for football.
2OLEGEND
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Sean Kelly 11 months ago
Well Fino aslong as he doesn't turn out like you, i'm sure he'll be fine.
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Barney 11 months ago
toushay! i really hope i dont turn out like him. i dont wanna look like al murray and chris moyle's baby!
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Salomon Gonzales 11 months ago
Didnt read all the comments so im just going to add mine. Solskaer is a United legend. And Barney, i know you got a lot of unfair comments but i got to give it to you. I very controversial but respectable article..
Well done buddy...
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Barney 11 months ago
Cheers Salomon, I don't mind people disagreeing with me, but trying to insult me because they dont agree on this matter is just ridiculous
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Ricky O'Neal 11 months ago
What many tend to forget about a player when they are done is the little contributions they make on the field that set them apart from the rest. Very much like watching Scholsey today turn a man and knock a sixty yard pass to the wing out of a tight situation. Won't be remembered in 10 years but the way he thinks, his spacial awareness, his technique and ability are unmatched in modern football today. But when he's done it will be about his medals, how he never played in that final and his cracking goals from 30 yards.
In Ole, many have already forgotten he was one of the best finishers to have graced the club in recent years and it's this that the writer fails to mention, preferring to talk about medals, big matches and retired players to balance whether Solskjaer qualifies for legendary status at United.
His technique and footballing brain were sensational, he had an unpredictable edge that lead him to be dubbed "assassin", from scrappy tap ins to 20 yard curlers, given a chance 9 times out of 10 he was likely to put it away. His ability to create space and play off his strike partner was immaculate and his work rate was immense. Considering his 11 year stint and constant injuries, his goal return was good.
As for coming off the bench to earn his wages I doubt this makes him any less of a player than someone who starts. He is clearly more effective off the bench and if a player is more use to you in that sense won't you use him that way?
I think the football world is very nostalgic and would prefer nobody came close to the likes of players gone that were among the first at being the best at what they do eg. Pele, Maradona etc. There are players playing today better than Pele and Maradona but nobody is willing to admit it for the sole reason of upholding the greatness of the players gone before.
It's that stigma that the greats are unbeatable that caused this article in the first place and therefore makes it's point invalid for that's the only reason it exists. Is Ole a legend? Well in my books a definite yes.
:O)
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Ricky O'Neal 8 months ago
Hey Barney I just realised you are the reason why I joined Bleacher Report!
The comment above is my first ever one on the site and if it wasn't for this article I wouldn't be here. It was your article the sparked the idea for my first ever article about legends and it's only now I was looking through your work and realised you were reponsible for me being here. Well there's a title you can hold for the rest of your days thanks for the inspiration!
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Baris Gerceker 7 months ago
Being a legend is a point of controversy itself. It really depends on what you understand from a legend.
Past-time legends are mostly tales to the people of today. So if you are to become a legend, you have to make sure your name will not fade within time.
Solskjaer's critical Champions League trophy bringing flick will make sure that his name will be remembered among Man Utd fans forever. One may think this should not be enough to become a legend but a legend is never forgotten and so will Ole-Gunnar.
Sometimes fans love a player. When you look at the player's trophy cabinet you see it's empty, he has not brought much to the club on the pitch either. But they just love him, you cannot stop that. They sometimes see themselves on the pitch, in that particular person. He just runs, puts his feet where he has to, puts his head onto feet, dies hard to get a ball from going out of pitch. They just love him.
Ole-Gunnar, a talented player, and an easy idol to familiarize with. You can be Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer. He is reachable. You can go in there as a sub and do the vital touch. Every body will love you.
Being a golden-sub is important. The fans love the feeling when a certain person finishes warming up on the side and takes his pullovers off and comes beside the fourth official. When the number on his jersey is lit up on the digital thingy the fans know "something will change soon". That is enough to make someone a legend sometimes. That is more than fair in Ole-Gunnar's situation in my opinion.
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