ROBSON: "WE LET HIM GO"

Newcastle United boss Sir Bobby Robson says that a big mistake was made when the St James' Park outfit let Louis Saha go.

The Frenchman is now set to join Manchester United in a £10million dealbut the striker could well have been at Newcastle - if former manager Ruud Gullit's had not let him go after an unsuccessful loan spell in 1999.

Robson told The Journal: "We had him and let him go. I like the look of him a lot, he is a very good player indeed, an outstanding player in fact.

"I've seen a lot of him, but he really came to my attention last year and he scored a wonderful goal against us down there this season.

"I'm not surprised at all that Sir Alex Ferguson wants him, a lot of clubs would. We had him here and could have bought him, but we let him go. You get some, you lose some, but it's a shame because he is a very fine player."

Louis Saha also had a few things to say, mainly about former manager Chris Coleman's reluctance to let him go.

Speaking to the London Evening standard he said: "(Coleman's) was a sporting opinion and so was mine. I understand absolutely.

"If I was in the same position, I would do the same thing. He has done a great job as manager and maybe I should thank him for everything before. I was a fan of his, the way he reacted and played. It will be hard for me to leave Fulham because they made me the player that I am.

"The squad have been great and it was the same when Steve Finnan left the club to join Liverpool last summer. He was a good player and we did not want him to leave, but I was delighted for him because it was a big challenge for him."

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