Exclusive Interview with Louis Saha: Insights on United, Everton, and the Premier League

Last updated: February 18, 2025 by Leon Marshal

Louis Saha, the former French international and Premier League striker renowned for his stints at Manchester United, Everton, and Newcastle, joins the Best Betting Sites team for an exclusive interview. Drawing on his rich experience, Saha discusses standout French talents in the Premier League and Manchester United’s current challenges and other topics.

Premier League Observations

Louis Saha playing for Manchester United – © Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-sa 4.0

Who do you think is the best French player playing in the Premier League this season? 

That’s an interesting question. I think there are a few that are playing in the Premier League who you would consider to be world-class. The one that I’ve been very impressed by for the last two years is William Saliba at Arsenal.

I think some of the others are too young or just not in Saliba’s calibre.

Saliba has surpassed everybody. He’s consistent, and I like how his career has gone so far. He had to wait for his opportunity at Arsenal and gained some great experience playing for Marseille, where he developed into one of the game’s most promising CBs. He hasn’t really looked back since that move.

He’s very down to earth and I like how he can just do his job. I think he’s someone that deserves more praise, I would say. He is definitely one of the best central defenders in the Premier League and probably across world football right now and he has been for the last couple of seasons.

Who has been your unsung hero of the season so far?

That’s a tough one. I really like the boy from Bournemouth, Justin Kluivert. I think Kluivert has been exceptional this season.

I think that he doesn’t get the praise he deserves, but I really think that he’s a real star.

I like Bryan Mbeumo at Brentford as well.

I would have said Amad from Manchester United deserves to be in the conversation, but he’s out for the rest of the season now.

I’m a big admirer as well of Bruno Guimaraes and Newcastle. I don’t think that he’s getting the praise that he deserves. I think he’s one of the top, top players in the Premier League.

If I had to name one, I will go for Kluivert. I really like his game.

Thoughts on Manchester United

It looks highly likely that Manchester United will try to sign a number 9 in the summer. Who should they be targeting? 

Gyokeres, Kane, and Osimhen have similar profiles; these are the names that I want to see Manchester United linked with. Strikers like them bring confidence and numbers. Those guys really believe in themselves, and they know the game. They have the body of work to prove that they are at the very top when it comes to scoring goals.

Nobody has ever found a way to stop them from scoring goals. So, when you have that, it brings a lot of confidence for the manager, and they are players that you can completely rely on to make the difference.

Gyokeres is playing in the Portuguese league, but he has not played in the Premier League yet. He did brilliantly when he was playing in the Championship for Coventry, but he’s not proven in England’s top division.

“I still think that Osimhen for me has this kind of je ne sais quoi, as we say. ” – Louis Saha, on Victor Osimhen.

He’s a very confident lad, he’s this old school No. 9, and most of the time he’s very, very cold and deadly front of goal. So, I like his style and I think he will suit Man Utd.

There are also players like Isak, because it’s been two or three years that he’s playing at the top, top level now.

He’s able to score his own goals and he is also capable of creating chances for his team mates, he gets a lot of assists as well. He doesn’t create as many goal-scoring opportunities as Harry Kane, but he’s definitely that type of player that can be effective at the top end of the pitch.

Isak is a player that can really help younger players by showing them the ropes, and this is the type of impact we need from our next striker. He has to carry the burden of responsibility but at the same time, he has to help players like Hojlund and Zirkzee improve.

When Bruno arrived, he definitely assisted a lot of players and made a huge impact at Manchester United by how he improved the players around him, and not just because of his own performances. We need leaders who are able to give that confidence to other players. That is the type of impact we need.

Does Amorim need to adapt his approach?

I think Amorim must stay confident, trust his principles, and have his plan for the long term.

A lot of things at Manchester United must change, and it’s not just about the system that the manager plays.

I think in some ways, a manager’s job is always to look at different kinds of options and not be stubborn.

Where I have some sympathy for him is that he is always missing key players, so it’s hard to build your style and identity when you have to rely on youngsters or you have a smaller group to work with. At the moment, United have got six or seven kids on the bench.

You have to find a way where physically you demand a little bit less, because he needs some players to come back to be able to maintain the level that he wants.

There are definitely other tactical systems that are easier for players, physically and mentally. United are in a really difficult situation at the moment – he needs to get all of his key players back into the team as quickly as possible.

United are lacking in confidence!

United have the strength to find a way through what has been the most challenging season the club has experienced in years. We need to have the confidence to realise that things aren’t going well, but, long-term, we will achieve success with Amorim’s tactical approach.

It’s been hard for him to build a foundation that he can rely on because we’ve had so many absences, but everyone needs to keep the faith, and they need to learn his system and understand his demands.

Winning something this season, with the way things are going, that is going to be extremely difficult. The most important thing Amorim can do is find a way of implementing his playing style with this group of players and building that tactical understanding.

When I see the squad, it’s obvious that it’s way too short in confidence and lacks a bit in quality. Quality is about confidence, so it’s about knowing where you’re going, knowing that nobody can defend against you. None of that is there at the moment.

It’s obvious that we can’t consider finishing in the top six at the moment. You have to be humble and work hard. The players need to understand that to help Amorim, they need to be confident and show that ability to work with the right approach in every game, to be mentally strong and show that they want to work hard. 

They lost to Tottenham, but they played with the power and desire that you want to see. You can’t blame them for losing in some ways, because the quality was just not at the level that you need.

We have to step down a little bit to come back stronger next season or come back stronger when the players are back. The boys have to show with their own opportunities that they can contribute, but I think it’s going to be a big ask for them because this is a United squad that is lacking quality at the moment.

How would Alex Ferguson turn things around?

How would Alex Ferguson turn things around? I think that this is a very good question. Fergie could get the most of his players with direct communication, but he was working in a different era.

I can sense that in some situations in the last few years, the mentality was not the same as we had. Things that sit outside the football pitch are so important now.

“Sir Alex Ferguson would have struggled with that and he would struggle to have an impact on this group of players because some of these guys don’t have the right attitude or mentality. ” – Louis Saha, on Manchester United’s current team

He would have said, in terms of mentality, “I’m here to guide these players in terms of being courageous, being positive and being able to show that they are able to take risks”.

He would have called on his leaders to address individuals, to set standards and show leadership.

This United squad is not as equipped as we were, so it’s difficult. Sir Alex would never have encountered a dressing room like this one, and he would have never found himself in this situation because he was a winner who built winning teams.

I understand why legends like Gary Neville are frustrated. We have made too many mistakes over the last decade, we’ve taken our eye off the ball and have been thinking that we are like a business.

We didn’t have these problems, so it’s really hard for me to say Sir Alex Ferguson would have done this and that. 

He’s been humble in the past, changing coaches when he needed to adapt. When he was competing with Mourinho, he changed the way we approached the game to compete and be at this level.

There are things that he changed in terms of style, but he always wanted to be aligned with the fans’ demands. We have to play forward; we have to play with a high tempo.

I see sometimes that the team is playing with a tempo that’s too comfortable. I don’t understand it.

So I would push up the tempo, but not at this moment in time, because the squad is not big enough. You can’t ask the boys we have to do that just yet because we will end up with more injuries.

Consistency will bring confidence and quality

When the team is able to maintain that quality, I’m sure that it would bring the confidence back because you put the opposition in such a difficult position. The players can’t show their quality because they’re always under massive pressure.

Sometimes they’re passing too slow, and the opposition has the time to come back in a strong shape, and it’s very hard to break that down.

Can Utd finish in the top half without Diallo?

I really hope that some of the players can copy the approach he has. The boy was working really, really hard.

And at a high tempo, he was able to show quality, make good choices, pick the right pass or dribble, and be aggressive. Sometimes he showed brilliance. I won’t forget his ability to just run down the middle of the pitch in the big games, against teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, he had an impact. He stepped up to the mark and showed the desire and character that you expect to see from a United player.

He has the technical ability and belief that some in the team are lacking. They won’t show for the ball or do the unexpected. You can understand the defenders don’t take risks or do something exceptional.

Amad is one of the few players at United that can do it, and probably only Fernandes can do it too. These are the only two United players that are capable of producing something brilliant that nobody can expect. The pass that nobody has seen.

So I do think that we’re going to struggle now if nobody can come in and take Amad’s place and play at his level. I hope that Garnacho is going to do that. I hope that Mainoo can do that when he comes back from injury.

Would you take Paul Pogba back at Manchester United?

Yes, I would take Paul Pogba back at Manchester United in a heartbeat. It’s not only because of the squad that we have now with injuries and all that, but for all the elements that he brings as a player.

We need guarantees, we need quality, we need confidence, we need leadership, and this guy now has an opportunity to show how much he wants it.

Pogba can show he has the ability to be one of the best in the league in this position, especially with the motivation and the focus that he has to understand where he can improve and what parts of his game he needs to adapt.

“Pogba has to focus on himself and think, “all those things that I’ve done in the past, I should not do anymore”. It’s an opportunity to sign someone who is highly motivated.” – Louis Saha on resigning Paul Pogba

He’s going to obviously still have huge confidence about his ability. I’m sure that when he looks at this midfield at United, he has a different type of vibe in his game. So definitely it’s an easy fit.

I think that he will communicate with the manager. He would be humble after the situation. He’s been injured; he’s been banned. I’m sure Pogba wants the visibility. He wants to go back to a French team as soon as possible, so he just needs to pick the right project. For him to get back into the national team, he needs to show that he can still do it at the top level. United would be signing a player that is completely dedicated and focussed on achieving his goals, because he’s been out of the game for so long.

I’m sure that the most important thing for Pogba would be to show Amorim and the Manchester United fans that he is still one of the best players in the world. He will want to show people how good he was and how good it can still be.

I think it’s a nice opportunity for the club and the player.

Louis Saha on Everton

Are you surprised by Moyes’ success?

I am not surprised by how successful David Moyes has been since returning to Everton. I’m very pleased with his comeback and what Everton has now got in charge of the club, and I’m excited for the fans, because they will see a better version of David Moyes.

He was already a really good manager when he was there before. I imagine his experience at United and West Ham has improved his communication and his tactical confidence.

He’s had some challenges where he had to be humbled and understand his mistakes. He’s came back to Everton with such big experience. So, it’s beneficial and especially when the club and players need simple things to be implemented.

“They built a fortress in Goodison Park, so I’m very pleased and not surprised at all by the impact he has had so far. ” – Louis Saha, on Everton under David Moyes

I’m sure that it was very easy for him to tell players his style, help them understand his demands, but he also shows his capacity to trust his players. That’s what he did with me.

Even if I wasn’t a typical Everton player, because l played a certain style on the ball with skilful players. He managed to get me to adapt and fit in. He had Pienaar and Mikel Arteta, and those players adapted to his style and managed to be very aggressive.

Thoughts on Newcastle United

Do Newcastle need to qualify for the Champions League to keep hold of Alexander Isak this summer? 

No, I don’t think so. I think he’s a player who seems to be quiet about his game. He wants to improve. He still has room for improvement, to be at the top of his game.

But yes, as a club, he can remain there without Champions League football next season. I am sure that he hasn’t expressed any desire to move away, I certainly haven’t seen it.

While I’m sure that he’s going to have a lot of interest from a lot of teams, whether it’s in England or in Spain or Italy, they will look at his profile because he’s such an interesting player.

“I think that he’s a special player and I wish him the best, because he’s a player that should be operating at the highest level in the game – he’s good enough too – but there’s no reason why he can’t do that with Newcastle. ” – Louis Saha on Alexander Isak

They’re investing each year by bringing in better players. That’s what they need to keep doing as a club if they want to progress. It would be brilliant to see Newcastle challenging with the biggest clubs in the Premier League, fighting for the title and in the Champions League every season. Even though I was only there briefly, I fell in love with the club. I want to see them do well.

They should be bold enough to hold onto players like Isak, players like Gordon and Bruno.