asteroidblitz 12 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 by Louise Taylor.. There was a time when Michael Owen routinely returned to Anfield with his head held high but the Newcastle United striker has suggested he is virtually resigned to defeat there on Sunday. With no goals in his past nine appearances for the relegation-threatened Tyneside team Owen is currently a shadow of the young striker who made his name at Liverpool. Indeed, following Monday night's 0–0 home draw with Portsmouth his critics are urging Alan Shearer to drop him to the bench at Anfield. "We go to Liverpool next and we finish the season at Aston Villa and, if we can get some points from those games, then of course we'll grasp them," said Owen. "But, being realistic, it's the home games [against Middlesbrough and Fulham] that are our major focus now." Shearer's four-game tenure at St James' Park has yielded two points and a solitary goal, though against Portsmouth Owen spurned an excellent chance to improve that record. Newcastle's stand-in manager, whose side are three points behind fourth-bottom Hull City, has diagnosed a lack of self-belief on the striker's part. "Confidence in football is huge," he said. "But we know if we keep creating chances for Michael one will go in." Unfortunately, right now, Newcastle seem better at conjuring moments of crass embarrassment. Just before kick-off on Monday night Graeme Danby, a Geordie opera singer, led an on-pitch rendition of Blaydon Races before crudely patronising the smattering of Portsmouth fans who had made the journey north, a round trip of 800 miles and 18 hours. "Have you come in a fucking car?" bellowed the microphone-wielding Danby before further taunting them with: "You're the Mackems of the south coast." Pompey will not be making an official complaint but they were distinctly unimpressed. "It wasn't good," said a club spokesman yesterday. "It was unnecessary, cringe-making and embarrassing. The guy clearly got carried away." Should Newcastle get carried away to the Championship, though, they could be punished for neglecting to insert clauses in their players' contracts stipulating a drop in wages in that eventuality. Not that Shearer is resigned to such a fate. "Everybody will write us off at Liverpool," he said. "I understand that. But I saw Liverpool win at Hull last Saturday and they didn't play particularly well. Going for the title, they are under pressure too. You never know in football." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Might be wrong but I think the 'fucking' bit from the quote is a fabrication btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM4 0 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Meh, next batch of league matches isn't even about us. Just about whether Hull, Boro or Sunderland pick anything up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stevie Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Where's Owen say we're going to lose btw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Where's Owen say we're going to lose btw? That's a fabrication too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Where's Owen say we're going to lose btw? That's a fabrication too. How do they get away with that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Where's Owen say we're going to lose btw? That's a fabrication too. How do they get away with that ? As much as I dislike her, I don't think the journalists write the headlines. That doesn't mean it's not bollocks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asprilla 96 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 She got us to read it. Her job is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 10858 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 She got us to read it. Her job is done. but she didn't get us to buy it, or visit the website. So her job's not done really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asprilla 96 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 She got us to read it. Her job is done. but she didn't get us to buy it, or visit the website. So her job's not done really. That's not her job, that's her boss's job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayatollah Hermione 13884 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 "Everybody will write us off at Liverpool," he said. "I understand that. But I saw Liverpool win at Hull last Saturday and they didn't play particularly well. Going for the title, they are under pressure too. You never know in football." "Doomed" eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WubbleUC 0 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Might be wrong but I think the 'fucking' bit from the quote is a fabrication btw. He definitely said 'fucking' at some point like, I heard it loud and clear. Howver, I'm not sure it was at the point that's being suggested. I think it was just before that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stevie Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 So what if he said fuckin, hearing swear words on the Gallowgate didn't do my vocabulary any harm. They should give me 10 pints and the mic the next time we play the mackems, then they'd have something to complain about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezGiven 0 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big TRon 0 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 So what if he said fuckin, hearing swear words on the Gallowgate didn't do my vocabulary any harm. They should give me 10 pints and the mic the next time we play the mackems, then they'd have something to complain about. I think we've already seen your efforts on the pitch mate. It''s Stevie Nolan is what my hunch is telling me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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