Michael Owen

[Youghal Exile]

There's no doubt he is a shadow of the player he once was.

[Jim Comic]

Pure knackered from all the injuries, pity.

[delzer]

hes in a bad team as well not getting anyone creating chances for him.

id say he can still do a job with a decent team

[REMIMUFC]

he has no intrest in playing football anymore hes more into horseracing-a wasted talent

[wat_boy]

can see him ending up at everton

[legend76]

He's only 29, won't be 30 till December

[3pointplay]

All went downhill when he left Anfield.

[delzer]

All went downhill when he left Anfield.

he played well enough at madrid but manegerial changes fucked him up.

[volunteer]

Needs a MArtin O'Neil type manager to rejuvinate him

[zimmerman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqOxNspUPyE

asshole

[xvis]

He's cost Newcastle nearly forty million pounds all told ...and he'll walk out the gate for zero in the summer.


..in my opinion the worst waste of a loads of cash in football history. And that includes Shevchenko at Chelsea.

[Rebelred]

He's cost Newcastle nearly forty million pounds all told ...and he'll walk out the gate for zero in the summer.


..in my opinion the worst waste of a loads of cash in football history. And that includes Shevchenko at Chelsea.

I reckon he could still do a decent job for some team, but his confidence right now is shot. That Newcastle team needs to be torn to pieces and rebuilt from scratch.

[Philby]

Newcastle got stung a bit by paying over the odds (both on wages & transfer fee) to bring him to Tyneside, no doubt, but to call him the worst waste of cash in football history is going a bit OTT.

Shevchenko failed (horribly) in the Premiership because he simply wasn't up to it. Chelsea spunked even more on him (wages & fee) and got even less of a goal return.

Owen didn't deliver at Newcastle largely due to being ravaged by injuries during his time at the club.

From what I recall during his first 2 years at the club he scored quite freely when fit but successive injuries* really did take their toll.

While they overpaid both to get him to the club and to pay his wages if he wasn't ravaged by injuries I think they would've got a bucketload of goals out of him.

He was still only 26 yrs old when he signed for Newcastle and was coming off the back of a strong season in La Liga where, despite now really getting the pitch-time he deserved, he had the highest goals-per-minute ratio in the league.

* - thigh (x2), hernia, metatarsal & cruciate [ which kept him out for pretty much a full season ]

[Philby]

I reckon he could still do a decent job for some team, but his confidence right now is shot. That Newcastle team needs to be torn to pieces and rebuilt from scratch.

Nah, his legs have gone. He's fit only for the knackers yard, or Goodison.

[xvis]

I reckon he could still do a decent job for some team, but his confidence right now is shot. That Newcastle team needs to be torn to pieces and rebuilt from scratch.

..Everton maybe.


Certainly not Liverpool.


edit: snap

[xvis]

Newcastle got stung a bit by paying over the odds (both on wages & transfer fee) to bring him to Tyneside, no doubt, but to call him the worst waste of cash in football history is going a bit OTT.

Shevchenko failed (horribly) in the Premiership because he simply wasn't up to it. Chelsea spunked even more on him (wages & fee) and got even less of a goal return.

Owen didn't deliver at Newcastle largely due to being ravaged by injuries during his time at the club.

From what I recall during his first 2 years at the club he scored quite freely when fit but successive injuries* really did take their toll.

While they overpaid both to get him to the club and to pay his wages if he wasn't ravaged by injuries I think they would've got a bucketload of goals out of him.

He was still only 26 yrs old when he signed for Newcastle and was coming off the back of a strong season in La Liga where, despite now really getting the pitch-time he deserved, he had the highest goals-per-minute ratio in the league.

* - thigh (x2), hernia, metatarsal & cruciate [ which kept him out for pretty much a full season ]

There's little difference in the sums of money, ..but seeing that the money spent was of little significance to Chelsea makes Owen's the bigger waste overall.

16, plus 20 million in wages (minus 1 million back from the FA) for no decent run in the team is a disaster for Newcastle.

It's up there with Kluivert in buying a name who doesn't really want to be there. ...and is a negative.

Shevchenko lost out at Chelsea because someone else was doing the business (Drogba) and they played only one up front. Chelsea were still performing. ..Newcastle tried to embarrass Owen into extending his contract last summer (didn't work) ..and they gave him the captaincy and he's taking them to the championship, although Hull might give them an out.

[Philby]

Let me just say that I agree that Owen has, with the benefit of 20:20 hindsight, been proven to be largely a waste of money at Newcastle

BUT

I think you are very much overstating it to label him the biggest waste of money ever.

AND

Injury was the main obstacle that prevented Owen delivering some semblance of value for money.

There's little difference in the sums of money, ..but seeing that the money spent was of little significance to Chelsea makes Owen's the bigger waste overall.

I haven't done the sums but I'd say there's probably a fair few million of a difference in the outlay for the two players (I'd imagine that Chelsea are still footing the bulk of his bloated wages while at Milan)...putting that aside anyway...

...You're meandering off the point here to suit your argument.

How much the money was "of significance" to either side is not the point under discussion.

You may as well bring in the relative cost of capital at both clubs or the cost of living in the two cities.

16, plus 20 million in wages (minus 1 million back from the FA) for no decent run in the team is a disaster for Newcastle.

It's up there with Kluivert in buying a name who doesn't really want to be there. ...and is a negative.

Owen (£16m) averaged a goal every 2.55 games despite many of those games coming while nursing his way back from a number of big injuries

Shevchenko (£30m) averaged a goal every 8.77 games.

Those stats tell their own story.

Shevchenko lost out at Chelsea because someone else was doing the business (Drogba) and they played only one up front. Chelsea were still performing. ..Newcastle tried to embarrass Owen into extending his contract last summer (didn't work)

Shevchenko was given more than enough opportunity to make his mark at Chelsea and massively failed to do so.

Bringing Drogba into this only serves to cloud the issue.

Shevchenko has even managed to partly tarnish his considerable legacy at Milan on his 2nd spell there by failing to hit the net in 17 Serie A appearances this year.

..and they gave him the captaincy and he's taking them to the championship, although Hull might give them an out.

Given that he has again largely failed to feature this year due to injury I wouldn't hang the blame for their immiment relegation on his head but choosing him as captain ahead of Nicky Butt is a case in point to illustrate the mismanagement on a massive scale at that joke of a club.

[STEVIEG]

Ultimately wasted his career IMO, considering his talents

Bad luck with injuries but he peaked very early and didn't live up to his promise (like Robbie Fowler, Gazza and many more)

[xvis]

How much the money was "of significance" to either side is not the point under discussion.

You may as well bring in the relative cost of capital at both clubs or the cost of living in the two cities.

It's still relevant.


If a billionaire spends £10,000 on a toothbrush, ..or a widow with 10 kids and a blind dog spends £10,000 on a gold toothbrush.

I'd classify the latter as the bigger waste.


That capital is significant to Newcastle and they got little return. It's been a huge waste of Newcastle's resources. ..whereas Abromovich was more than delighted to be giving cash away ...there's been similar blown on Crespo and Mutu but the money wasn't a factor to the owner.


Injuries are all part of the game, Owen is notoriously injury prone with hamstring problems going back to the Liverpool days.

[raZor]

There's little difference in the sums of money, ..but seeing that the money spent was of little significance to Chelsea makes Owen's the bigger waste overall.

16, plus 20 million in wages (minus 1 million back from the FA) for no decent run in the team is a disaster for Newcastle.

It's up there with Kluivert in buying a name who doesn't really want to be there. ...and is a negative.

Shevchenko lost out at Chelsea because someone else was doing the business (Drogba) and they played only one up front. Chelsea were still performing. ..Newcastle tried to embarrass Owen into extending his contract last summer (didn't work) ..and they gave him the captaincy and he's taking them to the championship, although Hull might give them an out.

They didnt buy Kluivert though it was a loan move.

[gozzy]

Owen has glass legs and needs the ball served on a plate even more than Berbatov.

[Philby]

It's still relevant.

If a billionaire spends £10,000 on a toothbrush, ..or a widow with 10 kids and a blind dog spends £10,000 on a gold toothbrush.

I'd classify the latter as the bigger waste.

That capital is significant to Newcastle and they got little return. It's been a huge waste of Newcastle's resources. ..whereas Abromovich was more than delighted to be giving cash away ...there's been similar blown on Crespo and Mutu but the money wasn't a factor to the owner.

You only introduced the club's budget as a factor as it suited your flawed argument (Sheva was considerably worse value than any player I've ever been aware of....Full Stop!)

What arbitrary, "finger in the air" transfer budget weighting did you apply to each of these 2 transfers to reach your decision?

Have you given a thought to what applying a similar logic would mean when analysing the transfers of smaller clubs, for example:

- Marlet to Fulham (£11.5m in 2001)

Given the size of transfer vs size of club debate this

Even Jeffers to Arsenal (£8m in 2001) would merit consideration given his meagre goal return.

...or even transfers on a far bigger scale which have gone tits up...

- Lentini to AC Milan (..a world record £13m back in 1992)
- Denilson to Real Betis (..again a world record of £21.5m back in 1998)

Owen went for £16m when the transfer record was a whopping £46m.

Do you think that if you asked Milan and Betis about the value for money they got from the two players above that they'd be speaking in glowing terms?

Injuries are all part of the game, Owen is notoriously injury prone with hamstring problems going back to the Liverpool days.

If Newcastle had a crystal ball and could've foreseen Owen's most recent spate of serious injuries of course they wouldn't have bought him.

Owen's long-running hamstring injuries were largely behind him by the time he left Liverpool (...has he even had a hamstring absence since then?)

The more serious ones (esp. cruciate & metatarsal) were new and unrelated injuries and you'd have needed a crystal ball to have foreseen them.

That said, what injury problems he did have didn't stop his highly impressive feats of scoring from 1997 to 2005...picking up a european player of the year award along the way...did they?

[Philby]

Ultimately wasted his career IMO, considering his talents

Bad luck with injuries but he peaked very early and didn't live up to his promise (like Robbie Fowler, Gazza and many more)

Due to the fact that his game was largely built around his explosive pace it was always likely that he would deteriorate once that pace started to go, the injuries just hastened that deterioration.

He still managed to be a top player & fine goalscorer in the premiership & la liga for ~10 years, scored close to a goal every 2nd game for England and picked up a European Player of the Year award.

It's fair to say that his two transfer choices proved to be ill-fated but he did deliver to the highest standard at the highest level for quite a few years don't forget.

[Youghal Exile]

The 01 fa cup final was his finest moment.

[xvis]

You only introduced the club's budget as a factor as it suited your flawed argument (Sheva was considerably worse value than any player I've ever been aware of....Full Stop!)

What arbitrary, "finger in the air" transfer budget weighting did you apply to each of these 2 transfers to reach your decision?

Have you given a thought to what applying a similar logic would mean when analysing the transfers of smaller clubs, for example:

- Marlet to Fulham (£11.5m in 2001)

Given the size of transfer vs size of club debate this

Even Jeffers to Arsenal (£8m in 2001) would merit consideration given his meagre goal return.

...or even transfers on a far bigger scale which have gone tits up...

- Lentini to AC Milan (..a world record £13m back in 1992)
- Denilson to Real Betis (..again a world record of £21.5m back in 1998)

Owen went for £16m when the transfer record was a whopping £46m.

Do you think that if you asked Milan and Betis about the value for money they got from the two players above that they'd be speaking in glowing terms?



If Newcastle had a crystal ball and could've foreseen Owen's most recent spate of serious injuries of course they wouldn't have bought him.

Owen's long-running hamstring injuries were largely behind him by the time he left Liverpool (...has he even had a hamstring absence since then?)

The more serious ones (esp. cruciate & metatarsal) were new and unrelated injuries and you'd have needed a crystal ball to have foreseen them.

That said, what injury problems he did have didn't stop his highly impressive feats of scoring from 1997 to 2005...picking up a european player of the year award along the way...did they?

Jesus...


Yawn. life's too short to read that.


Newcastle's expenditure on Owen is the worst value expenditure in football, IMO.


..you think Shevchenko. fine.

[Philby]

Your defence of your viewpoint is verging on the Toon Army-esque!

[STEVIEG]

Due to the fact that his game was largely built around his explosive pace it was always likely that he would deteriorate once that pace started to go, the injuries just hastened that deterioration.

He still managed to be a top player & fine goalscorer in the premiership & la liga for ~10 years, scored close to a goal every 2nd game for England and picked up a European Player of the Year award.

It's fair to say that his two transfer choices proved to be ill-fated but he did deliver to the highest standard at the highest level for quite a few years don't forget.

As i said, he fell short of expectations and potential like Fowler and Gazza


no matter how anyone wants to dress it up

[xvis]

Your defence of your viewpoint is verging on the Toon Army-esque!

well, there was too many 'ifs' in your post.


...when it comes down to 'ifs' there's not really a point, as it becomes opinion and subjective.


..nothing wrong with opinions mind..

[shamoverhere]

There's no doubt he is a shadow of the player he once was.

apart from the overwhelmingly obvious, is there something you actually have to say on this subject that might surprise or entertain us?
Just curious.

[Philby]

well, there was too many 'ifs' in your post.


...when it comes down to 'ifs' there's not really a point, as it becomes opinion and subjective.


..nothing wrong with opinions mind..

You were of the opinion that Owen was a bigger waste than Shevchenko (and of all time!) despite the facts that

- Owen cost less
- Owen scored considerably more
- Owen's contribution was limited by injury, not because he didn't cut the mustard (Shevchenko)

To try to back up this odd view you decided to bring in the red herring of how much the money was "of significance" to either side.

I highlighted that not only was this not of any real significance but the knock-on effect would mean that the likes of Stoke lashing out £5.5m on Kitson would, in relative terms, be seen as even more of a waste (given their scarce resources)

I then highlighted two examples of world record transfers (Lentini & Denilson) which drawf Owen's deal and were every bit as much of a tits up.

There's very little subjective in there.

How you can still maintain that Owen was the biggest waste of money ever (26 goals in 69 appearances despite crippling injuries) in the face of that evidence is beyond me and loses you a lot of credibility in my eyes...which I know will keep you up late at night ;-)

[Swoosh]

You were of the opinion that Owen was a bigger waste than Shevchenko (and of all time!) despite the facts that

- Owen cost less
- Owen scored considerably more
- Owen's contribution was limited by injury, not because he didn't cut the mustard (Shevchenko)

To try to back up this odd view you decided to bring in the red herring of how much the money was "of significance" to either side.

I highlighted that not only was this not of any real significance but the knock-on effect would mean that the likes of Stoke lashing out £5.5m on Kitson would, in relative terms, be seen as even more of a waste (given their scarce resources)

I then highlighted two examples of world record transfers (Lentini & Denilson) which drawf Owen's deal and were every bit as much of a tits up.

There's very little subjective in there.

How you can still maintain that Owen was the biggest waste of money ever (26 goals in 69 appearances despite crippling injuries) in the face of that evidence is beyond me and loses you a lot of credibility in my eyes...which I know will keep you up late at night ;-)


Philby you've pwned xvis so often why do you keep bothering??

[xvis]

..in my opinion the worst waste of a loads of cash in football history. And that includes Shevchenko at Chelsea.

Again, ..from the beginning it was my opinion.


Lots of others have been a waste of money, but to my mind it was clear in advance of the deal that Owen going to Newcastle was only going to be a stopgap move for him. With his inflated salary acting as compensation in playing for a poor club (as per Kluivert).
It was also known before the deal that Owen had trouble with injuries.

What's his salary been at Newcastle? ..6 million a year or thereabouts. ..A ridiculous waste for that club.


There's only been 2 seasons in the last 10 years where Owen hasn't missed
at least a quarter of the season.

These circumstances in advance of the deal make it for me the bigger waste.

How this can be compared to Lentini who had a car crash after his transfer, I don't know.


Denilson - granted. It's up there.

Some of the other transfers you've mentioned don't have the anywhere near the salary of Owen. ..the likes of Marlet, Jeffers etc. Their deals would be around the 40k mark, or £2m/year.


The whole Owen package is £40m to Newcastle. ...for a player more interested in horses and other hobbies than turning up on the pitch.

He's practically semi-retired since the move.

[xvis]

..the dealbreaker in the Owen contract with Newcastle is that if you're going to pay someone £6m a year, it might be wise to get some better value for money out of them by asking them to move to the city as some sign of commitment to the football club, instead of letting them fly in whenever they feel like it, like a part-timer.

This flying around all week, every week may have contributed to his numerous muscular injuries.

..In fairness to the likes of Lentini, Shevchenko and Jeffers, ..at least they showed some commitment by moving in.

When Owen has a setup like that with Newcastle, then the club is already the lesser party in the contract. ..ditto for Keane at Sunderland, he didn't make the full commitment by moving his family in, and then criticised players for not wanting to move to Sunderland ..he played Quinn for a sucker.


Not too mind that Owen's contract also included numerous of escape clauses.


What impressed me about Tevez last week was his commitment to a dangerous 45-55 ball with Almunia, ..his commitment hasn't wavered with the lack of a contract coming from United. His attitude has been superb. If he picked up a serious knee injury last week then his income is in doubt when he's a free agent next month.

..would Michael Owen take a similar risk in the next few weeks? ..I doubt it. He already has a record of pulling out of games at the end of the season for Newcastle. And it might explain why he was on the bench last week, ..3 more games and he's off somewhere else anyway.


..a very poorly structured deal for Newcastle. Owen wasn't fully commited.

[Edmund Blackwater]

it would appear that no-one on this thread has ever heard of Nani.
Or hargreaves, while we're at it.

[xvis]

Next year is Nani's year.




Apparently.

...according to Alex anyway.

[Edmund Blackwater]

Next year is Nani's year.




Apparently.

...according to Alex anyway.
at sporting, maybe.

[mightyquark]

If Owen was a horse he would be shot

[Philby]

You were of the opinion that Owen was a bigger waste than Shevchenko (and of all time!) despite the facts that

- Owen cost less
- Owen scored considerably more
- Owen's contribution was limited by injury, not because he didn't cut the mustard (Shevchenko)

How you can still maintain that Owen was the biggest waste of money ever (26 goals in 69 appearances despite crippling injuries) in the face of that evidence is beyond me and loses you a lot of credibility in my eyes...which I know will keep you up late at night ;-)

Shevchenko has been such a waste of money that Chelsea are rumoured to be planning on paying up the final year of his contract (£7m) just so that he'll stay away from the club!

Give up the ghost fella.

Chelsea flop Andriy Shevchenko handed £7m to stay away from Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are ready to write off more than £7million by paying up the final year of Andriy Shevchenko's contract.
The Ukraine striker is supposed to go back to Stamford Bridge this summer after a miserable loan spell at AC Milan.
But Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich recognises the negative impact the 32-year-old's return would have on the dressing room and is instead prepared to pay what remains of his original four-year deal.

For all the success Shevchenko enjoyed prior to joining Chelsea - he won the Ballon d'Or and the Champions League while with Milan - he represents one of the worst buys of the Abramovich era.

In addition to the record-breaking £30million transfer fee, there was a contract worth £140,000 a week, Abramovich's admiration for Shevchenko colouring his judgment when the evidence suggested that, at 29, his powers were diminishing.

He was never thought to have been Jose Mourinho's choice in May 2006, but simply a hero of the club's Russian billionaire.
Shevchenko started well enough, scoring in the Community Shield against Liverpool. But 22 goals in 75 appearances over the two seasons he spent with the club hardly represented a decent return when he so rarely, if ever, performed to the level he achieved in Italy.

Shevchenko's future remains uncertain. He has managed just two goals in 26 appearances for Milan this season and did not even make Ukraine's starting line-up when they met England at Wembley.

The MLS in America is now thought to be his most likely destination


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/05/08/article-0-04DD4CA5000005DC-964_468x335.jpg

[ho chi feen]

Owen's style is an irrelevancy in the modern game, injuries or no. It's no coincidence that most of the teams he's played for have been reduced to playing brutal football just to accommodate him, or that he didn't last too long at the one which refused.

[duffer31]

owen = good player 5 years ago.

owen now kept fit =12- 15 goals a season. the kept fit part is of paramount importance and imo if you can get him to reduce his wages significantly is worth 5 million.

that is all.

[jimmy magee]

It's not Owen's fault NUFC are an shambles of an enterprise, laden down with a motley crew of half-assed, high-paid mercenaries: a sinking mess of an outfit. Fucking wasters and a half!!

I reckon he'd still do a job at the right club though. You don't just lose instinct and goalmouth awareness... he just needs the right biys around him.

Then again Owen doesn't give a flying fuck about the futbol, horses is his true love...http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:9I4A8gm D0IQseM:http://www.racehorseowners. net/images/club_gallery/1owenyard300.jpg
He yearns for the peaceful life, for the sounds of trampling hoof, for the earthly aromas of the Cambrian countryside.

[STEVIEG]

The first sentence is a blatant contradiction

as you have implied yourself with the second last one

[jimmy magee]

whoops

So ya, Newcastle should have concentrated on shoring up their team instead of looking to an injury-prone horse-lover for the answers.

[STEVIEG]

true true

:)

[kevinbitzz]

Great player,

However on the plus side, next season his goals per games ratio will (should) be sky high

[STEVIEG]

If he isn't up for the fight in the Premiership he defo won't be hanging around in the Championship

His next move could save his career needs the right team and manager

[Rebelred]

If he isn't up for the fight in the Premiership he defo won't be hanging around in the Championship

His next move could save his career needs the right team and manager

a couple of years in Scotland banging in goals for fun?

[kevinbitzz]

If he isn't up for the fight in the Premiership he defo won't be hanging around in the Championship

His next move could save his career needs the right team and manager

True, but not may teams could afford his wages methinks, even if he takes a big cut it would still be above most clubs,

Man City maybe if he stays in England,

[STEVIEG]

It's a hard one really seeing as he earns so much

I reckon a slower league abroad would be great but i suspect he wants to stay in England

[STEVIEG]

True, but not may teams could afford his wages methinks, even if he takes a big cut it would still be above most clubs,

Man City maybe if he stays in England,

snap


Just said a similar thing

Man City is a possibility actually and could afford to rotate him

[mightyquark]

snap


Just said a similar thing

Man City is a possibility actually and could afford to rotate him

Good point Stevie..he has played most of the season with his back to the goal.

[MonTheHoops]

Celtic have supposedly offered him a deal :rolleyes:

[ho chi feen]

Owen's style is an irrelevancy in the modern game, injuries or no. It's no coincidence that most of the teams he's played for have been reduced to playing brutal football just to accommodate him, or that he didn't last too long at the one which refused.

Just to add... not that anyone's pulled me up on it, or anything...

When I say he's an irrelevancy, I mean the game at the highest level has moved on in the last 5 or so years to the point where a top team can no longer carry a player like Owen. His game's not rounded enough, and the entire team has to be set up to play to his strengths. The fact that he's lost his greatest asset, that blistering pace compounds this.

Away from the very highest level of team, and *if* he could stay fit, of course he could still thrive. A mid-table Prem side, even Celtic (sorry MON, no offence intended)... he could do a grand job there. But these days, I think even the likes of Everton and Villa couldn't afford to accomodate hime.

[MonTheHoops]

Just to add... not that anyone's pulled me up on it, or anything...

When I say he's an irrelevancy, I mean the game at the highest level has moved on in the last 5 or so years to the point where a top team can no longer carry a player like Owen. His game's not rounded enough, and the entire team has to be set up to play to his strengths. The fact that he's lost his greatest asset, that blistering pace compounds this.

Away from the very highest level of team, and *if* he could stay fit, of course he could still thrive. A mid-table Prem side, even Celtic (sorry MON, no offence intended)... he could do a grand job there. But these days, I think even the likes of Everton and Villa couldn't afford to accomodate hime.

None taken, that is Celtic's current level, if even.

[buds]

Owen for Ipswich haha

[MonTheHoops]

From the Guardian podcast

"Who does a club think they are signing when the sign Owen? Their impressions are based on World Cup memories. It's like signing Bobby Charlton."

[jimmy magee]

Man City is a possibility actually and could afford to rotate him
Good point Stevie..he has played most of the season with his back to the goal. :bday:

Just to add... not that anyone's pulled me up on it, or anything...

When I say he's an irrelevancy, I mean the game at the highest level has moved on in the last 5 or so years to the point where a top team can no longer carry a player like Owen. His game's not rounded enough, and the entire team has to be set up to play to his strengths. The fact that he's lost his greatest asset, that blistering pace compounds this.


I woudn't like to imagine the modern game having no place for specialist players...that's disgusting thinking. Inzaghi comes to mind, an out-and-out goal-facing spring chicken at the tender age of thirty-five.
Then again, poachers aren't healthy for any stock of game, as nature conservationalists will tell you :bday:

It's a hard one really seeing as he earns so much

I reckon a slower league abroad would be great but i suspect he wants to stay in England

This is it. I'd say Owen won't leave his beloved Britain again. You think the cunt would take a pay-cut, and he with his fingers in many's the money-making pie.

[ho chi feen]

:bday:



I woudn't like to imagine the modern game having no place for specialist players...that's disgusting thinking. Inzaghi comes to mind, an out-and-out goal-facing spring chicken at the tender age of thirty-five.
Then again, poachers aren't healthy for any stock of game, as nature conservationalists will tell you :bday:



This is it. I'd say Owen won't leave his beloved Britain again. You think the cunt would take a pay-cut, and he with his fingers in many's the money-making pie.

I actually though about the whole AC/Owen thing the other day, but here's the rub... who'd have ever thought that it would come to the day where Inzaghi at 35 looks a far better player than a 29 year old Michael Owen?

The simple fact is that Inzaghi is a much better finisher than Owen. Not saying that Owen's a bad finisher, but with his pace stripped away he's got no edge over born-offside one. Inzaghi as a pure finisher has few equals.

[MonTheHoops]

Half of Owen's problem is, imo, him being too focussed on his England career before his club career. I imagine he thinks he's not in the England setup because he's at Newcastle, rather than concentrating on how he's doing at Newcastle. If £110k a week can;t motivate him, God help the next club he ends up at.

[ho chi feen]

Half of Owen's problem is, imo, him being too focussed on his England career before his club career. I imagine he thinks he's not in the England setup because he's at Newcastle, rather than concentrating on how he's doing at Newcastle. If £110k a week can;t motivate him, God help the next club he ends up at.

Yup, and he'd be wrong. He's not there because he's not good enough, and certainly not good enough to build a team round. And more than that, with his injuries he couldn't be relied on even if he was.

Capello isn't going to be interested in him no matter who he plays for, he should focus on doing his best for his current club.

[MonTheHoops]

I was looking for this. What a cock.

WqOxNspUPyE

[Langer Dan]

Y
- Lentini to AC Milan (..a world record £13m back in 1992)
- ?

To be fair, nearly being killed in a car crash will affect your game.

[Langer Dan]

I was looking for this. What a cock.



Absolutely.

Owen is a massive twat.

[xvis]

****

Three previous owners, injury prone, one-paced... Desperate Owen sends brochure to prospective buyers




Michael Owen’s representatives, the Wasserman Media Group, have produced a 34-page brochure in order to find Michael Owen a new club.

In the document, Wasserman Media Group claim: "Were it not for an unhappy spell at Real Madrid and two injury-scarred years at Newcastle, he would be spoken about in the same breath as Torres and Ronaldo and valued in the priceless figures that only match-winning goalscorers ever justify."

Owen is out of contract on June 30 and will be available on a free transfer after a troubled spell at Newcastle which ended in relegation to the Championship.

The brochure adds that Owen is looking to stay in the Premier League and that he "is about to make the biggest decision of his football career," and explains that the 29-year-old is "good looking" and "charismatic."

This is believed to be the first time in Premier League history that a player has produced his own prospectus to engineer a transfer. The brochure has been sent to eight top-flight clubs, including Aston Villa, Everton, Portsmouth and West Ham.

[The Zurich Connection]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqOxNspUPyE

asshole

... of the highest order.;)

[Philby]

I actually though about the whole AC/Owen thing the other day, but here's the rub... who'd have ever thought that it would come to the day where Inzaghi at 35 looks a far better player than a 29 year old Michael Owen?

Not a massive shock given Owen's injuries and the fact that Inzaghi's game is much less prone to deterioration with age.

I find the presumtion that Owen's doesn't give a sh1t about football and that he hasn't put in any effort at Newcastle a slightly odd one to be honest.

He's always been a very hard-working professional and I'd have thought it would take some resolve to keep fighting back from the catalogue of injuries which have plagued him in recent years.

The simple fact is that Inzaghi is a much better finisher than Owen. Not saying that Owen's a bad finisher, but with his pace stripped away he's got no edge over born-offside one. Inzaghi as a pure finisher has few equals.

Very much agree with this. As a finisher Owen is underrated but he's never been a truly top drawer finisher. Inzaghi is as clinical as they come.

[Philby]

****

Three previous owners, injury prone, one-paced... Desperate Owen sends brochure to prospective buyers

Michael Owen’s representatives, the Wasserman Media Group, have produced a 34-page brochure in order to find Michael Owen a new club.

In the document, Wasserman Media Group claim: "Were it not for an unhappy spell at Real Madrid and two injury-scarred years at Newcastle, he would be spoken about in the same breath as Torres and Ronaldo and valued in the priceless figures that only match-winning goalscorers ever justify."

Owen is out of contract on June 30 and will be available on a free transfer after a troubled spell at Newcastle which ended in relegation to the Championship.

The brochure adds that Owen is looking to stay in the Premier League and that he "is about to make the biggest decision of his football career," and explains that the 29-year-old is "good looking" and "charismatic."

This is believed to be the first time in Premier League history that a player has produced his own prospectus to engineer a transfer. The brochure has been sent to eight top-flight clubs, including Aston Villa, Everton, Portsmouth and West Ham.

Very cringeworthy stuff indeed and charismatic he certainly aint

[ho chi feen]

Not a massive shock given Owen's injuries and the fact that Inzaghi's game is much less prone to deterioration with age.

I find the presumtion that Owen's doesn't give a sh1t about football and that he hasn't put in any effort at Newcastle a slightly odd one to be honest.

He's always been a very hard-working professional and I'd have thought it would take some resolve to keep fighting back from the catalogue of injuries which have plagued him in recent years.



Very much agree with this. As a finisher Owen is underrated but he's never been a truly top drawer finisher. Inzaghi is as clinical as they come.

Also on that, whilst Inzaghi used to have tremendous pace at his peak, he was even more blessed by his wiles and footballing intelligence so the loss of acceleration hasn't been as problematic.

[MonTheHoops]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1194209/MICHAEL-OWEN-BROCHURE-The-complete-32-page-agents-dossier-fallen-Newcastle-star-England-striker.html


Yowsa!

[Jim Comic]

a dodgy dossier it seems

[MonTheHoops]

Some of those pics in a Toon shirt must be photoshopped.

[STEVIEG]

hope Philby got paid well for writing that dossier

[cit_gym_rat]

There's no doubt he is a shadow of the player he once was.
he had a great grand slam winning year with walse but fell away after that

[raZor]

It was the move to Saracens that ruined everything for him. ;)

[cit_gym_rat]

ryan jones seems to be going the same route now it seems

[raZor]

I'm telling you, its the curse of the Welsh captaincy!

[delzer]

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/jun2009/6/4/owen-everton-356868759.jpg

[ho chi feen]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1194209/MICHAEL-OWEN-BROCHURE-The-complete-32-page-agents-dossier-fallen-Newcastle-star-England-striker.html


Yowsa!

Jaysus H!

[MonTheHoops]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/06/19/article-1194209-0567D078000005DC-428_148x112_popup.jp g

http://i44.tinypic.com/2zhe9sl.jpg

[ho chi feen]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/06/19/article-1194209-0567D078000005DC-428_148x112_popup.jp g

http://i44.tinypic.com/2zhe9sl.jpg

Brilliant!

[STEVIEG]

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8942/hargreaves.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w170/Brad_Beckham/Ashley.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w170/Brad_Beckham/Saha.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w170/Brad_Beckham/Tevez-1.jpg

[STEVIEG]

http://f.imagehost.org/0740/12_2.jpg

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/7537/parkjisung.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5530/berbatov2.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w170/Brad_Beckham/Gerrard-1.jpg

[STEVIEG]

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/1784/ronaldohzo.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w170/Brad_Beckham/Barton.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3214/barton.jpg

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww344/davidwcdeane/RoyBrochure.jpg

[STEVIEG]

http://i43.tinypic.com/2eumtrb.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v154/kizinho/anderson.jpg

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8309/87902549.png (http://img199.imageshack.us/i/87902549.png/)

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/7724/vandersarbrandvalus. jpg

[STEVIEG]

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/7265/eddbv.jpg

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3077/nanibrandvalues.jpg

some funny ones some only okay these are from a United forum obviously enough i'm sure there are other good ones

[Jim Comic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/8113312.stm

[AmadeusDC]

What a fall from grace! If I was him I'd try to at least find a good team in Spain/Italy/France or Germany before going to one of the Premier Leagues lower tier teams. The likes of Man City, Villa, Tottenham and Everton would be just about acceptable but anything else is almost wrong. If he doesn't take a huge pay cut he isn't going to find a team but if he agrees to a pay for play or performance based contract he would still surely have a good few options. Sad demise......

[wayne gayle]

Thinks he is too good for The Championship eh? Who the fuck does he think he is? His strike rate indicates that he is no longer a striker of Premiership class, I'd say The Championship is about his level.

[AmadeusDC]

Ahh stop it will ya..... he is past his best but he is definitely still Premiership level.

-AmadeusDC-

[steve sanders]

he just needs to take the pay cut. i reckon everton would take him on with the right package.

one good season on low basic salary and top ups for pay as you play or whatever and he can start again next year. however i'd say he'll go for the 'big pay at rubbish club' option instead.

[AmadeusDC]

he just needs to take the pay cut. i reckon everton would take him on with the right package.

one good season on low basic salary and top ups for pay as you play or whatever and he can start again next year. however i'd say he'll go for the 'big pay at rubbish club' option instead.

I think low pay and big incentives might work for him this year just because it is a World Cup year. Right now he is a mile off the England squad but if he hit any sort of decent form from the get go he could be back in the picture by November. The right club is crucial. If he goes to someone like Hull then he is fucked IMO.

-AmadeusDC-

[Philby]

Even with his injury record, big clubs are foolish to write off Michael OwenThe only people lacking bottle – or indeed marbles - are those within English football who cannot see the bargain Michael Owen represents

Just when Michael Owen thinks life can't get any worse along comes a smart Alec in the Guardian comparing him to Barry Bonds, the sullen, unpopular and largely discredited baseball slugger who is currently awaiting trial on charges of lying to a jury about his alleged use of steroids. The parallels, it should be acknowledged, are not immediately obvious.

But before Owen's lawyers get in touch I would urge them to ask themselves this: are there two athletes around today who have been so unfairly ostracised by their sport, victimised more because of the herd-like mentality of those in charge than because of their perceived failings?

Let's take Bonds, who at 44 still looks fit enough to play baseball and is desperate to do so. Yet it has been almost two years since he has swung a bat in anger. Apparently, he is no longer good enough for any team, which must come as quite a shock to fans of, say, the 2009 Washington Nationals, who make 2007 Derby County look like 1999 Manchester United.

No one who knows anything about baseball believes that Bonds could not do a job for a major league baseball team; no-one except those who run the 30 MLB teams. The response of the Major League Baseball Players Association has been to file a grievance on Bonds' behalf, arguing there has been collusion between the owners to keep the slugger out of the game.

Unfortunately for Owen the Darwinian marketplace of top-class English footballers holds no truck with fopperies such as grievance procedures. You are on your own here, mate. The England centre-forward has come to the end of his contract with Newcastle United and, like anyone else who finds themselves in that position, he is casting around for a new job.

This he, or at least his agent, has done with a refreshing lack of ego, which might sound like a strange thing to say of a campaign which has as its centrepiece a 32-page glossy brochure. Yet this is how things are done these days. It's called marketing.

Needless to say, this has been brushed aside in the rush to make fun of the brochure and of Owen, who has been portrayed as Yosser Hughes with more money than sense. There are a couple of things to say about this, one of which is to make the, admittedly unoriginal, point that we in this country take an ugly delight in seeing successful and famous people torn down and it is one of our least endearing national characteristics. In the case of Owen the glee has been heightened by the news the only clubs so far indicating an interest in signing him are Hull City and Stoke City, two of the supposedly "unglamorous" members of the Premier League fraternity.

What constitutes "glamour" and its usefulness when it comes to stopping Fernando Torres are questions for another day, but for today there can be no arguments over what Tony Pulis had to say when declaring his interest yesterday in signing the England international for Stoke. "He has had his fitness problems and they've been well publicised, but if you've got a fit Michael Owen then you've still got one hell of a player on your hands."

Not for the first time, Pulis has shown himself refreshingly unwilling to follow the herd, the likes of Wigan chairman Dave Whelan who questioned Owen's "bottle" the other day. Even by Whelan's low standards, this is silly. Owen has played successfully at the very highest level for more than a decade.

The idea that he doesn't have "bottle" is ridiculous, although not quite as ridiculous as the notion that he, like Bonds, isn't capable of playing at the very highest level. Given his injury problems, he wouldn't command a fee anywhere near to the £17.5 million Liverpool have just paid for Glen Johnson but as a free agent Owen's transfer fee has already been set; it's nothing.

His wages won't be nothing, of course, but nor will they be anywhere near what they were in the past. These are the news realities facing the former golden boy of the English football. That he appears, in his public utterances, to have accepted as much says a great deal about his character and ambition.

It also suggests the only people lacking bottle – or indeed marbles - are those within English football who cannot see the bargain he represents.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/jun/25/michael-owen-barry-bonds-lawrence-donegan

[STEVIEG]

Great article

I'd say they will be queing up to sign him after reading that

Sure what's 80K a week anyway?

lol

[Sound]

If he wants a decent club that badly he should propose a pay as you play deal off his own back.

[STEVIEG]

If he wants a decent club that badly he should propose a pay as you play deal off his own back.

In a nutshell

Apparently he won't but if he does then we are talking about a good gamble

[AmadeusDC]

Great article

I'd say they will be queing up to sign him after reading that

Sure what's 80K a week anyway?

lol

What has Rosicky earned at Arsenal and how much did he cost them before his wages? I know which one I'd rather have around when they are both occasionally fit. The Owen bashing has gone too far. He's a top notch player when fit. If he is actually willing to take a pay as you play contract then he needs to be aiming for far bigger clubs that Hull or Stoke.

-AmadeusDC-

[STEVIEG]

all the UK papers are on it it would have to be some medical i'd say

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jul/02/michael-owen-manchester-united-transfer

http://www.independent.co.u k/sport/football/transfers/owen-set-for-united-move-in-shock-of-the-summer-1729588.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8131801.stm

[zimmerman]

Ronaldo & Tevez to owen and macheda.

could be a long season for sir alex

[Rebelred]

all the UK papers are on it it would have to be some medical i'd say

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jul/02/michael-owen-manchester-united-transfer

http://www.independent.co.u k/sport/football/transfers/owen-set-for-united-move-in-shock-of-the-summer-1729588.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8131801.stm
Maybe he's going buying horses with Fergie???
This will be where United medical staff earn their wages if its true

[five eight job]

kkep him fit and play him and he is a banker for 15 goals. thats the most could be expected. hes costing only wages so why not from utd's point of view.....

[Barry K O Bama]

Ronaldo & Tevez to owen and macheda.

could be a long season for sir alex

You are right - It looks like United will have difficulties next season.
Ronaldo is an extraordinary talent - probably the best winger and centre forward in the P/ship. He is practically irreplacable.

It would be bad enough to lose him but its a double whammy that Real have kept spending and blown the transfer market out of the water. To add to the difficulties - just when the Russian Crook stops the crazy spending at Chelsea - the rag heads arrive at Eastlands and take up the baton.

There is no point in United getting €95 m for Ronaldo and blowing most of it in an inferior player like Ribery so its better to stay out of the market for now. Owen might be a reasonable stop gap solution

Fergie has great faith in Macheda and Wellbeck - he defied all the critics in 1995 by replacing Hughes, Ince and Kanchelskis with young players and may do so again.

[Sound]

Great article

I'd say they will be queing up to sign him after reading that

Sure what's 80K a week anyway?

lol

This could be a rich day for a bit of bumping.

[POL]

heh heh heh

[STEVIEG]

This could be a rich day for a bit of bumping.

20K a week is being mentioned now

and i'd be still wary there is always the chance it might work

[Swoosh]

Wont Owen impede the likes of Macheda and Welbeck getting games though?

[Lapsy Pa]

In hindsight wouldn't they have been better off keeping Rossi, seeing how well he has developed.

Scored some crackers for the azzuri in the confed cup and is doing well for Villarreal as well. At this stage of their respective careers surely he'd be a better option then owen.

As I said hindsight.........

[STEVIEG]

Wont Owen impede the likes of Macheda and Welbeck getting games though?

Maybe

They can cast him away whenever without major loss if he joins

They won't be faced with having to play like a 30 million player (eg Berbatov)

Uniteds players will get plenty of chances upfront

They squad needs one or two more

[STEVIEG]

In hindsight wouldn't they have been better off keeping Rossi, seeing how well he has developed.
.

Yup

Superior player at this stage IMO

He has developed by getting first team football though

United had leagues to win and i doubt Rossi was the man to lead the line

[Up For The Ba]

Ronaldo & Tevez to owen and macheda.

could be a long season for sir alex

Stupid comment.

Take Ronaldo out of it. Now draw a comparison to Owen & Tevez.....if its pay as you play, no risk at all and we all know he`s more prolific than Tevez. This is a bit of a weird one all the same but it could prove very beneficial.

[Del]

Has anyone seen Wellbeck play for the reserves? I've seen him play a few games for the first team but he doesn't seem to be top class to me. Is he highly rated at OT?

[Up For The Ba]

Has anyone seen Wellbeck play for the reserves? I've seen him play a few games for the first team but he doesn't seem to be top class to me. Is he highly rated at OT?

I dont think he`s United standard in the long run.

[Rebelred]

Yup

Superior player at this stage IMO

He has developed by getting first team football though

United had leagues to win and i doubt Rossi was the man to lead the line

isn't there a buy back clause there on Rossi?

[steve sanders]

You are right - It looks like United will have difficulties next season.
Ronaldo is an extraordinary talent - probably the best winger and centre forward in the P/ship. He is practically irreplacable.

It would be bad enough to lose him but its a double whammy that Real have kept spending and blown the transfer market out of the water. To add to the difficulties - just when the Russian Crook stops the crazy spending at Chelsea - the rag heads arrive at Eastlands and take up the baton.

There is no point in United getting €95 m for Ronaldo and blowing most of it in an inferior player like Ribery so its better to stay out of the market for now. Owen might be a reasonable stop gap solution

Fergie has great faith in Macheda and Wellbeck - he defied all the critics in 1995 by replacing Hughes, Ince and Kanchelskis with young players and may do so again.

that's plain racist yo.

[Barry K O Bama]

Has anyone seen Wellbeck play for the reserves? I've seen him play a few games for the first team but he doesn't seem to be top class to me. Is he highly rated at OT?


Sir Alex rates him very highly. I read in an article in Sun Times a few months ago that Sir Alex suggested that he would be in the England Squad next season.

Might have been a bit tongue in cheek but its a definate sign that Sir Alex thinks he will make the grade.

I remember a few years ago before Ronaldo made the first team - Sir Alex said that two young players at OT that would make it were Ronaldo and Fletcher.
Sir Alex has to be one of the best judges so if he rates Wellbeck then its a pretty sure bet that the guy will play play for England one day.

[a honest mistake]

Owen is great business for united,

Sure he will not play every game but the look on the Liverpools fans faces when he scores against them will make him priceless.

http://www.thesoccerblog.or g/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/michael-owen-liverpool.jpg

[Haalands Dodgy Leg]

apparently part one of medical done in london yesterday and is now at carrington.

Hate the little prick but united have nothing to lose on this.

[xvis]

That's the 80 million gone right there on medical fees and a helipad at Old Trafford.


This move if it happens is just wrong... are United fans supposed to rejoice when this tubby arsed midget pokes one in?


..in one sense Wellbeck and Macheda will play no more than about 10 games next season, ..so a senior player who is a bit injury prone could be just the job..


No. It's just wrong.

[POL]

That's the 80 million gone right there on medical fees and a helipad at Old Trafford.


This move if it happens is just wrong... are United fans supposed to rejoice when this tubby arsed midget pokes one in?


..in one sense Wellbeck and Macheda will play no more than about 10 games next season, ..so a senior player who is a bit injury prone could be just the job..


No. It's just wrong.

30YW3wgRvyI

[ANVIL]

It kinds smacks of desperation to me.
On both sides.

[REMIMUFC]

30YW3wgRvyI

shiiiitttttttttttttt ttttttttttt

[STEVIEG]

isn't there a buy back clause there on Rossi?

don't think it really exists

[REMIMUFC]

don't think it really exists

rossis not good enough to return ffs

[POL]

don't think it really exists

sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeettte

[Up For The Ba]

I remember a few years ago before Ronaldo made the first team - Sir Alex said that two young players at OT that would make it were Ronaldo and Fletcher.


????????? Its not as if Ronaldo was ever part of an academy set up with United. His signing was quite high profile for a teenager and anybody could see his potential from the first moment he played against Bolton.

As for Welbeck...I have my doubts, he is a very awkward looking player IMO.

[Lapsy Pa]

It can go two ways.

1. He'll score 10-15 goals pick up a couple of trophies, start the carling cup final, come off the bench in the CL a few times and be the last name that capello calls out when naming his WC squad. Both ferguson and owen come out smelling like roses

2. Never regains the fitness levels that ferguson requires, breaks down in october/november, Ferguson fails to flog him in january and is stuck with him until the summer. No WC for owen and thay both go their separate ways with ferguson mumbling under his breathe "useless bastard" and owen hopping into a helicopter to catch the 3.45 in Newmarket

They are both inextricably linked in this.

[STEVIEG]

rossis not good enough to return ffs

I did not say he should return

Italy and Spain suits him better

[STEVIEG]

It can go two ways.

1. He'll score 10-15 goals pick up a couple of trophies, start the carling cup final, come off the bench in the CL a few times and be the last name that capello calls out when naming his WC squad. Both ferguson and owen come out smelling like roses

2. Never regains the fitness levels that ferguson requires, breaks down in october/november, Ferguson fails to flog him in january and is stuck with him until the summer. No WC for owen and thay both go their separate ways with ferguson mumbling under his breathe "useless bastard" and owen hopping into a helicopter to catch the 3.45 in Newmarket



yup

I'd say the contract will have United well covered for scenario B though

[REMIMUFC]

I did not say he should return

Italy and Spain suits him better

true hes good but not good enough for utd

[Sound]

If Pool fans know one thing about Owen it is that he needs a run of games to retain any type of sharpness. This idea of him springing from the bench to weigh in is pretty fanciful.

[steve sanders]

yup

I'd say the contract will have United well covered for scenario B though

united are no fools. there's very little risk on their part. if he passes the medical (that's still a big IF i would think) owen will be hugely motivated. with the amount of chances united create, he'll scores goals. it's that simple.

it'll also be good for the younger strikers in the united squad. owen comes in for a lot of criticism but he is (until recently anyway) considered the 'model pro'. he has worked very hard on his game, having never been a natural finisher in the fowler mould.

[STEVIEG]

If Pool fans know one thing about Owen it is that he needs a run of games to retain any type of sharpness. This idea of him springing from the bench to weigh in is pretty fanciful.

Agreed

I'd day Fergie, who's instincts in these things i'd trust far more than my own, sees him getting a run in the first team

They will have plenty of games after all

Interesting i suppose

we will see if it happens and how he does

I may have to eat my words on Owen but wouldn't mind having to if it did work

[five eight job]

there is no loss for utd in this. only gain. simple maths really.....

[Dapperdan]

Owen is great business for united,

Sure he will not play every game but the look on the Liverpools fans faces when he scores against them will make him priceless.

http://www.thesoccerblog.or g/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/michael-owen-liverpool.jpg

Imagine the look on there faces if hes lifting title number 19 with united next may :)

[shamoverhere]

there is no loss for utd in this. only gain. simple maths really.....

have to agree.

[3pointplay]

Well past his prime, If he was a horse he would be put down.

[Aphex]

Well past his prime, If he was a horse he would be put down.

You must feel terrible so...

[glue]

true hes good but not good enough for utd

Manchester, and the English league in general, always took the leftovers from Spain and Italy.

[xvis]

This could be a rich day for a bit of bumping.

..I'll start.


If he isn't up for the fight in the Premiership he defo won't be hanging around in the Championship

His next move could save his career needs the right team and manager

Uncanny.


I was looking for this. What a cock.

WqOxNspUPyE

This could be just the killer instinct United are looking for in front of goal.

What a pro!


***


A poacher and a lurker never seem to suit or last long at United, they always adapt their game to become more rounded, to drop a little bit deeper and to lose some of their poaching aspect. For example McClair and Andy Cole. Even Berbatov was working back a lot at the end of last year.

Robins or Soslkjaer could be compared to similar players to Owen under Ferguson. ..Robins didn't last and Solskjaer ended up on the right of midfield. So it's difficult to see where this one is going to go.

If he was just bought just to wind Rafa up, ...or if he's to be a 3rd or 4th forward with a secondary input, or if he's to play as front of a front three.



My guess is the first of those, as well as to form a part of a rotating 4 forwards in an overhaul of the attacking game. ..let's wait and see if anyone else comes in.

[five eight job]

..I'll start.




Uncanny.




This could be just the killer instinct United are looking for in front of goal.

What a pro!


***


A poacher and a lurker never seem to suit or last long at United, they always adapt their game to become more rounded, to drop a little bit deeper and to lose some of their poaching aspect. For example McClair and Andy Cole. Even Berbatov was working back a lot at the end of last year.

Robins or Soslkjaer could be compared to similar players to Owen under Ferguson. ..Robins didn't last and Solskjaer ended up on the right of midfield. So it's difficult to see where this one is going to go.

If he was just bought just to wind Rafa up, ...or if he's to be a 3rd or 4th forward with a secondary input, or if he's to play as front of a front three.



My guess is the first of those, as well as to form a part of a rotating 4 forwards in an overhaul of the attacking game. ..let's wait and see if anyone else comes in.


i cant take any of that serious due to the fact that you mentioned robins.....:)

[ho chi feen]

Still shocked by this TBH. But if the contractual details are right, I suppose it's worth a punt. If it works out he'll certainly offer something different.

[Philby]

Your trash-talking of Owen's career was the karma which kicked off this transfer Stevie!

Although he doesn't represent a large financial outlay for a club like United the amount of game time Fergie may indulge him (like he has done in the past for the likes of Veron) at the expense of others may hurt United in the long run.

I don't see him matching the impact Ince had at Anfield (most prominently teaching Redknapp how to tackle!) which is hardly the highest accolade you could sling around.

Obertan is a fine talent from what I've seen of him. Whatever the fee he could be a serious bargain if he develops in the right way.

[Up For The Ba]

Your trash-talking of Owen's career was the karma which kicked off this transfer Stevie!

Although he doesn't represent a large financial outlay for a club like United the amount of game time Fergie may indulge him (like he has done in the past for the likes of Veron) at the expense of others may hurt United in the long run.

I don't see him matching the impact Ince had at Anfield (most prominently teaching Redknapp how to tackle!) which is hardly the highest accolade you could sling around.

Obertan is a fine talent from what I've seen of him. Whatever the fee he could be a serious bargain if he develops in the right way.

Once he`s injury free he should be or more worth to United than Ince was to Liverpool, it could go either way but i think this could be the signing of the season.

On Obertan, I havent seen much of him, Blancs comments dont exactly inspire confidence though.

[Philby]

Owen is a busted flush since his body no longer lets him burn past people at will. He has some residual finishing nous and a good attitude on the pitch but signing of the season material he aint.

Wouldn't begrudge him the move one bit...largely as he's not a shadow of the player who walked out on Liverpool in a vain search for a European Cup.

Obertan looks to have a sharp football brain and a great eye for a pass. A much better use of United's resources than having a desperate punt on a guy who's peak is far behind him due to a serious catalogue of injuries

[Up For The Ba]

Owen is a busted flush since his body no longer lets him burn past people at will. He has some residual finishing nous and a good attitude on the pitch but signing of the season material he aint.

Wouldn't begrudge him the move one bit...largely as he's not a shadow of the player who walked out on Liverpool in a vain search for a European Cup.

Obertan looks to have a sharp football brain and a great eye for a pass. A much better use of United's resources than having a desperate punt on a guy who's peak is far behind him due to a serious catalogue of injuries

Time will tell I suppose, on both counts.

[xvis]

Owen is a busted flush since his body no longer lets him burn past people at will. He has some residual finishing nous and a good attitude on the pitch but signing of the season material he aint.

Wouldn't begrudge him the move one bit...largely as he's not a shadow of the player who walked out on Liverpool in a vain search for a European Cup.

Obertan looks to have a sharp football brain and a great eye for a pass. A much better use of United's resources than having a desperate punt on a guy who's peak is far behind him due to a serious catalogue of injuries

Looks to me like you're doing a 360 and then some on this one.



...a week ago I was going to put my hands up and say on reflection you were right in this thread, ..but my criticisms on Owen were to do with his contract with Newcastle and his commitment to that contract in place of any player criticisms.

I don't necessarily subscribe or agree to the Jonathan Wilson theory on his irrelevance as a player.


United would have been better off going for Huntelaar than Owen in the current circumstances.

[ho chi feen]

Looks to me like you're doing a 360 and then some on this one.



...a week ago I was going to put my hands up and say on reflection you were right in this thread, ..but my criticisms on Owen were to do with his contract with Newcastle and his commitment to that contract in place of any player criticisms.

I don't necessarily subscribe or agree to the Jonathan Wilson theory on his irrelevance as a player.


United would have been better off going for Huntelaar than Owen in the current circumstances.

I'd have two problems with him as a signing aside from the injuries.

Firstly (and I'm not sure if Jonathan Wilson had this in his theory), he does appear to be a player who needs the entire team set-up to play to his stregths... this was very much the case with Liverpool, England under Sven, and in his brief England renaissance under McClaren when Heskey was drafted back in. And he's not as good a player as he once was either.

Secondly (as Sound alluded to earlier), he has generally (whether coming back from injury, or starting seasons) looked like a player he needs a run of games under his belt to find his scoring touch.

I suppose in a sense one could point to his time at Real Madrid to rubbish the two points I've just made. He certainly didn't have the team built around him there, was in and out of the side but had a fine goals-to-minutes ratio regardless. But that must be mitigated by the fact that a sizeable chunk of his appearances came against no-hoping dross or off the bench when teams were already beaten to submission; and again, he's not the player he was back then now.

Still- I see no harm in this signing. I think it's potentially win-win for both parties, and if it doesn't work out we can cut our losses. If it does work out, then we'll have a real poacher on our hands- someone ideal to bring into the fray when a goal is needed, a quality we've lacked to a certain extent in recent years.

I'm not convinced, so we'll just have to see how it work.

[Actin The Sham]

United would have been better off going for Huntelaar than Owen in the current circumstances.

They're not finished yet......

[Haalands Dodgy Leg]

2007- giggs is past it,no pace,he should quit.2 league titles,european cup, world club cup,player of the year, and hes still here in 2009.

now owen is past it because he has lost his pace.

[xvis]

I'd have two problems with him as a signing aside from the injuries.

Firstly (and I'm not sure if Jonathan Wilson had this in his theory), he does appear to be a player who needs the entire team set-up to play to his stregths... this was very much the case with Liverpool, England under Sven, and in his brief England renaissance under McClaren when Heskey was drafted back in. And he's not as good a player as he once was either.

Secondly (as Sound alluded to earlier), he has generally (whether coming back from injury, or starting seasons) looked like a player he needs a run of games under his belt to find his scoring touch.

I suppose in a sense one could point to his time at Real Madrid to rubbish the two points I've just made. He certainly didn't have the team built around him there, was in and out of the side but had a fine goals-to-minutes ratio regardless. But that must be mitigated by the fact that a sizeable chunk of his appearances came against no-hoping dross or off the bench when teams were already beaten to submission; and again, he's not the player he was back then now.

Still- I see no harm in this signing. I think it's potentially win-win for both parties, and if it doesn't work out we can cut our losses. If it does work out, then we'll have a real poacher on our hands- someone ideal to bring into the fray when a goal is needed, a quality we've lacked to a certain extent in recent years.

I'm not convinced, so we'll just have to see how it work.

My two problems would be his injury concerns after recovering from a serious injury and the suitability of his style with the Ferguson framework.


Injuries; we'll just have to wait and see, but I wouldn't be optimistic. Once a player starts to turn to a glass frame then it's hard to reverse. And especially once a player turns the other side of 30.

The second one will depend on how United line out. ..United playing a narrow 4-3-3 (sub-divide again into 2's and 1's) with Rooney and Owen off Berbatov? ..or else with just 2 of those forwards playing in a different team formation? ..we'll have to wait and see if Owen is allocated a starting position. My guess is that it will be a mixture of the two between home and away games.




I wouldn't agree too much with Sound on needing a run to get going.

I had a quick look at Owen's scoring patterns, and I don't see too much evidence of needing a run of games to get going. (8 goals in the first 9 starts in 2002, 9 in the first 8 of 2004, and other periods of scoring straight after returning from injury.) As well as the good ratio at Real.

The only pattern I see is one to go missing in November, ..which may just be a Liverpool thing. And being productive at the business end of the season.


Nearly every writer on the Guardian has been dismissive of his role in modern formations ...with Wilson leading the charge.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/jan/22/the-question-jonathan-wilson-goalpoachers

[five eight job]

Owen is a busted flush since his body no longer lets him burn past people at will. He has some residual finishing nous and a good attitude on the pitch but signing of the season material he aint.

Wouldn't begrudge him the move one bit...largely as he's not a shadow of the player who walked out on Liverpool in a vain search for a European Cup.

Obertan looks to have a sharp football brain and a great eye for a pass. A much better use of United's resources than having a desperate punt on a guy who's peak is far behind him due to a serious catalogue of injuries

all the greats adapt coming to the end of their time though philby. they are the first to realise (long before us idiots do) that they can no longer do what they used to do and change accordingly. is owen a great one is the question and its about to be answered....