Saha stamps class as United chase second spot
The new French international ensured Red Devils minds, that might have drifted towards Champions League action going on elsewhere, stayed fully focussed on domestic combat with a scintillating mixture of power, pace and intelligent play.
Saha not only put United in front, he provided the assist for Gary Neville to bash home a second, a goal remarkable only for the fact that the man who scored it has now got two in a week as opposed to just four in 427 appearances previously.
It was enough frustrate Charlton's hopes of a victory that would have taken them above Saturday's Old Trafford visitors Liverpool and into the coveted fourth spot.
More importantly for the hosts, it closed the gap on Claudio Ranieri's men to a point and ensured they won't officially hand over their Premiership title to Arsenal until the weekend at least.
Charlton boss Alan Curbishley admitted he feared an Old Trafford goal avalanche
Though the visitors were denied what looked like a clear-cut penalty in the second half when Gary Neville appeared to chop down Paul Konchesky, Curbishley was gracious enough to admit his team deserved nothing from the game and the damage inflicted might have been far worse than it eventually became.
"We probably had more possession than we have ever had at Old Trafford," he said. "But we didn't really do anything with it.
"Halfway through the second half my big fear was what would happen to our goal difference because when you go two down against Manchester United, there is always the threat of an avalanche.
"In the end, we put up a decent show without looking like we were going to win the game. But this was always a bonus game. Now we have four games left and we need to win three of them. I think the race for fourth will go right down to the last game."
Saha was the star of an above average United display as Alex Ferguson's side responded to their manager's demand for an improvement on their dismal performance at Portsmouth last weekend.
The £12.8million transfer window signing from Fulham might have netted before being presented with his best chance by David Bellion's neat pass just before the half hour mark, which he finished first-time, belting under Dean Kiely's body.
It was his seventh goal in 11 appearances since moving north and there is the promise of plenty more to come and in tandem with prolific Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ferguson might have finally found a strikeforce to rival some of the others he has had down the years.
"Because they have both had injuries, they have only had five games together," said Ferguson.
"That is eight goals now, which shows what a goal threat they are."
Saha also had a major role in United's second, taking Neville's initial pass, then driving into the Charlton box before setting the England full-back up for his second goal in a week after just four in his previous 427 appearances.
"I never thought we would look upon Gary Neville as a goalscorer," smiled Ferguson.
United now head into the intensity of Saturday's clash with Liverpool, before visiting Blackburn ahead of the crucial meeting with Chelsea on May 8, by which time Claudio Ranieri's men could be suffering from the same kind of Champions League hangover the Red Devils were forced to overcome two months ago.
: Howard, Gary Neville, Brown, Silvestre, Phil Neville, Fletcher (Ronaldo 83), Butt (Keane 74), Djemba-Djemba, Bellion, Saha (Giggs 65), van Nistelrooy.
: Kiely, Young, Fortune, Powell (Perry 83), Konchesky, Jensen, Stuart (Di Canio 74), Holland, Hreidarsson, Johansson (Euell 63), Bartlett.
: S Dunn (Gloucestershire).
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