I think Saha when 'fit and up for it' is still only the fouth best striker in the EPL behind 1st.Drogba, 2nd.Shevshenko, 3rd.Berbatov, and is probably only on a par or a little better than a fit Owen, Defoe, Bent and Anelka.
So in my book why keep Sicknote Saha- surely he has only until January to prove the growing number of doubters wrong??

Yawn!

If he doesn't get injured again, that is.

I'd put Anelka, Bent, Owen, Crouch, Lita and a few others above Schevchenko.

We need a striker.. Saha is non 100% an option.

Duncan, London,
With respect, No Way mate - Not even on this planet!! - Anelka, Bent, Owen, Crouch, Lita and a few others may arguably had better seasons than Shevshenko - but they're not in the same class. Unfortunately we saw this with Drogba - the 1st season he was awful, last season he carried Chel$ki & proved what all the fuss for his signature was about, I fully expect Shevshenko to prove what a class striker he undoubtably is, but hopefully not with Chel$ki. I think you would see something spectacular from Shevshenko if he was in our team with the expansive play we've developed, in Moan-a-lots team he thankfully hasnt found his niche or formation - but don't for a minute think that stops him being world class - just shows how the self-styled "special one" can be a very ordinary manager!!!

JonyB-), North Staffs - Sorry mate, I've got to disagree with you there. Saha is 3rd only to Henry (who everyone seems to have missed on here!) and Drogba. He outscored both Berbatov and Shevchenko last season even though he only had half a season. Saha is top quality and also gives United another dimension upfront too with his link-up play. I hope he starts the new season and finishes it without major injury and a few more trophies too. Support the Team and Live the Dream.....

Hi there fellow avid fans this is my first of many posts. I think it is now obvious that since Utd have declined to offer Smith a new contract that they are willing to selling him. That being the case then we should at least try and get our initial cost in return otherwise I wouldn't let him go. So saying that does happen and we get 7 million, we should look to get 3 or more for King Richardson the great (some smuck will pay silly money for a below second-rate Utd reserve) and then hopefully get a good 7 or 8 million for Heinze if he doesn't buy out his contract (although I still think he has a lot to offer and improve on so it would be a shame) that adds up to at least 17 million. So with this 17 million (if all goes to plan, very very very unlikely but hey) we should to invest it all in a top class striker and not the small strong type in the mould of Rooney/Tevez but more of a back up/competition for Saha for a more speed and aerial orientated player and maybe a more polished finsher if possible with that budget. So from the names thrown around here are some of the options availible:

Anelka: Quick, clinical finisher when in form, tall, can head if he wanted to, good link up play and vast experience, cost 8 million. Downside: he did play for Arsenal and citeh, his attitude and brother are shameful at times and he's approaching 29. Overall he would be a good buy, but with Saha being 29 in August, I would rather have a younger striker with potential than an equally aged striker. So if there money issues and no younger alternatives then Anelka would be a great choice.

Fabio Quagliarella: Aged 23 and rated at 10-13 million has just had an amazing first season at Sampdoria scoring 13 goals which gained him an international call up to the italy squad of which he scored twice on his debut. Please check these links for his goals in the league and on his debut: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh2m2Gu0cQA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjh7QD6zmMM

Downsides: Finds it hard to score tap-ins, not the tallest but looks to have a good spring and can head, overall he looks a real option for us and looks top class. He looks quick enough and strong enough for our league with a wicked left and right foot, and at 23 he has a lot of potential. But is potential enough when Saha is out for months every season? So it would be a risk, but if we get him cheap enough and have enough left over to get Anelka if need be in January why not eh.

I agree Simon totally. I left out John O'Shea as better than Schevchenko as well;)

SIMON, DERRY,
Very good Point on Henry - to be honest don't understand why i missed him (DOH!, probably already thinking of him as a Barca player!) - but in agreeing with you, that makes Saha 5th IMO, with Henry in the same bracket as Shevshenko - great player - poor season. Don't get me wrong in that i'm saying Saha is crap etc... I think he's better than alot of good strikers - Johnson, Keane, Crouch, Kuyt, ashton, beatie.....
But do you really think Shevshenko and berbatov would of been out scored by him if they had been in our side, realy??? Not a chance! And there's no way you can argue berbatov's season as been less than stunning with most paundits reckoning he was the buy of the season!?
Saha doesn't have as good first touch as any of the first four players (frogba, henry, shevshenko, berbatov), poor confidence when going 1-on-1, neither convinced about his positional play, as can often be left flat footed when playing across the defence and defenite mental weakness - not just injury but you only have to remeber what Nev said when he'd missed the celtic pen!?
I hope he proves me wrong, but first he has to complete a season where he plays more games than he's injured for..... not holding my breathe there!

Now Duncan - silly comments don't make an argument - Oshea!??, next you'll be claiming richardson and fletcher???

A mate of mine who supports Fulham warned before we bought him that he was the French Darren Anderton 'Le Sicknote'. Nothing has disproved him except that we also know Louis is mentally a bit brittle. Having said all that, when playing well he is fabulous although that is only about 15 games in a season. But we should keep him and get rid of Smith whose attitude is great but he is neither good enough or enough of a goalscorer to justify his position. Bring in Anelka or Berbatov.

I would like to see Anelka brought in as he is a better striker than Gudjohnsen. Anelka is strong like Rooney is in holding off defenders when he has the ball. He also is not prone to injury.

Ah damn missed them 2 out lol. Joking aside I think Saha is better than Schevchenko and we can only rate him on the only season he has played in the premiership otherwise we would be including Forlan as world class because of what he did in La Liga. Absolutely disagree with you on Saha having a poor first touch - it is not worse than Rooney - and given that he normally has a defender stuck to his posterior he should in any case be given leeway. No proof for me that Berbatov is better than Saha although I agree that that is a matter of opinion. I prefer Saha personally. Second season will give us more idea of what to expect from him so I am with Simon on Drogba and Henry as being the only premiership strikers better than him.

shevchenko is garbage cant make the mark in english top league.
Ac milan want him back on the cheap.
Pmsl

Frankly speaking I can't understand this urge from so many Man Utd fans to see Rossi in a Man Utd shirt for the forthcoming season. IMO he is just a decent young prospect and nothing else. True it is that he scored loads of goals for Man Utd's reserve team but that was for the reserve team (i remember David Healy doing the same some years back but where is he now???!). Also true it is that he has been quite prolific for Parma last season but that was in the Italian league. According to me the crucial question that needs to be asked is what has been his record in the English Premier League?! I remember making it a must to watch Newcastle United play during the secong part of last season in order to see Rossi play and to be frank I was left totally disappointed. I remember asking myself whether Rossi wasn't too small and whether he didn't lack the necessary physical power to play in the Premier League! Moreover he was supposed to set the UEFA Under 21 championship alight but then what has happened? He hasn't even been able to earn a starting place in Italy's under 21 starting eleven! Up to now he has only played as back up to Palladino of Juventus (whom I rate as a better player than Rossi)! So IMO Rossi is a decent young player but to mention him in the same breath as Rooney or Ronaldo is total madness.

On another note it is obvious that sooner or later Man Utd needs to find a replacement for our trusted old war horse G.Neville. IMO a possible replacement that we need to have a look at is Sagna who plays for Auxerre who is knocking at the door of France's starting eleven and on whom Arsenal has shown a strong interest lately. Richards from Citeh would be my first choice to replace G.Neville but believe me Sagna is also a name we need to keep in mind for the right back position.

Totally agree you can't base decission on one season - but Shevshenko as only ever failed at Chel$ki - hes a leading scorer in europe, as an international and in seria a, Berbatov was a star performer in the german league and as a good international strike rate before coming here - and they're no slouches either as defenders - So Still not convinced but as he's playing for UTD i hope i'm wrong and i'll still be shouting him on but if honest wishing there was one of my top four their instead!

there is an upside to the story; if that is the case still time to offload in the transfer window!! See every cloud does have it silver linning

i can't belive anybody would thing Shevchenko is "garbage". He may very well not be able to make it in English style footie, it could be just the way Mourn-a-lot played him and the style and formation of a very limited style of play.....
But there's no way the man as suddenly gone from one of europes best to "garbage" and i'm sure we would of seen a much better player if we could aford to spend £30mil+ on a 30yr old!!!!!
Still - glad he had a bad season 'cus mean't another nail in Chel$ki's coffin!!!!

Get rid of him he cant be relied on. He even sent a sick note so he didnt have to go the end of season players dinner. Like to see Eto'o brought in, but dont think it will happen.

Well as I said in my earlier post a fit Saha is indeed a big plus to United's attack. Yes, he does have a few weaknesses in his game, especially when one on one with the keeper (although I feel that if he didn't have time to think about his shot he'd improve this part of his game!!! strange but having time to place a shot can actually give you a disadvantage as the keeper can get his angles set and read your body language too!!!). But to counter those weaknesses with strength's like excellent leap (good areial ability), stunning pace, very good first touch, excellent vision, two great feet (can and does score with either) and is strong too (although sometimes you'd think he was made of glass!). To be honest I think he's great and if only he didn't spend so much time in the treatment room he'd be worshipped by the OT faithful. Hopefully this is the season when everything goes right for him as I rate him very highly and want him to stay. As for a new striker we'd need to get one with all the same strength's as Saha and that doesn't leave many to choose from but I'm still going to go for either McCarthy or Anelka as we could be doing with a more experienced player who has Premiership and Champions League know-how. Support the Team and Live the Dream.....

Johnnyb mate rvn is better than shevchenko and we sold him for a measly 10mill.And thats a fact,hes scored more goals and is a better player in every area,god we miss him at ot.

He's already had enough chances, I'm afraid that it's time to let him go.

chalie chan,
i agree he was the best striker - and was equal in nearly all areas with my supposed top 4, and yes often better - although feel Drogba & Henry both score more long range efforts and both have excellent freekicks, but there was no-one better in the box than RVN.
Wether we miss him is debatable, we hadnt won league in 3 yrs, not progressed in europe - The problem was our play had become too predictable because he really only came alive in the box IMO and we tried to feed him all the time instead of using him as an option rather than the be all and end all of our play.
Obviously it is only my opinnion, but he was a great striker....

Heh Simon agree with eveything you say about the quality of Saha. He also shows immense bravery - I have never seen him shy away from a challenge. This is something that people seem to forget.