According to this article, Owen's contract contains a clause allowing him to leave the club for a £9million transfer fee if the Newcastle club fail to qualify for Europe. It appears that the 12th place finish may cost us dearly. If Owen leaves, we are sunk. Not only, would need to find someone to fill that void, but we lose at least £7 million also. (Owen signed for £16 million) Apparently, Man U, 'pool, and Chelsea are waiting like wolves surrounding a wounded fawn. - bastards.
I wonder waht that clause says about him being injured every ********ing game of the year for us. Also, if FF really put this clasue in, it just proves how much of a ********ing moron he is.
My opinion is that Owen will stay for at least a season with the new manager. I can't see him as the type that would leave after just getting fit. It would kill his reputation and leave many English fans questioning his loyalty. However, the new manager is crucial to keeping Owen around for longer than one year. If we are relatively successful and Owen is treated well, then I could see him sticking it out long term with us. If the manager is a prick and we suck again next season, Owen will move on.
Well........if it's Sven or Houllier, you'll be reuniting him with someone that he has a good relationship with.
Owen would be the most hated player to ever show his face at St. James' for the rest of his career if he baled this summer.
Maybe we should create a "Newcastle Death Spiral" thread? My initial take: 1. Will some clubs be willing to pay £9million? You bet. I can't guess the entire list, but probably the usual suspects. I'll bet the "Owen to MLS thread" is already started over in the crazy section! 2. Would he go? I'm guessing if it's a better situation, then yes. I'm fairly certain he would pick the best situation to continue his career, regardless of the fans, etc. 3. Will the choice of the new manager make a difference? Definitely. I can't see him warming to the idea of playing the style of football Sam oversaw at Bolton. If Sven or Houllier get the job, then that is a good choice in terms of Owen.
damn. with the sure-to-come inflation of the tv revenue windfall, 9m is going to be nothing for owen. considerably lesser players will be moving around in that price range. i've got to think some of freddy's language might augur more bad news... http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx...erd+wants+Owen+loyalty&channel=football_home& either mr shepherd is the least diplomatic person in england, or he's got some reason to think owen's planning to opt out. while i appreciate the sentiment, and i do think that a player in owen's situation should feel obligations beyond what his contractual limits, you've got to wonder ... ... i mean, put yourself in owen's shoes. let's say he's on the fence - on one hand, he wants and expects europe, otherwise it wouldn't be in his contract, and on the other hand, he knows what NUFC has invested in him, and he feels some kind of obligation to provide a return. and then he reads what fat fred's saying about none of the big four wanting him, and how he needs to some respect that he has not heretofore (to my knowledge) shown any lack thereof. is that supposed to endear him to newcastle united? shepherd's got to think owen wants away, or he wouldn't already be engaging in a pre-emptive demonization. or is shepherd really that stupid?
Thanks to FF, I'm guessing he's leaving now. Shepherd added: "I'm telling Michael he has two choices: he either comes out and tells our fans, who have taken him to their hearts, that he is happy here - or I tell him that not one of the big four clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool are interested in him. Because that's the case. "The loyalty this club has shown him over the last two years, when he had injury problems in his first season and had missed virtually all of this season, deserves something in return. "He has had a really serious injury and no-one, least of all one of the biggest clubs, is likely to take a risk at this stage. "He has to prove to everyone, himself and Newcastle United included, that he is fully recovered and not about to break down again." Link to full article. Thanks Freddie
Then again, I read an article he's being recalled to the England B squad. So you know...he's just going to get injured again.
if he leaves us to play at Man U do you think he would really care what the Geordies think of him? I'm sure the red scousers will hate him more.
Freddy is a complete idiot, as if those comments make Owen feel at home at newcastle. He's threatened the lad for ********s sake. And you have to be shitting me that Chelsea won't take a chance on a 9 million Owen.
Share prices supposedly surged the other day, leading people to predict someone was going to up the ante. Maybe FFS wants to run Owen off to drive prices down and buy 'em all cheaper. </conspiracy theorist>
Shepherd: I'd 'carry Owen to Anfield for 9 million'. Wait, no, he was only having a laugh and showing how approachable he is with a little meaningless banter. What a ********ing moron.
Maybe so, but that's another of those things that you just don't joke about, especially after taking the hardline stance hours before.
That was actually quite amusing, but then you realize yesterday he was throwing threats all over the place, and now he is scrambling to make up for looking like an ass. Or something like that anyway.
He needs a PR firm to help him manage his big fat mouth. Jesus wtf are you doing conversing with people in traffic while be filmed are you that thick?
my first question when i saw that clip was whether or not he knew that was being recorded. if not - and his behavior seems to suggest not - i think he actually comes off a bit sympathetic. i'm not saying it's not careless/foolish behavior on his part - it is. but i could see how he could've perceived what was going on as just a bit of innocent banter with a couple of scousers. a rather good-natured manifestation of what have to be real frustrations with where he finds himself vis-a-vis michael owen. then again, considering his public statements about owen, maybe he did know he was being filmed, and he is that thick.