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

“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.