Liverpool FC Forum

[Ciggy]

No embarassment, no guilt... and no regrets
By Michael Owen
The striker will run out in front of the Kop insisting that he did not snub his old club
I CAN already sense a hubbub around my return to Anfield on Boxing Day, although knowing Alan Shearer he will probably overshadow it by breaking Jackie Milburn’s goalscoring record for Newcastle United. It is bound to be a strange day because of my long association with Liverpool, although the Kop has welcomed back plenty of old boys. I am sure they will understand that I will be 100 per cent committed to the other team.

Oddly enough, I remember a conversation with Jamie Carragher a while back when we saw a player looking downcast after scoring against his old club. I don’t think either of us could understand that and, if I score, I will celebrate as joyfully as I did at West Ham United last Saturday.

I won’t shy away or feel guilty

or embarrassed, but nor will I be running over to the Liverpool bench and sticking two fingers up. Why should I? Rafael Benítez was very decent and straightforward when I left for Real Madrid and, in August, he attempted to buy me back. Why should I hold anything against him or anyone else at Anfield?

I don’t have a short fuse but one thing guaranteed to make my blood boil is when Liverpool fans ask me why I snubbed them when I returned to England. There were no snubs on either side. The deal did not happen and both sides have got on with things.

Looking back on those mad few weeks, the one thing that no one can say about me is that I was not up front and honest. I had narrowed it down to three options and, all the way through, I made it plain exactly where they stood. As I said at the time, Liverpool were my first choice, Newcastle my second. The third was staying at Real.

I had to look after my England place and I had to look after myself. I would always prefer to be playing rather than twiddling my thumbs. The buzz from playing is irreplaceable. Every footballer wants to feel valued and I have had that in spades from the Newcastle people. They understood why Liverpool was my first choice. I had spent more than a decade there and I did think I would be going back when I met Rick Parry and Benítez just before the transfer deadline.

We had discussed the wages and all the nitty-gritty of a contract, so I have no doubts that their interest was genuine, whatever you may have heard. But it was difficult for them because they had sold me for £8.5 million (plus Antonio Núñes) and were being asked to pay considerably more to take me back. They had to make their own financial decisions.

I could have called Madrid’s bluff and said that I would stay unless they agreed to sell me to Liverpool, but I had decided to come home. Perhaps I might have changed my mind if it had been any old English club, but I knew from my visits to St James’ Park, and from Mr Shearer, that scoring goals for Newcastle would be a fantastic way to make a living.

With Liverpool seemingly still some way from agreeing a fee, it had reached the point where I had to make up my mind and I have no regrets. I love being back in the Premiership and, while we are still striving for consistency at Newcastle, the potential is enormous once we have everyone back from injury. And obviously I am on a personal high after my Upton Park hat-trick.

I have been very happy with my strike-rate but as I say repeatedly — although not boastfully — I have never doubted my ability to score goals. Liverpool don’t really have a player who will guarantee them 20 goals a season in the way that Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler or myself did, but it does not seem to be holding them back. They have at least five players — Cissé, Morientes, Crouch, García and Gerrard — chipping in with more than ten and then there are other players such as Sami Hyypia and John Arne Riise who score their share. I was thrilled for them when they won the Champions League and it is no surprise to me that they are near the top of the league.

I had quite a few telephone calls last week from Carra out in Japan, which probably means that he was bored out of his skull in his hotel room. I play golf with Didi Hamann just about every other week and speak to Stevie Gerrard often enough, so it will be strange lining up against them.

I roomed with Carra for eight years so we know everything down to the colour of each other’s underpants. I have never played against him except in training, but I can’t see us saying too much to each other during the match. We will both be too intent on winning.

Certainly gone down in my estimation saying he will celebrate his goal IF he scores.
After reading this we are just another club to him now, and he is just another player. Its not like he has any regrets cause he never wanted to be a European Champion.
Wonder what all the Owen luvers will think of him now?
Cause it obvious from this article (unless he's lying) that he doesnt give 2 sh.its about Liverpool, and if I was a Toon fan Id be very angry that they where his second choice

[66-1112520797]

I think Owen with this interview felt he had to dig himself out of a hole ,basiclly justifing to himself and the public why he left for Madrid and moved onto Newcastle. Deep down I BET he wished he had never left Liverpool and now rather than have egg on his face he has tried to wipe it off, but we can still see the yolk.
His decision whether or not it was a good one has been made and at the end of the day it is his loss. I would not begrudge him celebrating if he scores there would be no point, and I dont see the point in the boo boys coming out in force on Boxing day again there would be no point.
Owen has just shown and said that he was worried and interested in himself and his world cup place , so it just goes to show how self centered the lad is and in the end he made a desperate move to Newcastle to forfull his needs.

On another note if we keep playing as well as we are and winning the way we are ,the regrets of selling or not buying Owen back will fade away quicker than we think.It will be him left with the regrets,
so Michael Im afraid its gonna be no goals for you on Boxing day and three   points to your first choice team.

[darwisigila]

- his priority : himself.....himself
- he want to comeback to us....but we got no money but. he screwed us in the first place and parry want him back?
- i don understand why people still luv him and want him

[112-1077774096]

i never really took to owen despite his undoubted talent, i never worshipped him like i did with robbie. there was something about him that wasnt right and i could never put my finger on it.

however saying that i still wanted him back

[Ciggy]

Paul Tomkins from his article on Newcastle online.

Q: What type of reception will Owen get on his return to Anfield for the first time as an opposing player?

Returning players are usually very well received. The way Owen left the club upset some, but was understood by others. I'd be very surprised if he wasn't given a very warm welcome, but he's not like Robbie Fowler who could score ten against the Reds and still be chairlifted off at the end.

Sums it up really.

[112-1077774096]

Robbie Fowler who could score ten against the Reds and still be chairlifted off at the end.

brilliant and true

[Ciggy]

Robbie Fowler who could score ten against the Reds and still be chairlifted off at the end.

brilliant and true

Heres the article if anyones interested, always a good read from PT.

http://www.newcastle-online.com/rivalfans/2005_06/liverpool_away.shtml

[Hotrod]

When owen was plain for us i adored him being a semi-pro striker myself i admired his technique and skill and finshing ability but i dont no what it was but in his last two seasons i got the impresion he just did nt want to be there he looked like he as being forced to by GH who seemed to suck the life outta him and other players i am mean look at Biscan average player grantted but never in a million years would we have thought he would be appearing in a champs league semi final agaisnt chelsea but Raffa brought a fire back into him same with troare. I think that is the main reason why owen let GH and liverpool relied on him every game to score goals beacuse no one else could score at that time so not only did he beacame over used but he beacame bored we were never going anywhere under GH after the treble season and he thought Raffa would be the same but spanish. I dont think raffa wanted the team to be so dependant on a single player specailly a goal scorer beacuse when owen was outta for with us he was slayed by everyone inculding us beacuse as i said he was our main source of a goal so when he was outta form every1 hated him so he lost his desire to play for us when he saw raffas sucess he wanted to come back but he said it rite we could nt afford him

[Raoul]

When owen was plain for us i adored him being a semi-pro striker myself i admired his technique and skill and finshing ability but i dont no what it was but in his last two seasons i got the impresion he just did nt want to be there he looked like he as being forced to by GH who seemed to suck the life outta him and other players i am mean look at Biscan average player grantted but never in a million years would we have thought he would be appearing in a champs league semi final agaisnt chelsea but Raffa brought a fire back into him same with troare. I think that is the main reason why owen let GH and liverpool relied on him every game to score goals beacuse no one else could score at that time so not only did he beacame over used but he beacame bored we were never going anywhere under GH after the treble season and he thought Raffa would be the same but spanish. I dont think raffa wanted the team to be so dependant on a single player specailly a goal scorer beacuse when owen was outta for with us he was slayed by everyone inculding us beacuse as i said he was our main source of a goal so when he was outta form every1 hated him so he lost his desire to play for us when he saw raffas sucess he wanted to come back but he said it rite we could nt afford him

I'm gasping for breath after just reading that, if I had to read it aloud I think I'd look like this:

 

[andy_g]

i don't see anything wrong with this article lynds. owen knows that first and foremost he has to keep on playing and keep on with his career - he's a professional sportsman and of course a sportsman's first responsibility has to be himself. he's being very candid in this article and obviously choosing his words very carefully (or having it ghost written) but i think he makes his fondness for liverpool very clear while making sure the geordies know he's happy to be there. if he expresses undying love for either of us he's going to badly piss off one set of fans. his job is to score goals so i'd expect him to celebrate, the only exception to this woould be if he was in a denis law type situation and his goal was going to relegate us - and thats just never going to happen.

so good luck to him, he's just another visiting player now. if he scores one we'll score two. we all know who is going to be cheering loudest at the end of the game as mickey trudges back up north thinking about what could have been.

[red_indian]

lets face it the number one priority for a football club and a good player is to be winning trophies or at least realistically challenging for them. Yes he won lots with LFC, but since leaving the club have gone on to win the biggest prize of all and are now in a position to challenge for the league.

In the meantime poor old Michael warmed the bench at RM, won nothing and is now in a team which is unlikely to challenge for anything during his time there - well at least not for anything he has not already won.

I'd like to think England stand a chance in the world cup next year but the opposition is pretty tough too so again realistically he is not likely to get lucky there either - looking like a pretty empty medal cabinet for someone classed as england's finest goal scorer for some time.

Ultimately players external perceptions are shaped by what they and the team they play in win - would Ronaldhino ever have been world player of the year if he was still at PSG only ever winning Ligue1, i'm guessing not. By this time next year with the world cup done and dusted i think michael will be scratching his head pretty hard wondering where it all went wrong...

[SouthCoastShankly]

Come on he isn't going to and tell all the Newcastle fans that in his heart Liverpool will never be as important as them, and that he only went to them cos he was desperate to return to the premiership! He doing what every footballer does when there is an event that splits two sets of fans...he sides with the team he is playing for. Why would want to jeopardise his England place by stating he loves Liverpool and then end up hated and a bench player again?

When he returns to Liverpool as a player you'll see the exact same story but pro-Liverpool, its classic media response form a high profile player who has been media-trained since his youth. Lets not be naive people. When at Madrid he made it clear that he would love to come back to Liverpool, and the fact of the matter is he would of been back here if it weren't for Newcastles desperate bid - doubling the asking price just so Souness could stay in a job.

As for him not celebrating if he scored on monday, thats stupid - its a bit different celebrating a goal to wind up the home fans. He's a striker, scoring goals is what they do. It would be different if he was scoring a goal to relegate his old team (as Gary Mac did with Coventry), then it would be right not to celebrate. To be its shows passion for playing the beautiful game.

How would you feel if Morientes didn't celebrate after scoring the winner against Madrid? You'd be gutted at his lack of commitment for Liverpool?

To me Owen will always be a great legend and servant to the club and I for one won't be jumping to conclusions and deciding from one article (designed to appease the newcastle fans) that he hates Liverpool. Its ridiculous

[Ciggy]

To me Owen will always be a great legend and servant to the club and I for one won't be jumping to conclusions and deciding from one article (designed to appease the newcastle fans) that he hates Liverpool. Its ridiculous

He is not a legend if stevie had have gone to Chelsea he wouldnt be a legend either. No one is saying he hates Liverpool here either.
The fact is he left liverpool to win the Champions League, and has not won a trophey since, and will NOT win anything at the barcodes.
I dont hate MO I would have loved him back, but Michael Owens number 1 priority is England NOT Liverpool and certainly NOT Newcastle.

[red_indian]

but we now know his side of what happened in the summer - its clear coming back to us was an option, and one that ultimately real madrid would also have to have accepted too. All he had to do was hold tight and reject the Newcastle offer, which there were clear grounds to do given the clear lack of any hope of winning trophies with them.

[SouthCoastShankly]

To me Owen will always be a great legend and servant to the club and I for one won't be jumping to conclusions and deciding from one article (designed to appease the newcastle fans) that he hates Liverpool. Its ridiculous

He is not a legend if stevie had have gone to Chelsea he wouldnt be a legend either. No one is saying he hates Liverpool here either.
The fact is he left liverpool to win the Champions League, and has not won a trophey since, and will NOT win anything at the barcodes.
I dont hate MO I would have loved him back, but Michael Owens number 1 priority is England NOT Liverpool and certainly NOT Newcastle.

Thats he way it is with some players, especially in a World Cup season.

The crux of the matter was whether he's celebrate when he scored and I think that he should. I would think there is  something wrong with a striker, playing against his old club or not, not celebrating a goal. It shows they love what they do and you cannot get a better quality in a player.

I respect your opinion that he isn't a legend nor would Gerrard of been, but I disagree. Legend status cannot strictly be judged on what you've won because reds players from the 70's and 80's that won as much as Dalglish and Hansen, etc are never refered to as legendary. Legend status come from how you play and your relationship with the club. Both Gerrard and Owen have done enough to be legends in my book.