Saha

Looks like Utd will get their man after all

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/...408289.stm

Hope Fulham get what they want and more for him.

[Big Andy]

i think it was always going to happen punter66.

i reckon fulham had every intention of selling him but played hard to get to maybe bump the fee up a little.

with sahas threat of hanging in and leaving for nowt no doubt made the deal inevitable. it was an offer they couldnt refuse

[Paul Ross]

[GETT1NLOTS]

Banjango Um Primo BigCheesieo Paulo Snookero

[waynemcke]

4th top goalscorer in the premier league whilst not playing for a 'supposedly' big team. How will he react with better players around him?

The fact he can play in the Champs League this year will also add value as far as Utd are concerned.

Is he worth £12 million?

Good signing in my opinion.

[Paul Ross]

i think you could be exactly right paul. i was stunned that they kept chasing him. £12m is a lot of money for in the grand scheme of things a very average striker. milan got kaka for about £5m. wolfsburg got d'allesandro for about the same. spurs are still chasing diego for around £8m. robinho could probably have been prised away for about £15m. all of whom would bring so much more to man utd than saha.

still, who am i to argue with fergie?

Problem is these days that the value of the player in not just based on his ability (or lack of) with a football. It's all to do with the length of contract remaining an dvarious other business decisions.
Guess Parker will leave the valley as well when they have finished talking his price up!

[keemanan]

Saha has proven premiership goalscoring pedigree, I'll say 2 words Dwight Yorke.
Honestly who thought he would be a sucess? but alongside another non-world class striker they won the Champs league.
I hate manure too

[Paul Ross]

[Matt]

Im amazed as too how a player can play 4 seasons and be complete shite for 3 and a half then be worth 12milion quid cus of 6 months of playing well.

12m is just shocking. An embrassing price for what has been a journeyman striker so far in his career.

Every Red you speak to knows we have been short up front for well over a season, the only surprise was that no player was signed in the summer. The trouble now is that Fergie has been forced into paying over the odds for Saha purely because he is eligible for Champions League. Good signing...... time will tell, overpriced.........definetly.

I think he will turn out to be a good buy, his goalscoring record hasnt been the best so far but i remember seeing him playing some very good football at Newcastle as a youngster and was surprised to see them let him go.
With all the good attacking players that France have got (and will have for a few years to come), if he's to make the national team like he did at youth level then OT is the place to prove himself.

[waynemcke]

Who buys a player on his prowess 2, 3 or 4 seasons ago! What's the point of that? On that basis, we'd be after David Seaman, David Batty and Teddy Sheringham again!

You have to look at recent performances over the last 12 months. Saha has improved at a dramatic rate with moderate to good players around him. The £12m price tag is a mixture of performance, potential, age and Champs League eligibility. The guy is still 2-4 years away from a footballer's supposed peak.

Saha will give us another option up front and not only that but a different option as well.

Anyone remember the last Frenchman we signed up front? Now I doubt Saha or anyone for that matter can affect a club in the way that Eric did, but at the time, he was signed because he was banging the goals in for Leeds and he could give us something different. He wasn't signed because he had a crap trial at Sheff Weds 2 seasons earlier. The rest is history!

And on that basis, why is Viduka so ridiculously valued? What is it, £8m! Wouldn't exactly want him stood next to you in a battle would you!

[PAULM03]

you can't use the Cantona argument. He'd been banging them in left right and centre and arguably carried a mediocre team all the way to a league title.

History says fergie is rarely wrong with players, so i'm withholding judgement, but i can't help feeling that £12M on a striker could have been better spent.

[waynemcke]

banging them in left right and centre and arguably carried a mediocre team

That's my point!

can i make a tiny point.

if "ANYONE" else had wanted saha they would have got him for around £8Mill

Its like the Riogate saga all over again. Everyone knew we were going to pay whatever it took because everyone knew we needed immediate cover.

Personally think the cole comparison is spot on. He is a panic buy -> FACT.

I like the pace and quick feet of saha but im going to sit on the fence on whether i think he will make it. Dont think RVN likes anyway else poaching his goals....

[PAULM03]

you missed out 'all the way to the league title wayne' something that saha obviously wasnt doing

[waynemcke]

You're right Paul. But I don't think that Cantona won the league on his own for Leeds. The players that Leeds had compared to the players Fulham now have is chalk and cheese imo.

[GETT1NLOTS]

Wayne.

But I don't think that Cantona won the league on his own for Leeds

Truthfully I do. I think he made that little bit of difference,

Just my opinion.