Liverpool FC Forum

by **A.B.** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:27 pm

LIVERPOOL are not in talks with Michael Owen - despite reports suggesting otherwise.
Speculation linking the Real Madrid striker with a return to Anfield has surfaced in recent days as Owen looks to secure a move back to the Premiership.

But Rafa Benitez insisted last week he is more interested in signing a centre back than a centre forward and club sources today indicated that situation has not changed.

Back-up for Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher remains the Reds boss' priority and Benitez is looking to bring in a defensive reinforcement as soon as possible.

However, with Peter Crouch ruled out for up to three weeks with a hamstring strain and suspended for the first two games of the Premiership season and Milan Baros on his way out of Anfield Benitez could be ready to reassess his attacking options.

Currently, he has only Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cisse to call on for next week's Champions League third round qualifier against CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria.

Benitez does have the option of pushing Luis Garcia further forward for that game but that would be only a short-term answer.

by **Gracias King Rafa** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:27 pm

I've got the feeling that Rafa dosen't want Owen back after the way he p****d about on will he/won't sign a new deal,but with Crouch sidelined,Morientes a little out of sorts,Baros with his bags all but packed,Le tallec on loan all it needs is another injury to Cisse and we could be in a bit of bother.
Maybe when Flo returns to full fitness he'll play a lot bigger part this season,as someone mentioned before I'm looking forward to seeing a Flo/Crouch partnership!

by **Dalglish** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:42 pm

For the first time in this whole Owen Saga I am starting to actually believe he might be coming "home" after all and anyone with an hole in their :censored:

can see he is world Class and even at £12 Million a snip. :;):

by **matrix** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:51 pm

Gracias King Rafa wrote:I've got the feeling that Rafa dosen't want Owen back after the way he p****d about on will he/won't sign a new deal,but with Crouch sidelined,Morientes a little out of sorts,Baros with his bags all but packed,Le tallec on loan all it needs is another injury to Cisse and we could be in a bit of bother.
Maybe when Flo returns to full fitness he'll play a lot bigger part this season,as someone mentioned before I'm looking forward to seeing a Flo/Crouch partnership!

you might be right about rafa not wanting owen back but to put flo ahead of cisse i think your completely out of order to say your looking forward to the flo/crouch partnership means this is your ideal paring not that i dont rate flo, but to put him ahead of cisse i have to say give your self a slap on the neck...?

by **Dalglish** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:55 pm

It beggars belief on here sometimes

Michael Owen is that most RARE of strikers who practically guarantee you 15-20 Goals per season and there are those who are looking forward to seeing Flo and Crouch play together

by **matrix** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 12:07 am

Dalglish wrote:It beggars belief on here sometimes

Michael Owen is that most RARE of strikers who practically guarantee you 15-20 Goals per season and there are those who are looking forward to seeing Flo and Crouch play together

dalglish im not afraid to say it i would love owen back like you say his goal tally makes sense now there is a lot of liverpool fans who are verry angry when michael left and his timing i was angry to but i want the best for liverpool fc there wont be many liverpool fans crying if owen comes back lets just see what happens.

by **Dalglish** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 12:19 am

Hiya Matrix, I'm a season ticket holder on the Kop so I know how it felt to see MO leave at the end of last season but to be fair to the player the club have to take some responsibility for allowing a player of his ilk to run down his contract when Houllier and Parry said after the Mcmanaman debacle it would never be allowed to happen again .......

As for me I'll be more than happy to see the Prodigal Son return home

by **A.B.** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 4:24 am

Some Newcastle fans actually think that Owen will go to the barcodes, what are they going to offer him? FA Cup competition?

They are not in the Champions League let alone UEFA cup. What a joke of a club.

by **LFC #1** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:12 am

A.B. wrote:Some Newcastle fans actually think that Owen will go to the barcodes, what are they going to offer him?

Guaranteed first team football. Manure can't necessarily offer that with RVN and Rooney. We can offer that plus CL football, but it's all down to if Rafa wants him or not.

Also, I'm not sure how much being hated by Liverpool fans (if he plays for Manure) would play on Owen's conscience.

Newcastle need a striker desperatley and they are a big club with good fans (despite their poor showing last season).

I wouldn't dismiss it entirely.

by **tel** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:28 am

SouthCoastShankly wrote:
Bamaga man wrote:
tel wrote:
SouthCoastShankly wrote:Tel i think you exaggerate slighty about Owen having a "shocking first touch" and "the worst dribbler at liverpool..."

The fact of the matter is he never failed to score goals for Liverpool regardless who he was partnered with, who says Crouch or Cisse can't fill the role that Heskey played??

If you don't like him thats fine but to make it seem like he was a bad striker just makes you look like you know f.uck all

Read the post. He is not a bad striker, he ia one dimensional striker. He's not in the league of the Henry's. A top striker in the modern game is not the Ian Rush type goal poacher, but has more dimensions.

Henry scores a lot of goals and creates even more. He also holds the ball, carries between the lines, involved in build up play and absorbs pressure. He is a modern striker.

Owen was a great player for us, but he's no Henry, Ronaldo or Schevchenko. And the modern game needs a modern striker. Owen scores goals, but the biggest criticism of him at Madrid is that he doesnt get involved in build up play and hold the ball to get midfielders involved. He just wants to play off the shoulder of defenders. We did that for years at Anfield under Houllier, and how did we go against top teams? Still makes me sick thinking about how outmatched we were against the Arsenals and mancs even in our home league. And in Europe, we were getting knocked out by teams from Switzerland.

In Rafa's eyes, even Crouch is a better option upfront than Owen because he can at least hold the ball and relieve midfield pressure when we're playing away from home.

I dont like the way Owen left and it wouldnt bother me one bit if he didnt come back.

I disagree with your post to a certain extent because i dont doubt his ability.
The one ability you do need as a striker is to put the ball in the back of the net ,if nothing else.

That is Owens best ability sniffing out goals and thats what you want from a striker.

I agree Strikers are all different, if Owen scores 25 goals all tap ins - who cares the fact of the matter is that he's scored them. Ronaldo, shevchenko, etc are good strikers but different strikers. We've commented before on how the premiership is not a technical and flair orientated league, may have one off players but never will be La Liga. If you want to watch La Liga strikers support Madrid or Barca.

I personally like Owens style of play, yeah he has downsides - which striker doesn't. But you can't tell me moments like watching Michael skin the Arsenal defence alive in an FA Cup final isn't entertaining, no flair just route one.

Liverpools lack of league success under Houllier wasn't Michael Owens fault, it was houlliers.

What, Thierry Henry doesnt have flair? Last time I checked he played in the EPL.

As for being a tap in striker, Van Nistelrooy had a much bigger impact in his first 2 season than Owen. He won them the premiership for them off his own boot.

How many premierships has Owen won us? Just the one FA Cup. Hardly a great striker in my book.

by **66-1112520797** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:46 am

Football is a team game.

It comprises of eleven players not one.

Its a bit OTT to say that.

by **Gracias King Rafa** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 7:31 am

matrix wrote:
Gracias King Rafa wrote:I've got the feeling that Rafa dosen't want Owen back after the way he p****d about on will he/won't sign a new deal,but with Crouch sidelined,Morientes a little out of sorts,Baros with his bags all but packed,Le tallec on loan all it needs is another injury to Cisse and we could be in a bit of bother.
Maybe when Flo returns to full fitness he'll play a lot bigger part this season,as someone mentioned before I'm looking forward to seeing a Flo/Crouch partnership!

you might be right about rafa not wanting owen back but to put flo ahead of cisse i think your completely out of order to say your looking forward to the flo/crouch partnership means this is your ideal paring not that i dont rate flo, but to put him ahead of cisse i have to say give your self a slap on the neck...?

Matrix,the point I made about a Flo/Crouch partnership was slightly tongue in cheek,i.e Flo being about a foot shorter,that's what I meant about seeing them togeher!

There's no doubt that Cisse's going to be the main striker this season and after his horrific injury I'm genuinely hope that this season goes really well for him,but what I'm saying is if Rafa dosen't want Owen back then maybe he'll give Flo a run in the team at some stage?

If Baros does go then personally I'd like to see Owen back (Cisse,Nando,Crouch,Owen,Flo - some forward line) but as Rafa's already said we're in desperate need of a centre back+right winger and as the old saying goes,in Rafa we trust...

by **Homebooby** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:30 am

I don't have a link for this as it was my grandad who told me on the phone last night. He says that on TalkSport yesterday the word on the street was that a deal is being forged with Manure and Madrid. Apparantly Fergie is looking to offload Ferdinand in exchange for Owen and Woodgate.

I didn't hear it myself so I can't say anything else about it.

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:08 am

I never said Henry didn't have flair, if you had read the post correctly you see i mention there are one-off examples of flair. Such as Henry and Joe Cole, but in general the premiership is not.

You may not like Owen but you're a minority, the majority of Liverpool fans want him back. Shame the decision doesn't lie on us

by **Anfield rapper** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:23 am

I can't see it happening. Rafa has said we need a CB and a RW and that will cost us at least £15m. I just don't think we have the money to buy him as well. The only solution may be to take him on loan but i can't see Real agreeing to it.

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