You can only take so many injuries before the 'legs go', and one of the FootyMad editors was amongst the Smogs last week, high up in the rafters watching Boro beat the Mackems in their own back yard - at the Stadium of Shite.
He said: "Saha was a major let down for the Mackems.
"He looked listless, uninterested, and everything had to be to feet because he wasn't going to run for the ball.
"He looked like a knackered old lower-league player seeing out his days, letting his team-mates do the graft, while he was doing the shouting.
"He may be able to sniff out a goal or two with a one-touch, but his days of ghosting past defenders are long gone."
The 34-year-old Frenchman heads for former club Everton at the weekend still awaiting his opening strike for the Black Cats.
Saha: "You always work hard for that first goal and the pressure is off when you get it.
"But you want to make sure you get when it's the right moment. You don't want to score when you're 3-0 down and you don't need it.
"You always want to do more and I think the team can do it and as a player, I think I can do more as well.
"When you're drawing many games, you always expect more because we are here to win games. But we are training to improve.
"We have done okay, but the fans can ask more because they see things.
"But football is a difficult job and I really think we are close to winning games."