No! Saha was very good in the air
Saha vs Martial
- Thread starter RedDevilCanuck
- Start date
Easily Saha. Back in the 06-07 season, despite being in a team with Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Rio, etc people spent the first half of that season saying "They're doing well now, but what if Saha gets injured?"
Martial was, arguably, more skilful, but Saha was incredibly effective.
Martial was, arguably, more skilful, but Saha was incredibly effective.
Martial early on when fit was a fine player, but if I had to pick one, fully fit, to play for my team, it would be Saha.
Fbref have Martial's non-penalty goal per 90 as slightly better than Saha's, so not sure what different games your stat is based on.
They're on the official PL website...feel free to look them up. I can assure you I was a very regular viewer back then as well (older than I care to admit) and I think that the deadly martial of seasons one and two make people forget how ineffective and unconfident he looked on a pretty regular basis thereafter.
He was fine in the air. It wasn't really of any particular relevance to what he did at Utd.
He scored 5 headers at Utd in 124 matches, got 1 assist with his head in 124 matches (lovely Rooney volley against Middlesbrough).
He was decent at winning knock downs but his skill at controlling the ball with his chest with centre backs on his shoulder was more important.
Not sure, got those numbers from transfermarkt. Without pens it’s LS 199 minutes per goal and AM 241 minutes per goal.
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Ineffective and lacking confidence overall maybe. He was always a good finisher when he got a chance.
Up until the injuries really destroyed him, I'd agree. In Martial's last three or four seasons his finishing did seem to deteriorate quite a lot.
https://therepublikofmancunia.com/sahas-injury-history-is-it-time-for-him-to-go/
try your best to convince yourself these aren't comments about Martial
try your best to convince yourself these aren't comments about Martial
It's tough to compare them, because Martial really was an exceptional talent and maybe if things had worked out differently this wouldn't be a discussion. I have to be honest and say I probably didn't like him as much as Louis though. For me, Saha struck me as someone who had some severe confidence issues and was broken by injuries but he seemed a very likable guy who always gave 100%. Martial...apparently was very shy but came across as a bit of a mood at times, reported issues with Jose, Ole and EtH.
Related topic but i rewatched the 06-07 season review and our football that season was easily the best its been in the past 24 years (better, I would argue, than the following season where we won the Premiership and CL double) and for the first half of the season Saha was a huge part of that. He was a perfect player to go alongside Rooney and Ronaldo.
Related topic but i rewatched the 06-07 season review and our football that season was easily the best its been in the past 24 years (better, I would argue, than the following season where we won the Premiership and CL double) and for the first half of the season Saha was a huge part of that. He was a perfect player to go alongside Rooney and Ronaldo.
classic jibes from 2008
I like both players and feel that Martial's quality and contribution (90 United goals) gets forgotten but one big difference is that Saha had a career outside of United. He was a very good player at Fulham and Everton as well and managed 85 league goals (not counting the glut of goals he managed in the champo one season). Saha probably had at least 10 good years playing at a top level. Martial's time at the top was by comparison much shorter.
Overall, career-wise, I'd say that Louis was the better player. They both had different strengths as players but I'd say that what Louis brought to the team made him slightly better, in my opinion.
While it's correct to say that Saha was 'made of glass' based on his injury record, watching him play you realised how much he but his body on the line. I've honestly never seen a more athletic player. One of his best qualities was his ability to control the ball aerially and the risk factor is pretty high, I'd imagine.
Overall, career-wise, I'd say that Louis was the better player. They both had different strengths as players but I'd say that what Louis brought to the team made him slightly better, in my opinion.
While it's correct to say that Saha was 'made of glass' based on his injury record, watching him play you realised how much he but his body on the line. I've honestly never seen a more athletic player. One of his best qualities was his ability to control the ball aerially and the risk factor is pretty high, I'd imagine.
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FKNHL, Saha all day long over Martial.
Saha was complete.
Saha 100%. What potential, and seemed like a lovely guy. Saha/Tevez/Rooney/Ronaldo could've been the best foursome ever.
Sorry if I was rude to you mate, I just don't see how this is possibly so much in favour of Saha that it's not even a question.
Because we’ve been shite for ten years there’s an automatic yearning for players of old.
Saha was a very good player, but he left us within four years and scored less than 30 league goals, while being injured just as much as Martial.
I think Martial was a better player, but the way it all ended has skewed the discourse (understandably so).
Im certainly not, martials peak was amazing to watch. I just think that Saha was more effective. And he benched Ruud. Rightfully so too, we were a much more fluid team with Saha in it
Think Wayne would have preferred 3 grannies.
His positioning however......
Positioning in a foursome is probably more important than finishing.
Even though my vote would go for Saha, I remember photoshopping him as Mr Glass from Unbreakable
Martial had more talent and potential but Saha was better for the team. He helped elevate the other players better than Ruud did, who was holding us back despite still being a great player for us. He helped unlock Ronaldo and Rooney's potential. Saha was also available a lot more. Despite his injuries Saha still consistently had 20+ games for us each season outside of his first, which is the one where he was signed in the January transfer window.
He was cup tied for the FA Cup games and we were knocked out in the first round of the knock out phase in the CL. If not for those, he would've comfortably made 20+ appearances despite only being there for half a season. I'm aware Martial had 30+ appearances in his first 5 seasons but as soon as injuries crept up it was like he was physically broken. When available Saha was also benched a lot in favour of Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo etc. He would've definitely scored and assisted a lot more with more games. He also went on to have 20+ games in each of his 4 seasons for Everton and still scored a decent amount of goals.
Saha also never had any major effect on our wage books. He left when it was time to leave. Martial stole a living from us when he was unavailable. I do think Martial had 2 seasons where he was pretty good and better than Saha, but his bad performances were awful. Saha's bad performances still meant good work rate, elevating everyone around him and having a solid game. He was never a lazy player. I also feel like Saha has a better scoring rate than Martial based on their career appearances as well. Not too sure about assists as Saha played in an era where wingers would assist and strikers would score, so Martial may have a better assist ratio. I may be wrong though as I never checked to compare
I'd love to see someone like Saha without the injury issues play for us today. I think his style as a striker was a little ahead of his time. He'd be the perfect striker for 2024
He was cup tied for the FA Cup games and we were knocked out in the first round of the knock out phase in the CL. If not for those, he would've comfortably made 20+ appearances despite only being there for half a season. I'm aware Martial had 30+ appearances in his first 5 seasons but as soon as injuries crept up it was like he was physically broken. When available Saha was also benched a lot in favour of Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo etc. He would've definitely scored and assisted a lot more with more games. He also went on to have 20+ games in each of his 4 seasons for Everton and still scored a decent amount of goals.
Saha also never had any major effect on our wage books. He left when it was time to leave. Martial stole a living from us when he was unavailable. I do think Martial had 2 seasons where he was pretty good and better than Saha, but his bad performances were awful. Saha's bad performances still meant good work rate, elevating everyone around him and having a solid game. He was never a lazy player. I also feel like Saha has a better scoring rate than Martial based on their career appearances as well. Not too sure about assists as Saha played in an era where wingers would assist and strikers would score, so Martial may have a better assist ratio. I may be wrong though as I never checked to compare
I'd love to see someone like Saha without the injury issues play for us today. I think his style as a striker was a little ahead of his time. He'd be the perfect striker for 2024
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Saha was top class, deadly striker.
Martial never got close to him.
Martial never got close to him.
Add to that Saha’s all round play was fantastic. One of the most rounded players we’ve had. His finishing wasn’t top notch however, but sometimes he’d do something great like that goal against Chelsea.
Yeah absolutely loved Saha. Seems a lot of his United teammates felt that he was very important to the team and were really happy with the club signing him. If only he didn’t have those injury problems.
One played in a much much better team with younger versions of Rooney and Ronaldo. Stick Martial in that team with those players and Fergy at the helm, we probably end up triggering that Balon Dor clause.
or simply put Saha with his injury record in recent United sides. majority of fans would be sick of sight of him and his boring "hopes for fresh start next season" tweets after we finished 6th yet again with him playing 13 games.
really?
That it's this close with Martial well overstaying his welcome and playing under some truly mediocre managers is enough to tell there wasn't much between them.
I don’t think it’s even a question. I saw Saha run rings about United twice and then join United and eventually displace Nistelrooy.
I think Martial was a better teenager. And was excellent during the empty Covid stadiums. But he’s not even close to that level overall. And no good thinking “yeah but if he had Ronaldo’s mentality” or anything. If I had Ronaldo’s mentality, I’d be a professional too.
AM9
There are some mad takes, and then there's this. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:
Anthony Martial could have won a ballon d'or ahead of Ronaldo or Messi.
Ah yesss, the auld slappers
Or you could look at the quality of defending now Vs then and realise there's quite a big difference between them.
Yeah I urge people to actually look at Saha's career with us. Played in far better teams yet Martial had 2 seperate seasons better than anything Saha has ever produced.
Martial had freakish talent, as a teenager he was already one of the best pure dribblers and creators in the PL and was a quality finisher as well for his age. Shit situations with teams hindered his development, and then he became permanently crocked after his seemingly breakout 19/20 season to fully finish him at the top level physically. I'd argue the way his career turned out was probably a bottom percentile outcome if you played it out 10 times starting with him at Monaco.
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Martial is also one of the more overhated players in recent United history by a huge section of the fanbase, so I'm not really surprised by some of the takes in here.
Saha when fit was a brilliant player. Didn't he end up taking Van Nistelrooys place in the team ? Tells you all you need to know.