Saha Appreciation Thread

[Tubey]

I'd still play him ahead of the other options we have available to us. Give him a proper midfield to work with and he'll do a job.

It's gone beyond being an issue of service to him though, as his off the ball movement is dire. He is either finished completely, or disinterested.

Far from even considering giving him a new conyract, we should be looking to offload him now as even if he went for say 250k we would be saving over a million in wages.

I'd rather have McAleny starting, and I don't even rate McAleny. But at least he'd be running off the ball - with Saha you may as well play a traffic cone up front, same difference.

 

[when i score we riot]

He just launched his biography, what a shame he doesn't hit form at the same time. If Demba Ba launched his biography these days, it would be selling like frickin hot cakes.

I believe he is done. And i am worried that our squad is full of such past-its. We have been so in the past too, remember ten years ago when we had Ginola and Gascoigne? Now we have Neville, Saha and Cahill. Osman and Hibbo used to be big prospects back in the day, but will be past it soon too. Rodwell, if he keeps getting injured, will be past it. Anichebe already is. Distin is like 47 years old. Barkley is past his bed time. I hate everything and i want to die.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

No matter who we had up front, we'd struggle.

Last night we had Leon Osman out of position out side, two defenders in Heitinga and Neville central - with an unfit MLS Striker out on the right.

Does anyone honestly think Demba Ba would be slotting them in if he was here?

If Saha went to Blackburn, he'd do a Yakubu.

The problem isn't solely the lack of a decent striker, it's also the midfield. No balance, no structure, no creativity.

 

[Magwool]

No matter who we had up front, we'd struggle.

Last night we had Leon Osman out of position out side, two defenders in Heitinga and Neville central - with an unfit MLS Striker out on the right.

Does anyone honestly think Demba Ba would be slotting them in if he was here?

If Saha went to Blackburn, he'd do a Yakubu.

The problem isn't solely the lack of a decent striker, it's also the midfield. No balance, no structure, no creativity.

Yeh with a midfield like ours its no surprise we are really struggling...

but I've said this before we do still make chances but have strikers so bad they make good chances look like half ones. Saha had two golden opportunities, Straq one and Donovan was denied a penalty. Plus wouldn't a decent striker actually get onto some of Baines' crosses?

Creativity for CM is essential in this transfer window but look at every other premier league team, bar Norwich and Swansea who has a worse strike force than Everton? Which one of our strikers do we have that would make us happy if it was them being picked week in week out?

We need at least a new striker and a creative midfield.

 

[Mvflusk]

Horrible combination of age and lack of confidence. We'll always have Wembley..

 

[Blue_Arsed_Fly]

I do have genuine sympathy for Saha though, he is an amazingly talented player, one of the better strikers the Premier League has had in my opinion, but has suffered terribly from injuries over the years. It's gotta knock your confidence knowing how ****e your body is.
Not defending him, his time is over I think, but at the same time acknowledge what a pleasure and a frustration he has been to watch.

When he joined us SAF alluded to the fact that most of his injuries were 'in his head'. Surely this means he's either a lazy sicknote, suffers from depression or a hypochondriac? Either way, all point to him being his own worst enemy.

 

[Blue_Arsed_Fly]

No matter who we had up front, we'd struggle.

Last night we had Leon Osman out of position out side, two defenders in Heitinga and Neville central - with an unfit MLS Striker out on the right.

Does anyone honestly think Demba Ba would be slotting them in if he was here?

If Saha went to Blackburn, he'd do a Yakubu.

The problem isn't solely the lack of a decent striker, it's also the midfield. No balance, no structure, no creativity.

Not having that. What, 8 goals in 2 years???? His miscontrol & sliced 'finish' last night has been typical from him over that period. No apparent effort or desire & can't remember the last time he won a header, beat a man, created a chance, even hit the target. Can you? He doesn't even bother making runs into the box anymore.

& the stats clearly back me up here:

http://www.eplindex.com/louis-saha-striking-struggles-opta-stats/

For someone who has played so appallingly for 2 years, as outlined in some depth at that link, it is totally wide of the mark to blame his teammates for his ineptitude.

 

[tasslehoff]

I sit right the back far left of the Lower Gwlad, its like the Saha hatred section. Literately every time he gets a touch and messes up (like 95% of the time), 5-6 people stand and shout and the majority sit and still shout abuse.

Don't know what its like elsewhere but it's infectious, I have gone from wanting to give him a chance to wishing he was out of the Squad. I mean what does he have to do to get dropped? Punch Moyes in the face? At least that would require a bit of passion..

 

[Marksablue]

The early horrendous sliced miss last night set him and the team up for a night of woefull activity which Saha was head and shoulders the most woefull. Any one know where Micheal Madar is these days ??

 

[ToxtethBlue]

It's gone beyond being an issue of service to him though, as his off the ball movement is dire. He is either finished completely, or disinterested.

Far from even considering giving him a new conyract, we should be looking to offload him now as even if he went for say 250k we would be saving over a million in wages.

I'd rather have McAleny starting, and I don't even rate McAleny. But at least he'd be running off the ball - with Saha you may as well play a traffic cone up front, same difference.

Nah, he's just modified his style as he gotten older, and comes towards the ball alot more than he used to. With the right service he could still provide a few goals and some decent link up play. He's never chased lost causes or put defences under pressure, that's not his game. You just have to accept that every player is different and Saha, at 33, isn't an energetic player.

There are far worse strikers than Louis Saha in the Premier League.

 

[Blue_Arsed_Fly]

Nah, he's just modified his style as he gotten older, and comes towards the ball alot more than he used to. With the right service he could still provide a few goals and some decent link up play. He's never chased lost causes or put defences under pressure, that's not his game. You just have to accept that every player is different and Saha, at 33, isn't an energetic player.

There are far worse strikers than Louis Saha in the Premier League.

Such as? What other striker has a worse strike rate per games played in the last 2 years?

 

[Bigmaclad]

Nah, he's just modified his style as he gotten older, and comes towards the ball alot more than he used to. With the right service he could still provide a few goals and some decent link up play. He's never chased lost causes or put defences under pressure, that's not his game. You just have to accept that every player is different and Saha, at 33, isn't an energetic player.

There are far worse strikers than Louis Saha in the Premier League.

See the rest of our strikeforce.

 

[Blitzer2011]

see jay bothroyd? zigic? owen?

 

[ToxtethBlue]

Such as? What other striker has a worse strike rate per games played in the last 2 years?

I couldn't break that down for you, but it isn't just about goals for me, and Saha brings some useful attributes to the table in my opinion. He'll score more goals if the service ever moves on from the angled cross into the box from deep. Until then we are going to struggle in general really.

 

[BlueTornado]

Nah, he's just modified his style as he gotten older, and comes towards the ball alot more than he used to. With the right service he could still provide a few goals and some decent link up play. He's never chased lost causes or put defences under pressure, that's not his game. You just have to accept that every player is different and Saha, at 33, isn't an energetic player.

There are far worse strikers than Louis Saha in the Premier League.

not many are starting every game though... ffs even camerone jerome looks a better prospect at the moment!