WILL HE STAY?

Last updated : 08 January 2007 By Ed

Helsingborgs chairman, Sten-Inge Fredin quoted in the Daily Mail:

"It's up to Henrik. If he wants to stay then we'll open that discussion with United. We will not stand in his way."


Larsson himself was coy. "It is all ifs and I am just taking one match at a time at the moment."


The Times:

The idea of him returning to Helsingborgs to play in front of 10,000 people just as the English and European campaigns reach "squeaky-bum time", to borrow Sir Alex Ferguson's memorable phrase, will surely be the cause of much agonising if this clever performance proves typical of his brief loan spell. It was not only his goal — a wonderfully executed finish — that brought a full house at Old Trafford to its feet, but the movement, the turns, the lay-offs and, on one occasion, a bit of Ronaldoesque juggling followed by an aerial back-heel to a team-mate. Larsson's only disappointment will be that he did not score earlier. He had set himself up with one neat pirouette in the first half, only to shoot at Kiraly, and then struck the goalkeeper's legs when put through by Michael Carrick's chip.

In the 55th minute, he finally hit the target, taking one touch and then using minimal backlift to find the top corner from near the penalty spot. The loan fee of £800,000 split between player and his Swedish club looks money well spent.


The Guardian:

Sir Alex Ferguson rarely mentions anyone in the same breath as Eric Cantona but there was no reason to believe the Manchester United manager was getting ahead of himself yesterday when he compared Henrik Larsson to the mercurial Frenchman. Having marked his United debut with a wonderfully taken second-half goal, Larsson departed the field 11 minutes from time to a standing ovation that suggests he will be remembered at Old Trafford long after he returns to Sweden.


The Telegraph:

If they [United] find themselves at Wembley again, the only regret must be that Larsson will be back in Sweden playing in front of crowds a seventh of the size. Unless, like his manager, he finds Old Trafford too hard to give up.

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