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Henri Saivet (now a free agent)

lovejoy

by lovejoy
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Odear

Odear

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A thought occurred to me just now, I wonder if these ill fated moves are by design?

 

What if Henri had been a naughty boy using ped's or just something straight forward like class a's.. his agent as a favour gets us to make a bid, let the fucker hide in the reserves for a few months.. then send him back to France with a clean bill of health.. it's not out of this world to imagine something like that happening.

 

I refuse to believe the man could have been any worse than the likes of Colback in the week to week training.

 

 

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Si

Si

Posted
Posted

A thought occurred to me just now, I wonder if these ill fated moves are by design?

 

What if Henri had been a naughty boy using ped's or just something straight forward like class a's.. his agent as a favour gets us to make a bid, let the f***er hide in the reserves for a few months.. then send him back to France with a clean bill of health.. it's not out of this world to imagine something like that happening.

 

I refuse to believe the man could have been any worse than the likes of Colback in the week to week training.

I think it's to give time for the human skin to grow over his lizard replacements body.

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Guest JS

Guest JS

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Henri Saivet opens up on Rafa Benitez - and why 'English players' were picked over 'foreigners'

 

Newcastle United signed Henri Saivet from Bordeaux in January, but the midfielder struggled on Tyneside and is back on loan in Ligue 1

 

Newcastle United flop Henri Saivet has labelled Rafa Benitez as a “great coach” - but claims the Spaniard sometimes focuses “too much” on tactics.

 

The 25-year-old midfielder joined the Magpies from Bordeaux in January but made just four league appearances - and none under Benitez - before returning to Ligue 1 on a season-long loan to Saint-Etienne last month.

 

Saivet was recruited by chief scout Graham Carr as a replacement for Cheick Tiote , but the latter’s move away from Tyneside in January broke down and then both Steve McClaren and Benitez opted to field him ahead of their new recruit.

 

And the Senegal international admits Benitez faced a “complicated” challenge once he arrived at St James’ Park with just 10 games to go last season - and alleges that the United boss was put under pressure to play “English players” ahead of “foreigners”.

 

“Benitez is a great coach,” Saivet said during an interview with France Football.

 

“He focuses on tactics. A little too much at times, but he is a great coach.

 

“When he arrived, the group was lost, low on confidence and there were just 10 matches remaining.

 

“It was complicated for him.

 

“The leaders had asked him to play the English players. It’s like that there.

 

“They even said that the Championship was for the English players, not foreigners.

 

“Because they like to play every three days, they like to fight well.

 

“We foreign players, if we were given the confidence, we could have done that.”

 

Formerly a winger, Saivet was shifted into central-midfield at Bordeaux during his final 18 months at the club and made his limited appearances for Newcastle there too.

 

In his first appearance back in France with St-Etienne, Saivet was named in L’Equipe’s Ligue 1 Team of the Week and he concedes that he found the pace of the Premier League difficult.

 

However, he is adamant that, given more time on the field, he would have adapted to the English game.

 

“The pace is different,” Saivet added.

 

“It does not stop, there is no stoppage time.

 

“But it does not bother me. This is a type of football that I like.

 

“I needed a couple of matches to get up to the rhythm and know the team.

 

“But they did not give me the time to show anything.

 

“When you sign a player, the goal is to put it in the best possible conditions.

 

“I watched my matches several times with a specialist.

 

“I wondered why I did not play more.”

 

Henri Saivet claims he never planned to leave Bordeaux for Newcastle United - and admits he felt “useless” during a “horrible” eight months on Tyneside.

 

The Magpies signed the Senegal international in January in a £4.5million deal, but Saivet managed just four league appearances in all before being shipped out to Saint-Etienne on loan this summer.

 

Interestingly, however, Saivet claims he intended to buy a new house in Bordeaux and, when he returned from holiday during the French winter break, was surprised to see a transfer to Newcastle was close to being finalised.

 

“I had not planned to leave [France],” Saivet told France Football about his move to Newcastle.

 

“The proof? I was planning move and buy me a new home in Bordeaux but, when I returned from vacation, I was told there was a lot of stress for me and that if I wanted to leave, I could.

 

“I came back from holiday with the desire to start well and I was told that a transfer was happening.”

 

When chief scout Graham Carr recommended United should sign Saivet in January, it was anticipated that Cheick Tiote would depart and the Senegal international would fill the central-midfield void.

 

However, Tiote’s move away broke down and then both Steve McClaren and his successor Rafa Benitez opted for the Ivorian ahead of Saivet.

 

And the 25-year-old admits it was extremely difficult to sit on the sidelines and watch on.

 

“I had been recruited to play and I was not playing - it was hard,” he added.

 

“I had the impression of being paid to do nothing.

 

“It was horrible. You’re there, you’re useless.”

 

Last month, Saivet secured a season-long loan move to St-Etienne and he was named in L’Equipe’s Ligue 1 Team of the Week following a successful debut.

 

He believes he has chosen the right club, despite claiming he received a rival offer from Marseille.

 

“It’s a place you want to be, it feels really good,” Saivet said of St-Etienne

 

“Marseille also wanted me but I chose the Greens.

 

“I want to go far in the Europa League to further grow the club and why not be third [in the league] and play the preliminary round of the Champions League?”

 

Asked if he had been determined to only return to France, Saivet responded: “No, not necessarily.

 

“I would have liked to have continued in the Premier League, but it’s hard to find a base when you have not played much.

 

“This opportunity of Saint-Etienne, it’s good.

 

“It is a stable club, they have played in the European Cup for many years.

 

“It is progressing well, that’s the ideal.”

 

Interesting quote about the hierarchy. Shame this lad never had more game time, he looked pretty decent when he actually played.

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