Liverpool FC Forum

by **account deleted by request** » Tue May 08, 2007 8:24 pm

I know many people on here wont agree, infact many people on here wouldn't want him back for 10p nevermind £10million.

I think for £10million he is definitely worth getting. A fit Owen would guarantee goals. Maybe even enough to win the prem. After so long out he will be eager to play ,have recharched his batteries and maybe even sorted out his hamstring problems.

Sell Bellamy for maybe £8million and get Owen back for £10million (sounds like a bargain to me)

Anyway on to the story :-

Price is right for Premiership big guns to give Owen the stage he deservesMatt Dickinson
Manchester United have scored by far the most goals in the Barclays Premiership this season but could still do with a reliable poacher. Only Dirk Kuyt, of Liverpool’s quartet of forwards, can be sure of being at Anfield in August. And then there are the misfiring Andriy Shevchenko and Salomon Kalou at Stamford Bridge.

Replenishing their attacking resources will be at the forefront of the minds of the leading managers and one name will surely figure alongside Fernando Torres, David Villa and Jermain Defoe as the top clubs balance needs with budgets. At 27, Michael Owen is by far and away his country’s leading scorer and, because of unusual circumstances, is available for less than £10 million.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafael Benítez could spend a long time scouring the transfer market before they will find a striker with a career ratio of 0.51 goals per game for that sort of money. And, as a pained Steve McClaren will tell you after England’s struggles in front of goal, a big-match temperament is priceless.

Having been ruled out for most of this season with a serious knee injury, Owen insists that he is back stronger than ever and those close to him can detect a renewed appetite for football. Removing him from action for ten months has relit his competitive fires, although his delight at returning has quickly been tested by two defeats for Newcastle United.

There is an argument that Owen has to stay at Newcastle and drag them up the league to repay a debt that comes from having played only 13 times in two injury-ravaged seasons. It is an argument that might hold water if Tottenham Hotspur or Sunderland were bidding, but could Owen seriously be expected to turn down United or Liverpool and the chance to compete for the title and to play in the Champions League?

He has spoken many times about the guilt that he feels towards the club who rescued him from an unhappy year at Real Madrid, but when they outbid Liverpool by £5 million two years ago, Newcastle knew that they were batting far above their station. It is why they had to put release clauses in his contract and to make him the highest-paid Englishman in the Premiership on more than £110,000 a week.

They did so knowing that, for the clauses not to be triggered, they would have to be competing at the top end of the table and to have become a ride worth staying on. Having just removed the second manager in Owen’s time with the departure of Glenn Roeder, they have hardly kept up their side of the deal. Newcastle have suffered terrible luck with Owen’s injury, among others, but the club remain a byword for instability and chronic underachievement.

It is a situation ripe for predators, particularly if the encouraging signs of Owen’s first two comeback matches – the robust challenges, the clever runs, even the frustration at the missed chances – are repeated away to Watford on Sunday and in England’s matches against Albania, Brazil and Estonia, in which he will hope to score his first goal since June last year.

If the top clubs decide to pursue other targets, the new manager at St James’ Park (ie, Sam Allardyce) will be lucky beyond his dreams when he inherits a forward with 36 goals in 80 games for England and whose worth has only been enhanced in his long absence. But the new manager should know that it is beyond his control and beyond Newcastle’s. It is down now to Ferguson and Benítez.

by **Paul C** » Tue May 08, 2007 9:47 pm

Yeah real bargain when he plays about the same amount of games as Harry Kewell, I'd prefer the £10m towards someone who can play 30+ games a season :;):

by **account deleted by request** » Tue May 08, 2007 10:41 pm

Even Ian Callaghan had a long time out with a knee injury, and he managed to play a few games for us.

Owen would have to pass a fitness test before any transfer could take place.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Tue May 08, 2007 11:41 pm

I for one would probably be open to welcoming him back but after the way he appeared to snub Rafa's efforts when he took over I just wonder whether or not he'd be prepared to offer Owen a way out of the 'mess' you could say he's made of his career.

I was convinced we had him re-signed when he went for to the toon and for me it was a disappointment and ever since I have wondered whether he would ever be fully committed to Liverpool. The thing that has always grinded my gears about Owen is his appearence of always being more committed to England than his club and whether or not that is true I suppose may be proven this summer if he goes against newcastles wish and plays for england.

We may all have aour doubts now but I bet the majority will be well made up if we did get him back. The major plus point is he's a proven goalscorer in the premiership and if able to keep his fitness would be ideal for what we need.

by **Bad Bob** » Tue May 08, 2007 11:57 pm

On talent alone I'd have him back but:

1) Will he stay fit?
2) Does he have the right attitude?

There's no way to answer the former but a long heart-to-heart with Rafa could probably suss out the latter. By right attitude, I mean a burning desire to play for us again above all else (playing for England, more money from Man U, etc.). If he seems the slightest bit mercenary about it, I wouldn't want him but if he truly does feel like he's still a Liverpool player deep down, I'd give him another go. No matter where he goes, the lad scores goals.

by **Kharhaz** » Wed May 09, 2007 12:19 am

Hes a natural goalscorer but the fact remains, unlike people who love LFC our faith remained with the mighty reds, his didnt. I still hate the fact when he joined them he said "Ive joined the greatest club in the world!"
No mikey boy, you left one. Thanks, but no thanks

by **112-1077774096** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:28 am

RUSHIE#9 wrote:I for one would probably be open to welcoming him back but after the way he appeared to snub Rafa's efforts when he took over I just wonder whether or not he'd be prepared to offer Owen a way out of the 'mess' you could say he's made of his career.

I was convinced we had him re-signed when he went for to the toon and for me it was a disappointment and ever since I have wondered whether he would ever be fully committed to Liverpool. The thing that has always grinded my gears about Owen is his appearence of always being more committed to England than his club and whether or not that is true I suppose may be proven this summer if he goes against newcastles wish and plays for england.

We may all have aour doubts now but I bet the majority will be well made up if we did get him back. The major plus point is he's a proven goalscorer in the premiership and if able to keep his fitness would be ideal for what we need.

you say you wonder whether rafa would give him a way out, but remember rafa did try to re sign him before he went to the barcodes, and that was after he snubbed rafas attempts to keep him.

make no mistake if owens has recovered well enough from his injury the on football terms he should be considered.

on a personal level i think he is a sneak that got what he deserves, no trophies after he left (i dont think he deserved to be injured), but on a football level, at least he scores goals which is more than can be saud for what we have now

by **66-1112520797** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:36 am

Price is right for Premiership big guns to give Owen the stage he deservesMatt Dickinson

" The stage he desrves "

I'm sorry but he had that here with us, then he had the chance at Real. I wouldnt say he's blown his chance as know doubt someone will attempt a bid for him in the summer. But I dont think he deserves to be back at Liverpool, he didnt give Rafa a chance, why should Rafa give him a chance.

There was an article the other day on Sky sports, after Owen had made his comeback I think. Basically in this article he was just expressing his views on how he'd love to return to the England squad. The kid has only one thing on his mind, apart from glory (which is fair enough), England !

I bet deep down he thinks he's to good for the Barcodes, and should warrant a move away, IMHO he should stay their and repay the Newcastle faithful with at least two seasons of good football. Anyway I doubt Rafa would take him back.

by **112-1077774096** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:40 am

to be fair BM he cant turn round and say he wants to be back at another club, i agree that he owes the barcodes big style.

with regards to giving chances, ego shouldnt get in the way of the club mate, thats what happened with houllier. if someone is good for the club then they shold be allowed to come despite whats gone on before. i want the league mate and if that means signing the evil himself then so be it

by **66-1112520797** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:47 am

peewee wrote:to be fair BM he cant turn round and say he wants to be back at another club, i agree that he owes the barcodes big style.

with regards to giving chances, ego shouldnt get in the way of the club mate, thats what happened with houllier. if someone is good for the club then they shold be allowed to come despite whats gone on before. i want the league mate and if that means signing the evil himself then so be it

True.

" If someone is good for the club "

I'm not totally sure on Rafa's perceptions, but would Benitez consider him good for the club, attitude wise.
Footballing wise he probably would be for the club, mind you he's now deemed very "injury proned" on top of that. I just wonder what Rafa thinks of him as a person though.

by **112-1077774096** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:58 am

well i can only go back to the fact he tried to sign him from madrid to show that rafa hasnt taken it personally, the big problem mate like you rightly point out is injuries, how much of a risk will he be, hes not going to play any football between now and next season really so the problem could be spending 10 million on him only for him to break down early next season

by **RUSHIE#9** » Wed May 09, 2007 6:40 am

When we did try to re-sign him from Madrid one question does occur to me - Was it Rafa who wanted him back or was it Parry & Moores?

I can't really remember Rafa coming out in the wake of missing out on him and saying that he tried to sign him (I could be mistaken though as I can't really remember back to then). Of course this doesn't mean that he didn't want him back but did we go out and sign another striker in the wake of him going to Newcastle as we'd already brought Crouchie in by then hadn't we?

*I may be mistaken on one or two things above as it is early and my memory can't recall back to then this early.

by **112-1077774096** » Wed May 09, 2007 6:47 am

i seem to remember the board being mentioned at the time, but i think they were just saying they will buy him, make money available. i dont think rafa would still be here if the board were telling him who to buy

by **red_guy** » Wed May 09, 2007 7:05 am

He's a legend for us back then but nowadays, i dunno if any of us would see him that way anymore. After madrid, then barcodes drama..i don't think we should go for him. Like most of us here said...he only put his mind towards playing for England. NO.

by **account deleted by request** » Wed May 09, 2007 7:15 am

From what I remember at the time, Owen stopped off for a long chat with Rafa in which Rafa tried to persuade Owen to turn down Newcastle and try to wait it out. Madrid would then hopefully put a more affordable (by Liverpool) price on him. Due to his England fetish, Owen decided he couldn't risk waiting and perhaps damaging his World Cup chances so signed for Newcastle. Owen damaged his foot instead of his England chances, closely followed by a knee injury on his return. While Liverpool won the CL for the sole reason of upsetting him.

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