Meant to post this the other day - it's an extract from a Telegraph interview with Saha:

"I scored a good goal against Blackburn for Newcastle but never really got selected because I was too young," Saha recalled of his time at St James'. "It was a big dream for me, coming to Newcastle and playing with Alan Shearer, who was very strong and I had to run around him.

"I found it hard getting the mentality of the English game. I still had my French mentality. I was really surprised by the physical side of the English game. It is crazy: sometimes players strike the ball 40 yards away from the goalie - boom - to nowhere. In France that would never happen because they are more tactical and technical.

"The difference in atmosphere between English football and French really struck me when I went to Newcastle. In France, senior players like a Shearer, Gary Speed or Dietmar Hamann would never be friendly with a club's reserve-team players. No, no, no. There is no contact between young and old players in France. An experienced player would never talk to a young one in France.

"In England, there is more `love' between players. Players like Shearer have respect for everyone in their hearts. English players like Shearer have the team mentality. It's a different mentality in France. Every time we went on a coach with Newcastle, Shearer was mucking around. In the showers as well - crying, screaming and laughing. I thought `this cannot be Alan Shearer, England captain'. But it was. He was always doing practical jokes. He would look at my feet after I had missed a goal and say `what is wrong with your feet?'. I like him a lot.

"Newcastle fans are brilliant. I had never experienced an atmosphere like that before. It's different even to Marseilles and Lens [France's most passionate grounds]. The moment I came to England, I wanted to stay - absolutely. For the English, watching football is to be part of the spectacle. When French people watch games it is like they are watching a movie; they sit there and clap. In England, the fans are far noisier. People are still learning about football in France."

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2002

Observations:
1. It obviously wasn't all doom and gloom pre-YBR.
2. Alan Shearer cries in the showers.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2002

Could this be the same Alan Shearer that is a miserable, self- centred, uncommunicative Captain, who doesn't give a sh*t about anyone else, resents all "Johnnies", and has way too much influence within the Club?

Surely not.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2002

Don't you just love 'im ?

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2002

...you've tumbled me! ;-{]

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2002

Any views on what he thinks of Lahndaan? I'd love to see Saha back at SJP in a B&W shart.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2002

Great comments from Saha. I recall how surprised and pleased he was to be recognised and hailed by us, on the Saturday following the Blackburn goal, as he walked past us standing outdside Munchies on Percy St. His English (or maybe his Geordie) was poor so we resorted to French (which probably made things worse!) to tell him how much we loved the Blackburn goal.

It warms the heart to know what an effect the Geordie passion had on him.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

This isn't a "benefit of hindsight" question, but what was the reason we gave for not buying Saha? As I recall, they weren't after a mint. I'll check this on Reuters later but I think it was only a million or so. I mean we didn't hold back that summer, buying Goma, Marcelino, Dumas and Karelse as well as selling Hamman and buying Dyer.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

We had him on loan and wanted to extend that as he'd been out injured for some of the time. However his club wanted dosh that we didn't have/weren't prepared to pay for an untried player. Would love to see him back.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Very astute of us.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Gullit knew we had Paul Dalglish, Paul Robinson, Ketsbaia, Andreas Andersson, and Ferguson, Shearer ahead of him so what was the point wasting a million on Saha ?

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

....my recollection is that the fee quoted when we took him on loan was £1m, but that when we went back for him his Club asked for something like £2.5m.
Based on his performances at SJP £2.5m looked pretty steep, although it now looks like petty cash based on his recent performances. Hindsight is wonderful........

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

We weren't so squeamish about 2.2 million for Lua Lua....

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Yep dougal - and I know which of the two I'd rather have now!

Problem is when the Club is initially told £1mm and then subsequently feels it is being held to ransom for £2.5m, I can certainly understand them telling Metz (was it them?) to bog off.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

The thing is, PSG are apparently doing the same wrt Distin now. They apparently want 5 million now they know we like him. Is he a 5 million defender?

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

who's to say lua lua wouldn't floursih in a go ahead 1st division outfit like, say, Man City? take the championship by storm build valuable confidence and security and do well in the prem?

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Saha wasn't worth the money at the time. For me we made the right decision at the time. The fact that we're NUFC inevitably means we'll reject future stars and sign tosspots more often than not.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

I have to admit Bobby that I didn't think much of Saha when he was here - his 1st touch was bloody horrible, which usually means a striker will struggle in the PL (although not aways, as CC has shown!).

Just goes to show...... although I suspect his form now is due in no short measure to the coaching he's had from Tigana.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

We are also talking like he has scored boatloads this season - which he hasn't.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Reality check time. He's managed 5 goals in all competitions this season and hasn't scored since the one against us 10 games back.

We have: Shearer, Bellamy, Speed, Solano, Robert and Shola who have all equalled or bettered that this season.

We had the defence to sort out at the time (no change there) since Dabizas and Charvet were scaring nobody but us.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

I thought the world of Saha when he was with us but thought he would need a few seasons in the resrves and on the bench where he could hone his skills.

For that reason I would have stumped up the money but he has so far proved that he is a fine Nationwide goalscorer but has only scored a handful of goals in the PL and has scored once in the last 17 games. Not what you would call a good record in the PL.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Phew - perhaps it could be something to do with his first touch!! ;-{]

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

and hasn't scored since the one against us

Another flat track bully then?

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

"[Shearer] was always doing practical jokes. He would look at my feet after I had missed a goal and say `what is wrong with your feet?'."

And you thought the Germans had a poor sense of humour...

"...it is like they are watching a movie; they sit there and clap."

Anyone ever clapped when watching a movie? Me neither. Perhaps something is lost in translation

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

>>We had the defence to sort out at the time (no change there) since Dabizas and Charvet were scaring nobody but us.

So we bought Goma and Marcelino plus Dumas and Karelse for good measure ;)

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Actually Bobby, I seem to remember being in a French cinema when they DID clap, and not just at the end. They also clap when aeroplanes land. I'm telling you, if we join the euro, we'll end up getting the clap too ;-)

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

The need for the money was there Dougs, didn't say we spent it wisely. I can categorically state that buying Saha would have done nothing whatsoever to sort out the defence.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Pete - was it polite cricket clapping for a well acted scene, or when the ice cream girl came round? Of course, clapping when an aeroplane lands safely these days is fair enough.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

I think the clapping was for when they understood a joke, or if there was an outrageous stunt.....like an aeroplane landing. :-) As for the ice cream girl, she might have got a ripple of applause. Groan.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

You're right, of course, Softie about the need to improve the defence and I do occasionally wonder whether, had it actually got a run going, the Goma-Marcelino partnership might have been OK. However, when one player left within about four months, another within about 18 and the other two never get a game, you have to conclude that we might as well have spent the 11+ million buying me a new house. Actually, we did OK on the sales of Goma and Dumas and Karelse cost us buttons so I'm exaggerating quite a bit.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

PS. Softie, you may know this, but is Charvet still at Man City?

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

yep, with the number 31 on his back, the baldy useless heap a nowt

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

I wear the number 2 on my back you cheeky get, but I'll have to take the rest of it ;-)

He played 3 games for Citeh in August and then disappeared up his own orificial website.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

I personally would rather have Lua Lua than Saha at this moment in time. You couldn't bring Saha off the bench to make runs at the defence and raise the crowd a bit. Completely different type of player really, but Lua Lua has greater potential.

You can teach a player how to finish off chances, but you can't teach them how to take on 4 men two times over and be faced with a one on one. A bit of careful coaching and we could have a gem in Lua Lua.

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2002