Henri Saivet (now a free agent)

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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.

[Dr.Spaceman]

Did he really? I seem to remember him doing fuck all.

[Andy84]

Too much focus on tactics? Love Rafa me

[Guest palnese]

Shit cunt

[Conjo]

By "English players" he really means Jack Colback, right?

 

I liked this bit:

“I watched my matches several times with a specialist.

 

“I wondered why I did not play more.”

 

I agree, and I like the fact that he did this to improve. Wouldn't mind giving him another shot. Seems like a decent guy.

[Ronaldo]

If Rafa doesn't fancy him above Jack Colback I'm willing to bet he's probably just shit.

[TRon]

“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.”

 

Who's he talking about when he refers to the leaders? I'm pretty sure Rafa can make his own mind up, if he's not playing Saivet then he didn't rate him or just felt he wasn't ready. Still, I like that he thought he would have got stuck in given a chance.

[Teasy]

As if Benitez lets anyone tell him who to play, silly boy Henri..

[SEMTEX]

Not sure why it's so accepted that Rafa is a supreme man of principle that would never take direction from above. Sure he's a step up from the Pards & McClarens of this world, but if he was all that principled a man he wouldn't have come here in the first place.

[Teasy]

As long as he's given full control why should he have any issue with what's happened here in the past?  Its nowt to do with principles anyway, the fact is Benitez is a control freak (in a good way).  He's not going to spend all week working out the best way to win a match only for Mike Ashley to tell him he has to change his plans because he fancies some English players for some bizarre reason.  Its nowt but excuses from Saivet.

 

The leaders simply told him that Jack must play due to that contact agreement

 

Aye that was pretty funny, no idea how anyone believed it really, obviously rubbish even before it was proven beyond all doubt as rubbish this season.

[Wallace]

Some of that is probably lost in translation.  It does imply that Rafa was asked to play English players but that makes no sense when the club kept buying foreign players.

 

But there is a lot of truth (hierarchy = authorities?) in what he says if he is perhaps talking more generally about the perceived (media) consensus that we went down because we did not have enough English players - it was something the media and ex pros (Rob Lee anyone) banged on about repeatedly even when we had more Brits playing.  And certainly, the media are of the opinion that the foreign players wouldn't be able to hack the Championship.  They even say Rafa will struggle because he is does not know the Championship despite several foreign managers getting promoted in recent years.

 

It is mystifying why Saivet hardly played.  From the little we saw, he did not disgrace himself and he was never given a chance to adapt.  I guess a relegation battle is not the best place to do that but even so, you would think he might have been in the matchday squad more.  Maybe his attitude was poor in training.

 

 

[SEMTEX]

I have no idea whether Saivet is lying or not. But we've lied to managers about them getting full control in the past, so I don't find it all that preposterous that rafa might take the odd instruction/ bit of guidance from above.

 

I'm just stunned by how well you seem to know Rafa, and how you know exactly what he would or wouldn't do, should his boss ask.

[Ally]

That English bastard Benitez

[Hanshithispantz]

Our most played team this season includes Sels, Anita, Mbemba, Dummett ( ), Ritchie ( ), Gouffran, Diame.

 

ALL THE ENGLISH

 

Don't know what the fuck he's onabout as it was similar last season too, I doubt he's lying, as that would be weird, so I can only assume he was being bullied by Jack Colback.

[Hanshithispantz]

I have no idea whether Saivet is lying or not. But we've lied to managers about them getting full control in the past, so I don't find it all that preposterous that rafa might take the odd instruction/ bit of guidance from above.

 

I'm just stunned by how well you seem to know Rafa, and how you know exactly what he would or wouldn't do, should his boss ask.

Pretty certain he's not letting them pick his teams like

[Hanshithispantz]

I assume something has been lost in translation somewhere and he means players with experience in England, not English players.

[SEMTEX]

I don't imagine anyone other than rafa is picking the team, but that doesn't mean he isn't getting suggestions from above, and potentially paying attention to them.

[mighty__mag]

“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.”

 

Who's he talking about when he refers to the leaders? I'm pretty sure Rafa can make his own mind up, if he's not playing Saivet then he didn't rate him or just felt he wasn't ready. Still, I like that he thought he would have got stuck in given a chance.

 

Carr? Charnley? Ashley? Some hierarchy.

 

The lad obviously sees and hears more than anyone not associated with the club.

 

[Foluwashola]

Marveaux must have given him his notes on how to whinge in the press. You were peddled because you were shite mate, jog on.

[Teasy]

I have no idea whether Saivet is lying or not. But we've lied to managers about them getting full control in the past, so I don't find it all that preposterous that rafa might take the odd instruction/ bit of guidance from above.

 

I'm just stunned by how well you seem to know Rafa, and how you know exactly what he would or wouldn't do, should his boss ask.

 

Howay.. you don't need to be his mate to know how the guy works, what his mentality is.  Go and read some articles about him, its clear the kind of manager he is.  Its also not as if he needed our job desperately enough to bend over backwards for us, we needed him far more than he needed us.  Honestly this guy picking his team based on orders from Mike Ashley or Charnley is about as believable as Colback having a "must play every game" clause in his contract.

 

As far as why Saivet has said that.  Like others have said could be lost in translation.  Or could be the fact that its much easier to pass off the opinion of some owner than a big name like Benitez "wasn't Rafa that didn't want to play me, nah he was forced not to by the people above because they're English and want more English players".  Or he might even have heard it, still doesn't make it true.

 

[Scotty66]

Still think he did absolutely fine when he played and baffled as to why he didn't get a look in. Maybe his attitude in training was p*ss poor as Rafa (rightfully) wouldn't stand for that.

 

However if he worked hard in training and showed he wanted to play then it's very strange. In less than 90 minutes game time he played better than Colback had in an entire season. One game he was very tidy,keeping his position well and passing forward.

[Ronaldo]

He looked OK in one game. Given our CM options if Rafa has no time for him he must just be abject, which, to be fair, his career before coming here would probably substantiate. No need to look too far into it. Another godawful Carr signing who'll leave for peanuts in a year or two.

[Teasy]

Still think he did absolutely fine when he played and baffled as to why he didn't get a look in. Maybe his attitude in training was p*ss poor as Rafa (rightfully) wouldn't stand for that.

 

However if he worked hard in training and showed he wanted to play then it's very strange. In less than 90 minutes game time he played better than Colback had in an entire season. One game he was very tidy,keeping his position well and passing forward.

 

I thought he looked ok in the small amount of playing time he had under McClaren, but only very fleeting showing before Benitez even arrived.  I think Rafa was trying to pick a side that had plenty of Premier League experience and players who he could drill the basics into to form a solid unit, taking no risks in the very small amount of games we had left.  Hence why the likes of Shelvey didn't play much, that was my feeling at the time anyway.

[morla84]

Either sour grapes or just genuinely  astounded that Colback got picked ahead of him and trying to put some sort of reasoning behind it. Sounds horrendous getting paid thousands for nothing too, the poor lamb

[Hhtoon]

He's referring to the premiership more so assume he's talking in the main about last season. Don't find it unbelievable that for the 10 games last year Rafa came in to the role with some suggestions which he took on board, seeing he joined mid-season with limited knowledge of the squad.

Expect the new contract put paid to any of that and he maybe thought Saivet wasn't right for the championship. He has erred on the side of proven 2nd tier experience in a few areas.