The Little Pea in the boots of Solksjaer: The importance of the super-sub

Every Manchester United fan has etched in their memories the moment of glory in the 93rd minute of the 1999 Champions’ League final when the ‘Baby-faced Assassin’ Ole Gunnar Solksjaer scored the winning goal against Bayern Munich. That minute of magnificence and immense significance at Nou Camp turned out to be defining in Solksjaer’s career, and earned him the label of a ‘legendary super-sub’. By scoring 28 of his 127 goals from the bench, Solksjaer has undoubtedly sealed his spot at the highest echelon of impact-making on a permanent basis. However, if statistics are to be believed, another Manchester United striker is ready to take up the mantle from him.

Seldom does a Red Devil aficionado seldom get to watch a 5’9” figure kneeling down on the pitch, hands cupped, praying to God before a kick-off. Ever since his transfer from Guadalajara, Javier Hernandez has spent most of his time warming the benches. Mostly preferred as a reserve player by Sir Alex, Hernandez has found it tough to break into the starting line-up which consists of players like Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. However, he has made up for his absence in the field by earning the title of a super-sub, and establishing himself as a successor to the legendary Solksjaer.

For those lacking the football psyche, the premise of a super-sub is indeed perplexing. That he scores more goals than players in the starting line-up, yet seldom manages to start the game, is an argument that’s bereft of any satisfactory explanation. Nevertheless, the role of a super-sub remains an intriguing one. He is the one man in the squad who possesses a unique quality that makes him stand out among the rest. A super-sub is a crisis man; he is meant to alter the rhythm of a game which has been slipping out of his team’s hands. His primary job is to change the direction of play, exploit his positions and wrap up the match. Such a role obviously requires supreme agility and precision, paired with smartness and intelligence.

Javier Hernandez doesn’t really have a technique to boast of, as compared to the skilled pair of Rooney and van Persie, who are supremely gifted. While Rooney banks on his astuteness in falling back into spaces, van Persie takes advantage of his natural tendency of shot-making inside the box. The very fact that Chicharito is gifted with none of these renders him quite ineffective in the starting line-up. He is a different player altogether, a genius in his own right. He brings to his game the wiliness of a goal poacher, the alertness of a striker, the ability to exploit tired defenders, and an accuracy that’s worth far more than his transfer fee.

Super-subs are unique, brilliant in their own way; the excellence in their efficiency is what makes their game beautifully different. Their uncanny tendency of befuddling and hypnotizing defenders on their mark and scoring effortlessly past them makes it impossible to categorize these characteristically subtle impact-makers.

“I don’t want to be a super-sub. I want to play,” cried Edin Dzeko. Paradoxical as it may sound, the admiration that is credited to this special position doesn’t make it adequately coveted among footballers. The bittersweet predicament of a super-sub is one of the oldest oxymorons which have teased the most analytic brains.

Hernandez’s brace in a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Aston Villa may not be as celebrated as Solksjaer’s four goals in 15 minutes in the 8-1 win over Newcastle, but both have been significant circumstantially. Sir Alex Ferguson has always been spot-on when it comes to using his bench strength. Be it substituting Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole with Solksjaer and Teddy Sheringham in the 1999 final, or getting Hernandez on the field at Anfield, the Boss has always made sure his carefully manipulated decisions paid off. And as much credit goes to the two deadly swords in his arsenal who’ve announced their presence fashionably in a team comprising of selected talents.

Being part of the team has always been the Norwegian’s priority, as he never complained about warming the bench and made the best of his limited opportunities playing alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Diego Forlan and David Beckham. Dealing with a career plagued by some serious injuries, Solksjaer’s achievements appear unbelievably majestic and incredibly daunting. No doubt, he’s right up there among the legends of the club.

For somebody like Hernandez, whose past two generations had been involved in football, love for the sport came as naturally as his instincts. Breaking into the national team at a young age, he enjoyed decent success during his stay at Guadalajara. The decisive point in his career, however, came as he joined the English giants and shot to fame overnight for his goal-scoring abilities. Starting off in 2010 as a footballer little known outside his country, Chicharito emerged as the most talked-about player in the EPL by the end of his debut season, notching up a staggering 20 goals.

His performance dipped slightly in the next season which had much to do with his ankle injury that sidelined him for some time. Making a comeback at the end of the year, Chicharito didn’t fail to impress as he went on to score goals regularly for his side. As the 2012 season commenced, he bounced back to form against Wigan Athletic in his second match. He scored the much-controversial winner against a nine-man Chelsea team, securing a 3-2 win for United late in the season. In November, Hernandez returned to the field as a second-half substitute to snatch a mind-boggling triumph over Aston Villa at their own backyard. Hernandez found the net 18 times this season, the last being the final goal in United’s Ferguson era, thereby completing a half-century of goals for the club.

In English football, where uncertainties mock match strategies and individual brilliance holds the key to success, the influence of a super-sub cannot be ignored. For United, given their recent defensive woes, the implications have increased manifold. The fact that United have conceded first so many times this season, and yet walked away with their 20th league title, not only pinpoints at the club’s familiar knack of coming from behind, but also emphasizes the importance of a super-sub. With sharper movements, accurate finishing and a mature outlook, it’s only a matter of time before the Little Pea transforms into a legend of Old Trafford.

As of now, we have our fingers crossed.