Originally Posted by Feed Me

The link is not as tenuous as you make out Pogue.

People keep harping on about Saha's impact on the first half of last season. But we still got through to a semi and won the league without him in the second half of the season.

The man has barely played this year. He scored a penalty against Chelsea in the final minute (in a game that was virtually won). He scored the winner against Sunderland - credit to him. I can since remember him scoring inconsequential goals in big wins. He has five goals. The man contributes virtually nothing to our cause. Everyone witters on about his supposed impact on our team and about him making us a better team, yet we have done really well this season without him and the fluid football has still been in evidence.

The parallel with Kewell is totally fair. Both injured all season. Both miraculously fit for the showpiece occasions.

As for the "whispers". SAF has explicitly stated that Saha has had situations where he has trained all week and been selected in a squad only to pull out at the last moment.