Manchester United’s Big Problem: Will Anyone Buy Louis Saha?
Louis Saha is injured, again. And while Gill says that it’s just a slight knock (trashing reports that Saha would be out for the whole 2007/2008 season), Saha’s persistent injury problems pose Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United a few problems.
One - who will fill the 3rd striker berth for Manchester United in the run-in to May?
Last year, you could argue that the team was tired and injuries contributed to United’s poor performances at the San Siro and at Wembley. This year, we have a stronger and more experienced squad but we’re still short of strikers (no Larsson, no Solskjaer) and while Tevez and Rooney are young, injury to either one of them could dampen our chances for silverware this season.
In short, we need a 3rd striker to rotate with Tevez and Rooney (and no, this doesn’t mean using Ronaldo as a support striker, I’m talking about someone who can come off the bench and change games). Saha hasn’t done that job for us since early last year, and one feels (regardless of Gill’s assurances) that Saha will not do that this season either.
However, David Gill has also gone on record as saying that Manchester United will not be buying any players this January, which I feel is quite smart as we have enough players. However, it is time to either to bring in someone on loan (Gill said purchases, not transfers) or give a couple of games to younger strikers and see if they can make the grade.
Or we could just keep pushing Nani and Anderson further forward and wait for Scholes to come back.
Two - what the hell do we do about Saha?
Value for money he is not - for the transfer fee and the wages paid to him (plus the medical bill), he really hasn’t delivered much in terms of performances. Sure, he scores whenever he plays but in 3 years he’s not played much. He’s not going to get any younger - players become more injury-prone as they get older and at this point, relying on Saha to get fit and go on a consistent run for Manchester United next season is a pipe dream. It could happen, yes, but I wouldn’t want United’s management to shape their plans for next season hinged on this hope.
Ferguson could keep Saha around, which would mean that we keep paying him and get nothing out of it, or he could try to cut his losses, sell Saha and bring in someone else. And therein lies the main problem - which club would be willing to a) pick up the wages of a top-four club striker who is always injured and b) pay us good money for a striker who will be 30 in August 2008 and is…always injured?
Yes, yes, I know you guys are thinking ‘Newcastle United‘, but I doubt that Mike Ashley is that dumb. I’d say Sunderland but I expect better from Keano, so it’s probably Harry or off to France / Italy for Saha sooner or later. Too bad we won’t earn a lot on him, but if he can finance a new right-back (if Brown leaves we need someone to come in, unless Simpson, the Brazilian kid, O’Shea and Nev are going to be our 4 picks, which would be ridiculous but cost-effective), great, otherwise he will free up funds for wages and what not.
It’s time for Ferguson to decide now what Manchester United do with Saha. Loyalty to players is a major feature of Manchester United’s tradition (Smith is the most recent beneficiary of that) but for Manchester United’s sake, Saha cannot be relied upon again.
sicknote is such a liability..maybe we should just terminate his contract..that will probably be cheaper than paying his wages and his medical bills..and as for united..lets hope manucho is decent enough to come in and play a good game once in a while..i dont think we’ll buy anyone in jan ..
I feel bad for Saha he is a very good striker but he’s injury cursed, in the way that Michael Owen is. They could have made better of there carrer but since there injured all the time they can’t
Too injury prone. Man Utd need Berbatov!
No doubt about what ArsenalFC said that, Saha is a good striker but he is just too soft. I dont remember him getting injured that often in Fulham. Dont know why always get injured in a Man Utd jersey…
any team would buy him for less then 4 mil.
..keep in mind that Gill did say that they shall not be doing any business in This transfer window
I reckon that’s crap and they still will:-
so hoping for:
Saha Out (to whoever / wherever)
His ’slight knocks’ frustrate Me
Huntelaar In or,
Berb In or,
Fred In or,
Defoe In or,
Manucho (..hahaha) In or,
even Jason Roberts In
All match-winners
Saha needs to move. Buzz off cause despite our faith in him, he’s past it. He’ll be sold for around 5 - 7 (if lucky) million.
Did you just contradict yourself? Your top priority is a 3rd striker, and therefore, you want to sell Saha to finance the purchase of a right back? And you’re saying this when you believe the squad is strong enough anyway?
That doesn’t seem right, Ahmed. And enough of this Newcastle bashing. Tottenham and Man City are both viable destinations for Saha. Well, maybe not City.
It’s exhausting reading about all these players that Man Utd “need”. Anyone think that someone’s trying to buy the league?
I’m Ipanema Bob.
hi ahmed,
while ppl are worrying about saha…
im slightly worried about the whole tevez deal…currently a two year loan, how much will it cost us to make it permanent?
macherano is being touted for 17 mill now by kia.. there may well be a situation by next jan transfer window where he does the same with tevez… only to the tune of even bigger money! (20-25mil)
thatll put us back quite a bit.. not to mention being disruptive to our campaign…we desperately need two three fully contracted and non injury prone strikers to back up rooney!
stupid rossi..if he had only stayed he would be playing every other game!
its been awhile since you wrote about united,welcome back mate:D
sir alex should play saha and check his form before he does anything stupid like van nistelrooy
We should keep saha and we need to try and get his fitness up so he doesn’t get injured after 2 games and also buy a gd striker incase he does get injured
Bob - the Saha for right-back bit was just me thinking out loud.
haydar - thanks
aashish - about Tevez - we’ll buy him after the loan is up, he isn’t going anywhere, and for a striker of his quality whatever we pay will be worth it.
about Rossi - gotta move on from that now
I was going through a few of the goals from last season and Saha’s movement and intelligence on the ball is great to see.
I hope he can get fit and play for us for another season, because he’s an excellent striker when fit.
See I’m Bulgarin(just like Berbatov)and i think that Saha won’t be bought by anyone because i think that noone is so dum to buy injured player.And to Berbatov-I think that we won’t sing him because we’ve rooney,tevez and ronaldo-3great players,so no need to worry:
CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
i suport man u.nd i like all the players and 4 saha 2 go wood be like realy bad and he is soo good… man u WILL NOT win if the team is sepparated!!!