Louis Saha Exclusive: Manchester United Still Biggest Club + Perfect Challenge for Luis Enrique Knowing PSG’s Potential

Speaking in an exclusive interview with CoinPoker, the former Premier League striker gave his view on Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid, where Enzo Maresca could end up next after Chelsea, and the chances of seeing Luis Enrique at Old Trafford.

Read the full interview below.

Being the Manchester United Caretaker Was a Good Experience for Darren Fletcher

It’s good to see a former team-mate like Darren Fletcher helping his club. He’s still young and still looking at ways to understand the game, even though he managed to play in maybe the best era of the club. It’s still a very different era, with so many challenges.

Ruben Amorim came up short because there was a situation that was maybe outside his power, so for Darren. I can only just support him, and I’m a bit sad that he didn’t get the results that he’s looking for to put his case on the best way possible to maintain his position, but I think it’s going to be a good experience for him anyway.

Roy Keane’s Comments About Sir Alex Ferguson Brought Pain

There is definitely a side of Roy Keane that nobody can dispute. He’s a top, top guy, with very strong ideas and ways about him. Some of his views will conflict with this era, and I think he knows it. 

What he has done as a pundit has helped him a lot. Over the years, he has understood that some of the things he has said before may cause conflict a little bit, and he has learned from that, perhaps by talking to different people.

I feel like it’s sad because he could have been a great asset for the club. But I don’t see it at the moment, because he still has a certain attitude towards the club or maybe some legends.

I saw his comments on Sir Alex Ferguson the other day. I understand what he’s trying to say, but at the same time, it’s all these elements of being very honest about things and his opinions, but maybe not considering the hurt that he brings with it.

You can be a great coach with great ideas, tactical awareness and all that, but if you don’t succeed with your communication you get dragged into bad situations for no reason. 

It’s just the way it is. So, this is where I think it’s sad, because he could have been a great asset for the club, but I can’t see it happening.

Manchester United Won’t Lose to Manchester City Under Michael Carrick – It’ll Be 1-1

Man City are always on top of Man Utd at this moment in time. They have the best striker, they still have the best manager. They have this aura, obviously, they know that they can win this game. 

However, I think United at their best have proved that they can beat anybody at the, but we just don’t know when they will show up.

I think it’s going to be 1-1 with Benjamin Sesko scoring definitely. I would love to see him go on a scoring run and build his confidence, I’d like to see some arrogance from him.

Real Madrid Players Want More Credibility Than They Deserve After Xabi Alonso Fiasco

It’s sad because I really like the kind of legacy that he managed to build at Bayer Leverkusen. Xabi Alonso deserved to be in that position with Real Madrid, which is maybe the toughest challenge in the world apart from maybe Manchester United. 

When you’re a young manager at a huge club, players can often just see you as another player, which brings some unnecessary tension. 

Some players may want more credibility than they deserve in a club. That’s the problem. So, it happened and it’s sad but the legacy I think is still intact. 

He’s done a job that he believed in from the first game and he kept going. So I think, it’s a very, very difficult position. Real Madrid had Carlo Ancelotti there and still wanted an agreement to let him go because all managers will be under pressure. We’ve seen this before at Real Madrid and we will see it again.

Enzo Maresca to Real Madrid? He’ll Be On the Shortlist After Chelsea Saga

Enzo Maresca to Real Madrid? Football nowadays is extremely hard to predict, to understand, and to follow.The rise of multi-club ownerships has perhaps changed the landscape of the game. It’s really hard to understand everything, and the parameters are not the same as what we are used to. 

Real Madrid is a different kind of club, and so many things need to be ticked. He’s a top manager, and yes, he’s on the shortlist. I think in his spell at Chelsea, he had a strange challenge to go through 40 or 50 players.

It was extremely strange but he managed to build something. We have seen some kind of identity. That’s why I won’t be surprised that Real Madrid can see that.

He can do a job anywhere in the world and he will be on the shortlist, but Real Madrid is not an easy club to manage.

There’s Only One Way I Can See Luis Enrique at Manchester United Next Season

Luis Enrique at Man Utd next season isn’t realistic, unless he wins the Champions League again and thinks his work is down at PSG.

If that happens then he might want a big challenge next, in that sense I could see him being interested in Man Utd.

If he has achieved everything he needs to at PSG, then yes, in terms of credibility, he comes here, and nobody can dispute anything that he’s going to say. 

He has done it with PSG, who struggled for many years to get close to the Champions League. He managed it, so he has a philosophy, he has that power and credibility with the sporting director. He and Luis Campos have a great partnership and have done really well. 

So, why not do that at my United, the biggest club in the world in my opinion, and prove to the world that he’s the best coach ever?

Ruben Amorim Will Be Hurt By His Time at Manchester United: That Could Fire Him Up For Grand Return to Portugal or Another Top European Club

I doubt Ruben Amorim will be happy. As an ex-athlete and a competitor, I hate to lose and he will be the same.

I think in the last few interviews, I saw someone that was angry. He was attacking players, he was defending himself, he was under massive pressure.

I saw somebody who wasn’t happy. In his last interview, he was even aggressive. Something I haven’t seen before. Everybody could see that his time was up.

So will he be happy now? No, he will be hurt.

Nations like South Africa Need To Go into the World Cup with Belief Despite the Competition

The kind of mentality that African teams need to have now is believing that you can do something special.

You need to really believe that you can at least be in the quarter-final stages and have faith in yourself, South Africa are included in that.

African teams can do amazing things during the World Cup. They almost have an advantage when it comes to it being very hot. The conditions in Africa can be so hard to play in but those guys manage to do it.

They have to come about with a different kind of mentality. I heard it from Yaya Toure, I heard it from Didier Drogba, I heard it from Samuel Eto’, all those guys. 

They should be confident. They should not have this complex about European teams, about Western teams. It should not be the case. 

An African team can win the World Cup. They have the capacity, just look at Morocco and what they are able to do on the field, I don’t see why they can’t win a World Cup.

However, teams like Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany always find a way in those crucial moments, but I think African teams are ready to compete.

I feel Horrified About the World Cup Being in the USA With Everything Going On

My first feeling is frustration because, yes, I went to the final but I didn’t play after I got a red card. The frustration didn’t start there, though. It came from having the chance to play in the World Cup. I was very tense. 

I wasn’t enjoying the moment and all that. So, this is my memory. I love this tournament because it brings people together. I’m a bit horrified that it comes to the US at this moment. I’m very scared. 

But my memories are just amazing moments because my family was so proud. I liked seeing the name Saha everywhere during that tournament. I’m very proud. 

I felt very privileged to play alongside Zinedine Zidane, Nicolas Anelka, Theirry Henry and all those players. It was a dream that I hadn’t thought could be real, even though I played very early on with the French national team in the youth ranks. But to be there was amazing.