Louis Saha spoke to Compare.bet yesterday ahead of the Manchester derby in the FA Cup final. The ex-United forward spoke about why he believes United will win the FA Cup, why his old team had a better season than Arsenal, why this City team cannot compare to the treble winners of 1999 and why he believes Cristiano Ronaldo regrets leaving United.
- Saha: Ronaldo wishes he was scoring goals for United
- Saha believes United have had a better season than Arsenal
- City can’t be compared to ‘99 treble winners – they’re playing a different game
- Mount transfer can ease burden on Rashford
- Rashford ‘obliged’ to become one of the world’s best
- Maguire should ask to leave United
MB: Third place, a League Cup and an FA Cup final for Erik ten Hag in his first season. Just how impressed have you been with him this year?
LS: I am very impressed with what ten Hag achieved this year because he had a difficult situation to handle. From the start of the season where they started poorly, to losing 7-0 against Liverpool, and everything with Cristiano Ronaldo that he had to deal with. I think it was a challenge at the start for him as a manager and he coped well. He had to get United through those difficult times but you could always see the foundation was there. In certain games, United didn’t perform but mainly I think we can be very proud of the way they played this year. It was magnificent to see. Overall it’s a very good season, it’s a club that deserves trophies and to be at the very top and I think we are getting closer. We’re closer than we’ve ever been so I’m very optimistic for next season. What is required from him now is to keep rebuilding, keep giving the confidence back to the camp, keep playing a style that falls comfortably in line with the history of the club.
MB: Plenty of pundits have put Liverpool’s 7-0 win over United in as their result of the season. How does bouncing back from that highlight the team’s mentality, and does United pipping Liverpool to the Champions League take the sting out of that defeat?
LS: I think that the 7-0 loss was the turning point for United this year. The Premier League season is a marathon – there is a lot of games to play, certain games where you’re going to be on top and somewhere you get bad results along the way. There are definitely moments where it has been challenging, and losing 7-0 to your rivals was our chance to see the resilience and character that the players and the manager had. Ten Hag never panicked. He had really good charisma over those moments and took responsibility – all of this is really important because there are rules in place, you can see the discipline. He demands a lot from the players and every time they didn’t approach a game correctly, they’ve been punished by the manager and I think that’s brilliant. In addition, the consistency was there, that’s why United finished above Liverpool. Liverpool finished so strong after a poor start to the season and United have done really well to beat them and really deserve to be in this position. Arsenal deserve it as well. They’ve exceeded expectations which I don’t think Manchester United have done, this is where United should be. It’s very good to be there again and still in the position where we have a chance to stop the rivals from getting the treble. There have been a lot of very positive things throughout the year.
MB: Did United have a better season than Arsenal?
LS: United have had a better season than Arsenal – the pressure United are playing under, it’s way more than Arsenal. Arsenal were playing out of their skin, displaying some really good football and they deserve to be there this year but the amount of pressure is not the same as at United and that’s why I think getting a league cup, having a place in the Champions League secured and the chance to win the FA Cup final as well, these achievements for Manchester United outweigh Arsenal’s. I think that getting second place this season is tremendous for Arsenal but in terms of accolades, improvements throughout the year and winning games in every competition, United have been better. They competed on every front, whereas Arsenal – I don’t think they’ve done it. In Europe and the cups they didn’t do so well, which suggests throughout the season the squad was not quite there. I think United had a better season. It has to be said though, It was an enormous job by Mikel Arteta, he’s done brilliantly and he and everyone else would say they’ve had a brilliant season which is great to see and the foundation they’ve created can mean they keep competing at the top moving forward.
MB: Do you think ten Hag was right to get rid of Ronaldo when he did?
LS: I don’t think it was the right decision to ‘get rid’ of Cristiano Ronaldo but the right decision to let him go. If Cristiano had understood what was required of him and for the squad, to compromise in some way, he could have stayed. He’s a great player, and I still feel frustrated because he could have scored at least 10-15 goals easily this year and helped the team be in a stronger position. He felt like leaving was the only solution and Erik ten Hag made the right choice in the end.
MB: Ronaldo didn’t even win the Saudi league this year. Do you think he’ll have regrets?
LS: Cristiano is a very proud man, and he would never say this, but deep down he would have preferred to have been scoring goals and winning trophies with Man United. It would have been the better story for him, and better for his legacy, even if he won’t admit it. But he’s started a new mission now in Saudi Arabia and it’s his own life, and his own career. I think it’s almost sad that he’s playing there, he’s such an amazing ambassador for football and it’s great to play in new leagues and get new experiences, but he shouldn’t have done that, he’s too good. It was not the ending to his career I wanted to see. I think overall, he must regret some part of how things ended with United.
MB: How do you think the game will go and how confident are you that United can stop City’s chances at the treble with a win this Saturday?
LS: I am confident ahead of the final. Man City have had an incredible season and are a top club, but with the pressure of the Champions League final ahead of them, I think they will be looking ahead to that. United have been looking very dangerous in recent weeks and look ready to upset Man City. Obviously City are the favourites, but the FA Cup final is such a massive game that form isn’t important. I think United will win, I’m just not sure how! There will be an added element of pressure for City, and the players will want to make sure they aren’t injured ahead of the Champions League final, which could be an advantage for United.
MB: There’s talk that if City wins their next two games, they would be the greatest English team ever, even better than some of the United teams of the late 90s and early 2000s, what do you make of that?
LS: I am baffled by the comparisons between United’s treble-winning side and this City team. Football has changed so much over the years and it’s impossible to compare eras. With their owners, this City team are playing with completely different ammunition to United’s treble winners in 1999. They have immense financial power, different to anything we saw back in the day. United’s team was built with huge sculpting from Sir Alex, building a team spirit over many years, not just signing galacticos. I have incredible respect for Sir Alex Ferguson and what he did was special.
MB: We’ve talked a lot in the past about how good you think Marcus Rashford can be, and he’s repaid your faith with over 40 goal contributions in all competitions this season. What’s the next step for him now?
LS: Marcus needs to push for 50 goal contributions next year now, to keep improving, to possibly enter the top five best players in the world. When you look at Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, when they got to 70 goal contributions in a season they would still want more and would be hungry to keep scoring and winning trophies. Rashford can do the same. His consistency is improving and he now needs to push for the biggest accolades. When you have his kind of talent, it is an obligation, he is obliged to become one of the world’s best now. He has to catch up with Haaland and Mbappe to be winning Ballon d’Ors in the future, and he can do it. He still has the ability to improve 15-20% more, he can do it.
MB: Jadon Sancho finished the season in decent form and ten Hag said he’s made good progress this season. There’s been a lot of talk about whether he’s better on the right or the left, what do you make of that and do you think he can still reach the heights that were expected for him after his £73m transfer?
LS: Sancho can still reach the level that was expected of him when he signed for sure. He now has a manager that knows what he is doing in terms of foundation, balance, style of play and that is so important for a player to feel confident and to express themselves going forward. Sancho needs that freedom and to play with no fear, and that’s something that’s missing at the moment, whether he is playing on the left or the right. I’m sure he’d prefer the right as that’s where he played more for Dortmund and was so impressive there. If United can sign Kane this summer, playing in a front three with him and Rashford would increase his confidence massively and help him to thrive. This season will be a great foundation for Jadon Sancho to kick on and express himself moving forward.
MB: Would you risk Antony returning from injury or go with Sancho or Garnacho in the FA Cup final?
LS: I think Antony on the right side provides the most balance to the team, and if he’s fit, he should start against City. Ten Hag has a very strict idea of what he wants from his forward players and Antony knows where to be and what to do in attack and defence and ten Hag trusts him to follow his instructions so I would go with him.
MB: David De Gea had the most clean sheets in the Premier League and yet many fans want him gone and United are heavily linked with David Raya from Brentford. Do you think United would improve with Raya, or should they stick with De Gea?
LS: They would improve with Raya because there is more competition at the club. If De Gea would be number one or it would be Raya, it’s up to their performances. De Gea has been such an important goalkeeper for many years, perhaps he could make less mistakes and play better with his feet, to make sure the team is comfortable playing out from the back with the goalkeeper and suck the opposition in. It’s still possible for De Gea to improve, but there are also goalkeepers out there who have these qualities naturally. De Gea deserves his chance, but nobody is guaranteed a spot. De Gea has made mistakes and the club needs to move forward at some point. De Gea might stay around for 2-3 more years, but United needs a goalkeeper beyond that. So why not add a new goalkeeper this year, and then see what type of improvement David has made. It’s the same with the striker position, with our wingers and defenders, midfielders. The squad has more balance but the goalkeeper position still has a question mark, because there has been too many mistakes at crucial moments. That’s the nature of the position.
MB: Ten Hag has said Harry Maguire has a decision to make regarding his future. What would you do in his situation, both as a player and as a manager?
LS: For me, when I look at the status of Maguire, I think as a captain, as an international player, he’ll want to be at the top. He won’t want to be playing just 15 games a season and getting attention for being benched. If I was him I would have asked to leave. I think he’s a player that wants to be out there every week. I feel for him. Martinez and Varane have built a strong partnership, Lindelof is making strong contributions, so Maguire is fourth or fifth choice. It’s a really strong statement when even Luke Shaw is picked over him at centre back. It’s maybe time to consider a move away from the club, for his career.
MB: Mason Mount has reportedly agreed terms on a £60 million move to United, what would you make of this move?
LS: Yeah, he’s a very smart player. He has quick feet and can create chances, that’s what this team needs. We struggled to score at times. United have a dependency on Rashford, so any player with the capacity to create and take on opposition players would be welcome. United have intelligent players, but we lack speed. Mount’s is a profile that could be considered, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the move materialised.
MB: Declan Rice is heavily linked with Arsenal, but Chelsea and now Bayern look like they’re in the race. Should United be targeting him too? Why do you think they haven’t shown any interest?
LS: I think it’s because Declan Rice plays the same position as Casemiro, who in my opinion is in a league of his own. Plus, the likes of Scott McTominay and Fred have contributed a lot this season, and McTominay is still relatively young and has demonstrated some potential to improve. All these players seem to be happy at the club, and are ready to perform well whenever their number is called, and someone would have to leave in order to make way for Declan Rice, so I’m not sure a move for him would make sense right now.
MB: One of your old clubs Newcastle had a fantastic season. How do you think they will fare in the Champions League next season and what do they need in the transfer market to make the next step?
LS: Newcastle and Eddie Howe have already established a really nice balance. They’ve done brilliantly with existing players that fit the system, and now in order to perform in Europe they need to go out and buy world-class players with lots of experience at the top level – players who fit the club’s new status – because they have the budget and now the reputation to sign these sorts of players.
However, it’s important that they remain very focussed on the club’s mentality. If they bring in superstars who aren’t used to the club and the way they operate, it can disrupt the structure, so you have to be really careful with that and make the right signings. Europe is a different animal, and requires that you have at least two quality players in every position. You will suffer more injuries, more dips in form, and you need other players to step up. I also think younger players like Isak – who I really like – will benefit from bringing in these more experienced players. If they get their summer spending right, it’ll be very interesting to see what they can do, and I’m looking forward to it.
MB: Another one of your old clubs Everton survived for another year but it was another stressful season for the fans. What must the club do to ensure they won’t be in another relegation scrap next season?
LS: They will need to reevaluate the team’s whole structure and style of play. Goodison Park was once regarded as a difficult place to come to, but they’ve lost that reputation. I think Sean Dyche is a step in the right direction, but they simply need better players and more confidence within the club. I have my own ideas about how they can rebuild this confidence, but it’s down to those who are working every day and who want the best for the club to sort it out. First of all, though, they shouldn’t be relying on a defensive midfielder to go out there and win games and score goals, that’s not normal. They need to establish a strong core to the squad and pull themselves out of this situation, because the club doesn’t deserve this.
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