Do we want Michael Owen back?

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

Nope, Owen is a has-been. Has-been star and has-been Red.

Let's concentrate on Nemeth.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

Secondly, you're a Man U fan so what's all this reference to we when referring to LFC? Are you switching your support due to the continuous Torres w@nkfest happening in the Man U forums?

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

I would do without Michael Owen. While grateful for his contributions during his Anfield stay, the last thing Liverpool needs is another player who has a difficult time staying healthy and keeping match fitness. There are better players the team needs to pursue rather than chasing (and wasting money on) the ghost of Owen's form.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

Sadly he is a shell of his former self. I read an entertaining beeb article about how Owen is afraid that's Newcastle's poor form might cost him an England place.

No Michael, you losing most of your pace and coming off knee surgery unimproved is why you should never play for England again. There are simply much better players for Liverpool to concern themselves with.

Ok, ok. We'll take Michael Owen back if ManU takes back Andy Cole.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

I would take Martins or Milner before I would take back Owen.

Martins and Milner not only have had better seasons recently, but they both have more upside than Owen does.

Owen wanted to leave the club to further his personal ambitions, and then I am sure he had a sour taste in his mouth when he looked back and saw the success the club had in cup competitions. During our success, Owen went the other way. He went from the young, high-scoring kid to a injury-plagued, excuse-ridden young man who looks old.

Not only would he not fit in to the current formation Rafa is trying to implement, but he is sadly washed up.

That's hard for me to say, because he is the reason I started supporting Liverpool, but it's the truth.

So thanks, but NO THANKS!

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

Same for me: I became a football fan because of Michael Owen in the 98 World Cup. He led me to football, to Liverpool, and I am eternally grateful.

But he is done as a top forward. He might not even be Premiership quality at this point.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

Martins would be a great addition as back-up to Torres...and I could deal with N'zogbia (sp?) as our new LB.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

Totally forgot about Nzogbia...he's young and pretty talented.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

To be honest, I'd want Milner over anybody. Young, English, if some sort of English quota is set, should be breaking into the full England squad soon, rarely puts a foot wrong from the occasional game I see, and Newcastle's lone bright spot this season.

It's probably unlikely we sign him in the summer, either because of price or a big bidding war if Newcastle are relegated, but I wouldn't be upset with Masch and Lucas holding, with Milner on the left, Babel on the right and Gerrard right behind Torres up front. Anybody have an idea of what his price tag would approximately be?

EDIT: Looking at the transfer thread, I'm reminded that we have Danny Guthrie out on loan. Not sure if Guthrie could play out wide, but he is younger, just as English as Milner (as far as I'm aware ), and he is already ours. Maybe I'll take N'Zogbia instead.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

First, Newcastle isn't getting relegated.

Second, I agree with everyone else. We should be asking: can he play Kuyt's position in the 4-2-3-1? I wouldn't think so.

Third, were Owen's acquisition in the cards, would it also involve Rafa meeting with Peter Crouch privately to assure him he is in "our future plans", or would we just sell him already?

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

We would surely be in for Milner or Martins instead of Owen. Milner would be perfect at Kuyt's position.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

Sad but true, Little Mikie sealed his fate when he screwed us to run off to Real to "win things". I was a great fan til then. But his game was 70% pace and 30% killer instinct. He's lost half the pace soo he's only 65% of the player he was and probably not good enough to get into our team. As a 4th option on reduced wages? Perhaps but not likely.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

I agree. Michael Owen could have done his transfer to Real Madrid completely differently and maintained a lot of goodwill at the club. As it was, he felt he had done enough for the club and it was time for them to roll over, hence the "Semi-McManaman" transfer hijinks.

If Michael Owen bought out his contract and agreed to come to LFC on wages around £40k, I might bring him back on a la Robbie Fowler. But he would never do that.

I think he is genuinely sorry that things turned out as they did ... but I am not sure he is willing to do as much as it would take to make things right. He made Rafa's job difficult when he first arrived and he really rubbed people the wrong way with the way he left. Had he been vindicated by suddenly performing better once he left the club - perhaps demonstrating that he had been used improperly or that his fitness record was the result of poor technical staff at the club - I would be a lot more forgiving. But he (and his agent) made some bad decisions and they are reaping the consequences.

I do think he is still capable of being an effective player ... his finishing is excellent, his off-the-ball movement is excellent - pacy or not. But he cannot be a player you build a team around and that is what he once was at Liverpool. It would be harder for him to come back to a reduced role the way Fowler did, because he was never a particular fan favorite and all of the goodwill that allowed us to overlook Fowler's diminished ability, somewhat lackadaisical approach to practice and decreased utility would not be there with Michael Owen.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

He's too young to pull a Robbie Fowler.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

I wouldn't even want Owen with a huge paycut and as a bench player. It seems he'll never regain the form before his injuries and if he comes back we'll just have another Kewell on our hands, a few good games here and there but frustrating as hell.

Newcastle only have three players I want and some of the guys outlined them before this post already. Taylor wouldn't be a bad option but we have Carra for a few more seasons and Skrtel and Agger for the long run.

Millner is already a seasoned veteran and he is still only playing for the U-21 NT. He has great stamina, a good shot and has only gotten better since his days at Leeds.

N'Zogbia is supertalented and is being misused by Keegan and his predecessors. While its true that he can play in almost every position, his best position is on the wing where he uses his speed and dribbling.

Last but not least, Martins. This guy is a super athlete with a fantastic football IQ. What a dynamic partnership him and Torres would make huh? Even if Newcastle stays up, this guy would be one of my top choices for that SS we so desperately need for Torres. (thats if Rafa decides to keep Babel on the wing)

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

What would Rafa want with a forward that doesn't defend? Seriously?

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

NO.

Owen wouldn't want to come back cause he'd just look way past it playing next Torres.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

No.

As much as I loved him years ago he is not a quality striker anymore. The Championship is where a player at his level should be playing. And he would want Kewell-like wages.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

You say that ... but they're only 4/1 to go down now. And that's on Betfair. You'll get stingier odds from real bookies. They're 12 points off the magic 40 with nine games to go, still have to play Chelsea and Everton away and have that look about them, the look Leeds had, the look West Ham and, before them, Blackburn Rovers had.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if they went down. Their next three games (Fulham, Birmingham, Reading), will give us the answer.

As to the main question, no I wouldn't want him back. It wouldn't be a largely inconsequential and cheap indulgence of nostalgic emotions, as was the Fowler deal. Newcastle, even a relegated Newcastle, would want something back on their £17m and Owen is not going to drop from north of £100k a week to something like Fowler's £20k.

If/when Newcastle go down, Owen will end up somewhere like Portsmouth or Villa.

 

Re: Would you welcome back Michael Owen is Newcastle were relegated

If Owen recovers his form then yes, otherwise sadly no.

Of course he has been written off before and always bounced back so we'll watch this space.

 

I've wanted Milner to come to Anfield for several years now. One could see the talent and determination when he was at Leeds. Good pace, great work rate, good footballer.

 

No.

 

No. All he cares about is the national side, and is surprisingly nearly always injured up until a couple of weeks before an England game.