It wouldn't be summer without an Owen thread

[Guest Snorky]

Bring Owen Home

 

Liverpool's two most important players, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, have asked the club's American owners to bring Michael Owen back to Anfield. George Gillett and Tom Hicks are keen but Rafa Benitez, the Liverpool manager, is less enthusiastic and any deal is unlikely.

 

Gerrard, Carragher and Owen trained together at London Colney yesterday as England began preparing for Friday's prestige friendly with Brazil at Wembley and next week's vital Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia. As is the way with England, there will be plenty of discussion amongst the players of future plans and hopes. Many a move has been mooted in England hotels.

 

The desire of Gerrard and Carragher to restore Owen to the Liverpool fold is hardly a secret. Both have talked openly about their admiration for Owen. All three came through the Academy ranks and remain good mates, despite Owen having left Anfield for Real Madrid and now Newcastle United.

 

This is more than friends wanting to be re-united. Owen is the type of serial finisher Liverpool are crying out for; their lack of a cutting edge was highlighted during last week's European Cup final defeat to AC Milan.

 

After the game, Benitez confirmed that he would be investing heavily in rebuilding the side, but Owen is not high on his shopping list. Benitez is more interested in Valencia's David Villa.

 

Most managers of elite clubs are searching for Didier Drogba clones: strong, muscular forwards who can fill the demanding, multi-faceted role of the lone target-man required by increasingly prevalent 4-5-1 tactics. Owen, small of frame despite his recent time in the gym, is ill-suited to holding the ball up and bringing midfielders in to play.

 

Owen is most dangerous when deployed alongside another striker, and particularly when chasing balls played over the top. A classic 'run-through' striker, Owen is a predator with pace, not an old-style No 9 or new-school Drogba who leads the line.

 

For all the dressing-room lobbying at Anfield, it would be a surprise to see Owen back in the famous red of Liverpool, despite the inviting £9m get-out clause in his Newcastle contract. He has been linked with Manchester United but many people in a sport that hardly prizes loyalty still believe Owen owes Newcastle one season.

 

Badly injured at the last World Cup, Owen has only just resumed wearing the celebrated black-and-white stripes and it would be an insult to the Toon Army, as well as the club's paymasters, if he jumped ship now.

 

With a respected new manager in Sam Allardyce, and potential new owners, Newcastle's future looks promising.

 

Owen should also be aware that a striker who excels in front of the Gallowgate will receive adulation unmatched anywhere in England.

[12twelve]

for once, Stevie and Carra should shut up and let Rafa do his job

[_00_deathscar]

for once, Stevie and Carra should shut up and let Rafa do his job

 

I concur.

[Mad_Fer_It]

no quotes though....

owen and tevez would be great hehe

[DonRafa]

for once, Stevie and Carra should shut up and let Rafa do his job

 

 

No, I don't agree.

 

Maybe, for once, Rafa should heed what his captain and vice-captain have to say about Owen. They are not fools, this is'nt just about friendship. They know that Owen would score goals, lots of goals, vital goals, in this Liverpool side.

I'm sick to the back teeth of 'hard workers' and 'unselfish runners' and etc, etc. I want a striker who can score goals, lots of fecin goals, goals when the pressures on, goals in big games and goals in wet Tuesday night games.

Owen would do this. I'm as certain of this as Carra and Stevie must surely be.

 

He and Crouchy would work superbly well together. And he won't cost much. Still enough money left for the 'big name' foreign striker so many on here seem to crave

[fyds]

That's the journo's supposition - not once in that article does Stevie or Carra say they want Owen back - in fact, they don't say anything at all! So why should they shut up when they are not saying anything?

[DonRafa]

Damn!

Edited May 29, 2007 by DonRafa

[Ramón Benítez Hernández]

ffs.

[fyds]

Indeedy - one of Kev's hobbyhorses for the summer - any summer!

[floyd the barber]

crouch,kuyt,owen and tevez.......good options and variety

[JonShar]

for once, Stevie and Carra should shut up and let Rafa do his job

 

Give it a rest, as fyds already said there are no quotes of the sort in that article.

[Rimbeux]

Give it a rest, as fyds already said there are no quotes of the sort in that article.

 

 

Winter is pretty close to Gerrard, like Dickinson is to Owen

[£440,000]

Just for the fitness issues I'd not have Owen back.

[RedNik]

If 6M represented good value for Belamy last year, how can 9M not be for Michael Owen.

 

Sure he's coming off a bad injury, but Bellamy's injury record was poor too.

[RafaShanks]

Just for the fitness issues I'd not have Owen back.

 

My feelings as well.

[hideNseek]

I wouldn't mind as long as we got Tevez too. As someone above said a combination of Tevez, Owen, Kuyt and Crouch with Garcia and Voronin doesn't look to bad.

[ManOfSteel]

I personally don't want Owen back - but I think he could benefit from Rafa's rotational policy as far as injuries go. Yeah, rotation doesn't mean he won't get injured, but it does it's best to keep him as fit as possible for as long as possible. And he scores goals.

 

I personally wouldn't mind Bent (if the price was right) as I feel he has the potential to be as good as any striker, but if it comes down to one of the strikers lower on the list... which is what I feel Bent is, then I think we should go value for money and if Owen is cheaper then Bent, we shouldn't rule him out.

[Serko]

Michael Owen isn't big enough and powerfull enough to play a s a lone striker so we're going for Villa?

[Tosh]

Sew your seeds in some nice fertile compost in April/May and when sprouted, plant out in a well watered and fertile bed.

 

Be sure to thin out intermittently and expect a bloom in the full summer months of July and August. Not keen on conditions that are too hot nor in the shade of bigger blooms. Also seems to prefer a North West facing position rather than North East. When in full bloom, is very attractive to all manner of pests

 

Tends to save it's best for when it's the centrepiece and can put on some stunning displays when healthy. However, the pest issue means that keeping the blooms healthy is best left to those with deep pockets

 

When the blooms die down in September, be sure not to deadhead until all the life has gone from the bloom.

 

In the right conditions, this hardy perennial may bloom again around the turn of the year.

[Cobs]

Go get him, Rafa !

 

[Ombudsam]

Michael Owen isn't big enough and powerfull enough to play a s a lone striker so we're going for Villa?

 

exactly what I was going to write.

 

Think you're being a bit naive there by the way fyds

[Dan]

exactly what I was going to write.

 

Think you're being a bit naive there by the way fyds

 

Why? There are no quotes.

 

They might have said something off the record but what's up with that?

 

As for Villa, he's stronger and more aggressive than Owen but still not suited to the lone striker role. Not many are though.

[Rimbeux]

Why? There are no quotes.

 

They might have said something off the record but what's up with that?

 

As for Villa, he's stronger and more aggressive than Owen but still not suited to the lone striker role. Not many are though.

 

 

It's no secret Gerrard would like Owen back, he says so anytime the chance arises, only it's not up to him, he also thinks Murphy would still be in the side.

[Mike]

they do love a good striker in newcastle

[Dan]

It's no secret Gerrard would like Owen back, he says so anytime the chance arises, only it's not up to him, he also thinks Murphy would still be in the side.

 

Owen is on the move, journalist asks Gerrard would he like him back, Gerrard probably responded with the generic "anyone would like a player like Michael Owen in their team". Shocker. He probably also said that its not up to him, but down to the manager, but journo's don't always print full quotes do they......in fact they often don't print any quotes.....