Sorry Saha tries to survive nightmare -

Of all the tasks facing Man Utd boss Alex Ferguson at the moment fewer will be more challenging than restoring some belief into Louis Saha.

In missing a penalty and another straightforward chance towards the end of Tuesday’s seismic Champions League defeat by Celtic, Saha emerged as the United fall guy on an evening of remarkable drama at Parkhead.

The France striker’s damaged confidence will hardly have been helped by the revelation that his captain Gary Neville apparently told Celtic’s Neil Lennon that he expected him to miss the penalty in the seconds before he took it.

Speaking before he became aware of Neville’s chat with Lennon, Saha said: ‘I feel terrible. I can’t believe what I did. It is like living in a nightmare and I just want to wake up.

‘I’ve said sorry to the lads in the dressing room but a thousand sorries won’t change anything. It was a difficult night for Manchester United but I have to admit I am really sorry for my performance. I just need to try and survive this.’

Lennon’s version of his alleged exchange with Neville emerged as the Celtic players spoke to the media after Tuesday’s game. He said: "It’s funny because Gary Neville came up to me and said 'I think he’s going to miss this as his head has gone'. And he did."

It sounds almost inconceivable that a professional such as Neville should say such a thing, and time will tell if he chooses to comment on Lennon’s claim. But there was no denial from United yesterday of the story.

Whatever the truth, Saha’s display in Glasgow has left United’s Champions League future in doubt and jeopardised his own place.