Owen

[TheInspiration 1]

Anyone else think this was sorted out well before the end of the season?

Looked like he couldn't give a fuck and him and Man Utd have enough nouse to keep it quiet for a few weeks after the season finished so it wouldn't look too suss.

Yeah it wouldn't surprise me knowing what Man Utd are like with transfers and it seemed to happen quite suddenly. That said Owen obviously realised he'd be at another club, whether it was Man Utd or someone else.

 

Tbh, Liverpool fans didn't give him a great reception on his return to Anfield, with all the "should have gone to a bigger club" crap so I don't think he owed them a return or not signing for their rivals after that. He did owe the Newcastle fans a better attitude though, along with the rest of the team of course.

[Kitman 2204]

Anyone else think this was sorted out well before the end of the season?

Looked like he couldn't give a fuck and him and Man Utd have enough nouse to keep it quiet for a few weeks after the season finished so it wouldn't look too suss.

 

It wouldn't surprise me, they've got previous as Jap Stam testified. However I wonder whether they would have bothered with the brochure if so....or was that a master stroke to throw people off the scent?

 

Edit: 'they' in relation to the brochure being Owen's management company obviously

Edited July 14, 2009 by Kitman

[ohhh_yeah 2964]

'I didn't do my bit for Toon' - Owen

 

MICHAEL Owen has admitted he could have done more to keep Newcastle United in the Premier League.

 

Owen walked away from St James's' Park at the end of a June when his contract expired to become a surprise signing for Manchester United.

 

At 29, and with four unsuccessful years at Newcastle behind him, Owen had been widely written off as being past his best.

 

The fourth-highest goalscorer in England history claims he still has plenty to aim for, but admits his time on Tyneside was a disappointment.

 

"In certain parts, people do have a justification to have a go at me," he said.

 

"I didn't set the world alight in the last year at Newcastle. That is no one's fault but mine.

 

"We were not playing well as a team, and I wasn't doing my bit either."

 

But he dismissed talk that he is injury-prone, despite playing just 79 games in four years for the Magpies.

 

"There is no doubt I have had injuries in my career. But there is a long list of players that have had a broken metatarsal.

 

"I was foolish trying to rush back for the World Cup and my leg had just come out of plaster.

 

"But I played 33 and 32 games in the last two years in a team that was not in Europe and did not go on a decent cup run.

 

"Still I was continually labelled injury prone, which gets up my nose."

 

 

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/nufc/39I-did...-bit.5455682.jp

[Kitman 2204]

'I didn't do my bit for Toon' - Owen

 

MICHAEL Owen has admitted he could have done more to keep Newcastle United in the Premier League.

 

Owen walked away from St James's' Park at the end of a June when his contract expired to become a surprise signing for Manchester United.

 

At 29, and with four unsuccessful years at Newcastle behind him, Owen had been widely written off as being past his best.

 

The fourth-highest goalscorer in England history claims he still has plenty to aim for, but admits his time on Tyneside was a disappointment.

 

"In certain parts, people do have a justification to have a go at me," he said.

 

"I didn't set the world alight in the last year at Newcastle. That is no one's fault but mine.

 

"We were not playing well as a team, and I wasn't doing my bit either."

 

But he dismissed talk that he is injury-prone, despite playing just 79 games in four years for the Magpies.

 

"There is no doubt I have had injuries in my career. But there is a long list of players that have had a broken metatarsal.

 

"I was foolish trying to rush back for the World Cup and my leg had just come out of plaster.

 

"But I played 33 and 32 games in the last two years in a team that was not in Europe and did not go on a decent cup run.

 

"Still I was continually labelled injury prone, which gets up my nose."

 

 

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/nufc/39I-did...-bit.5455682.jp

 

Well at least he admits it, not that it's any comfort. Perhaps he was more England prone than injury prone.

[Craig 6682]

And suddenly he finds his shooting boots....

 

Michael Owen marked his first appearance in a Manchester United shirt with an 84th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory over a Malaysia XI.

 

Owen, who came on as a second-half substitute, reacted smartly to slot home a loose ball after Zoran Tosic had been upended in the penalty area.

 

A predatory Wayne Rooney strike opened the scoring before Nani's composed finish doubled United's advantage.

 

A Mohammed Amri Yahyah brace then gave the hosts hope before Owen pounced.

 

Owen, who also scored on his Liverpool debut as a 17-year-old, sent a miscued volley bobbling harmlessly across the face of the goal before finding the net in trademark fashion.

 

The 29-year-old said: "It's just nice to play with players who are on your wavelength, spotting your runs - they are just class players.

 

"It's a nice feeling (to score) and it's nice to play a game in the red shirt.

 

"Just to get off the mark for the season is nice, and it's probably doubly good for me as it's my first game as well."

 

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with Owen's contribution.

 

"He's different from our other players, he's always searching for space, he's always in and around the box. He reacted well for his goal," he said.

 

In a United side shorn of summer departures Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, Rooney was the man of the match, scoring the opener, setting up the second and going close several times.

 

Almost 100,000 fans packed the Bukit Jalil Stadium to watch the famous visitors.

 

United were due to travel to Indonesia for the second match of their Far East tour but have cancelled the trip following Friday's bomb attacks in Jakarta.

 

Instead, United will have a rematch against the Malaysia XI team on Monday.

 

The Football Federation of Australia had offered to arrange a game on Monday, but United declined the invitation. The extra travel would have meant a nine-hour flight to Sydney and then an 11-hour trip to Seoul, where United are set to play on Friday.

 

United will head back to Europe straight after a game in China next Sunday.

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...utd/8157129.stm

 

As for the bit in bold, it'll most likely anger some of you but in honesty he's absolutely spot on. That was our problem IMO - not that Owen wasn't performing, he just wasn't getting the service.

[JonGoodwyn 1]

Undoubtedly, but he isn't exactly blameless himself

[Jimbo 175]

Undoubtedly, but he isn't exactly blameless himself

 

 

"I was a greedy, selfish, unmotivated, injury prone, moody little shite"

[Andrew 4748]

thing is he still had chances that "world class finisher englands michael owen" should have put away and those one or two goals would've made a difference

[MattM4 0]

http://www.soccerclips.net/videos/malaysia...-3-man-utd-owen

[AmericanMag 0]

Manchester United striker Michael Owen concedes he is hurt by criticism for his time at Newcastle United.

 

While The Magpies are contemplating life in the Championship, Owen is looking forward to a season with the Premier League champions following his free transfer switch to Old Trafford.

 

Owen has been blasted for his role in Newcastle's inability to retain their top-flight status, although the 29-year-old marksman feels most of the comments are unfair.

 

The former Real Madrid and Liverpool ace is unhappy his personal life has been thrown into the fray, whereas if he had been successful on the pitch those elements would have been in the positive column.

 

Unfair

 

"You learn to understand the reaction but if you do step back, you think it is strange or unfair," he said.

 

"When you are being relegated, nobody is interested in listening to you. But I knew it was all to do with me not scoring.

 

"If you don't score and you don't win, you are wrong to have a helicopter and fly home each week to see your kids. You are wrong to have a business outside of football. You are wrong to plan for the future.

 

"If the goals had been going in I would have been a great lad, popping home to see my three kids and be a family man on a Tuesday after training. I would have been thoughtful and innocent little things would not be misrepresented.

 

SSN.COM

[scousepower 0]

i expected more from someone who was brought up through our academy and who made a name for himself at our club, Liverpool made him European Player of The Year. have fun Michael ya twat

Um....you sold him.

whats your point? He messed us about with his contract and effectively lost us alot of money on the transfer

[ewerk 30602]

I can fill the Ronaldo gap, insists new United striker

 

 

By NEIL ASHTON, 18/07/2009

THE shirt sends shivers down the spines of Stretford Enders, misty-eyed at the thought of Best, Cantona or Ronaldo slipping on the iconic No 7.

 

 

They became terrace idols the moment the ball fell at their feet, thriving under the spotlight and turning the shirt into a status symbol.

 

 

Yesterday, it was Michael Owen's turn, pulling on the Manchester United jersey for first time and feeling that there was more to the heat than just the humidity.

 

 

"That shirt has pressures of its own and some great players have worn it in the past, but I will do it justice," claimed Owen.

 

 

He was spot on, scoring in his first game for United with a characteristic strike against a Malaysia Select XI, rounding the keeper to slot home the winner after 85 minutes.

 

 

This, undoubtedly, was the dream debut. But the true test will be over 38 Premier League games starting in August, under the microscope after his high-profile move. But this could be the start of something special.

 

 

"The manager asked me to wear the shirt. He said a player needs broad shoulders for it and he asked me if I felt I could handle it.

 

 

"I said 'yes' without hesitation. I know it represents so much. Two big players have left Manchester United in Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. There were a lot of goals in Ronaldo and I'm here to hopefully fill that gap."

 

 

Sir Alex Ferguson is counting on it, convinced that the striker can recapture the form that once earned him a move to Real Madrid.

 

 

Then, he was the fox in the box, scorer of 158 goals in 296 appearances for Liverpool and crowned European footballer of the year in 2001.

 

 

Today, at 29, the perception is that he has lost the yard of pace that saw him skim past Jose Chamot and Roberto Ayala at the 1998 World Cup on the way to scoring 40 goals in 89 appearances for his country.

 

 

There are the question marks over his ambition and the energy that took him to the very top when he was at Anfield.

 

 

Yesterday, in his first major interview since joining United, he set the record straight, finally putting his side of the story after four largely unfulfilled years at St James' Park.

 

 

"This is a big chance to show that I can do it again, to show that I can handle the pressure and the expectation," he said. "I've handled the pressure and scrutiny before and all the managers I've played under will all say I can handle it.

 

 

"It's a part of the game that brings the best out of me. I'm very proud of the fact that I've played for some of the biggest teams. I'm not even thinking about England at the moment. If I get called up again great, but if not, I'm a United player and I'll still have a smile on my face.

 

 

 

"The ground and the training ground are only 30-45 minutes away from where I live, so that's comfortable. This is a great opportunity. Manchester United are at the height of their powers - they are the Premier League champions. Unfortunately my time at Newcastle was disappointing for many reasons."

 

 

Tyneside came to a standstill when 20,000 supporters turned up at St James' Park when he signed for the club in August 2005, but Newcastle have been on the slide ever since. He takes his share of responsibility for relegation, accepting that some fans will point to his £16million transfer fee, the wages of £105,000 a week and wonder what they got for their money.

 

 

"At the end of the day, I can look myself in the mirror and I know that for four years I tried my best in the black and white stripes of Newcastle," he added.

 

 

"When I signed for them I was scoring goals, we were winning games and I got a hat-trick at West Ham. Everything was going well. People will always have different opinions, but all I ever did at Newcastle was to do my best when I was playing and score goals.

 

 

"Yes, I was injured for a couple of years, but it was through no fault of my own. I was, trying to score a goal (against Tottenham in December 2005) when someone landed on my foot.

 

 

"When I came back I was scoring goals again. Others will look at it and say I cost £16m and didn't play that many games. Everyone is entitled to their opinion."

 

 

This was Owen finally giving his, reminding the 50,000 supporters who fill St James' Park every week that there were other factors involved when they fell out of the top flight last season.

Snowballed

 

 

He was signed by Graeme Souness, but went on to play under Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan and finally Alan Shearer in a turbulent spell on Tyneside.

 

 

"Newcastle was very up and down," he admitted. "I was part of a team that was not playing well, we were lacking confidence and it snowballed from there.

 

 

"There were lots of reasons. We missed lots of chances, the confidence of the team suffered, the managers changed, the players changed and the owner changed. I had some good times there, but overall it was disappointing."

 

 

Now there is no looking back, fighting for the right to play alongside Wayne Rooney at the world's biggest football club. He has been brought in with the brief to get inside the box, to get back to doing what he does best and scoring goals for one of the top teams in Europe.

 

 

"Everyone knows my best position is in the box," he added. "I have the instinct to be there, to be in the right place at the right time.

 

 

"Kevin Keegan, when he was Newcastle manager, felt that the team couldn't create enough chances so he changed the formation and made me the link man.

 

 

"I'm not sure what the manager has in mind at United yet, but I hope to have a big part to play, whether it's 10 games, 20 games or more. Preparations for a season can go up in smoke if a player gets an injury or isn't in form, but hopefully that won't be the case."

 

 

He put both issues to bed yesterday, without the need for the infamous 32-page brochure that his representatives produced when he quit Newcastle.

 

 

"In the modern age there are certain ways of doing things and in many ways I'm pleased he did it," claimed Owen.

 

 

"I wanted to get the best move possible and he has done that. At least it showed he wasn't sitting around on his backside."

 

 

Instead, Owen has landed on his feet. You can put your shirt on it.

[Kitman 2204]

Ex-Newcastle striker tbh. Interesting to see his ligament injury playing for England vs Sweden was nothing to do with him.

[Kid Dynamite 7025]

Which clever runs was our midfield supposed to be spotting like? Cos from where I was sitting he spent most of his time running parrallel lines across the centre circle

[Guest alex]

Honestly think he'll be a good sub / bit part player and nothing more for them. He'll get a few goals but he won't cut it against the top sides in the league or in Europe.

[tinofbeans 91]

wasn't his record for us blighted by the fact he just never scored against any of the top 4 sides? sounds about right.... i also reckon he'll be there as a supersub or if games are tight. still a good ish finisher.

[Park Life 71]

And suddenly he finds his shooting boots....

 

Michael Owen marked his first appearance in a Manchester United shirt with an 84th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory over a Malaysia XI.

 

Owen, who came on as a second-half substitute, reacted smartly to slot home a loose ball after Zoran Tosic had been upended in the penalty area.

 

A predatory Wayne Rooney strike opened the scoring before Nani's composed finish doubled United's advantage.

 

A Mohammed Amri Yahyah brace then gave the hosts hope before Owen pounced.

 

Owen, who also scored on his Liverpool debut as a 17-year-old, sent a miscued volley bobbling harmlessly across the face of the goal before finding the net in trademark fashion.

 

The 29-year-old said: "It's just nice to play with players who are on your wavelength, spotting your runs - they are just class players.

 

"It's a nice feeling (to score) and it's nice to play a game in the red shirt.

 

"Just to get off the mark for the season is nice, and it's probably doubly good for me as it's my first game as well."

 

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with Owen's contribution.

 

"He's different from our other players, he's always searching for space, he's always in and around the box. He reacted well for his goal," he said.

 

In a United side shorn of summer departures Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, Rooney was the man of the match, scoring the opener, setting up the second and going close several times.

 

Almost 100,000 fans packed the Bukit Jalil Stadium to watch the famous visitors.

 

United were due to travel to Indonesia for the second match of their Far East tour but have cancelled the trip following Friday's bomb attacks in Jakarta.

 

Instead, United will have a rematch against the Malaysia XI team on Monday.

 

The Football Federation of Australia had offered to arrange a game on Monday, but United declined the invitation. The extra travel would have meant a nine-hour flight to Sydney and then an 11-hour trip to Seoul, where United are set to play on Friday.

 

United will head back to Europe straight after a game in China next Sunday.

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...utd/8157129.stm

 

As for the bit in bold, it'll most likely anger some of you but in honesty he's absolutely spot on. That was our problem IMO - not that Owen wasn't performing, he just wasn't getting the service.

 

Agree.

[Guest alex]

Actually Owen wasn't performing either.

[Stephen 0]

So he's gone from

 

"I didn't set the world alight in the last year at Newcastle. That is no one's fault but mine.

 

"We were not playing well as a team, and I wasn't doing my bit either."

 

To hinting that it was the players around him that didn't provide the service. Which is it Micky?

[sniffer 0]

They didn't.

 

And Owen couldn't be arsed. There's no point in rehashing something that we all saw as it was a team effort by and large that got us relegated. We need to move on.

[ohhh_yeah 2964]

Owen defends his conduct at St James’

 

MICHAEL Owen has launched a defence of his conduct at Newcastle United.

 

Owen ended four unhappy years at St James’ Park this summer when his career appeared to move backwards at a rapid rate.

 

A couple of major injuries in his early years did not help and then when he was fit, the Magpies had descended into chaos under the ownership of Mike Ashley, ultimately ending in the humiliation of relegation into the Championship.

 

As his contract ran out, Owen knew he would not be following them and instead took up a surprise offer from Sir Alex Ferguson to join Manchester United.

 

But the star striker has been stung by repeated criticism of his behaviour, particularly helicopter flights back to his Cheshire home from the North-East and a fledgling horse-breeding business being run by his wife Louise.

 

Both have been used as evidence Owen’s heart was not with the Newcastle, a damning verdict on their £18m record signing which he is anxious to counter.

 

‘‘You learn to understand the reaction but if you do step back, you think it is strange or unfair,’’ he said.

 

‘‘When you are being relegated, nobody is interested in listening to you. But I knew it was all to do with me not scoring.

 

‘‘If you don’t score and you don’t win, you are wrong to have a helicopter and fly home each week to see your kids. You are wrong to have a business outside of football.

 

You are wrong to plan for the future.

 

‘‘If the goals had been going in I would have been a great lad, popping home to see my three kids and be a family man on a Tuesday after training.

 

I would have been thoughtful and innocent little things would not be misrepresented.’’ In fact, for the team Newcastle became, returns of 13 and ten goals respectively during the past two seasons were not bad totals.

 

Yet Owen knows he was capable of better, as he hopes to prove at Old Trafford.

 

His affection for Newcastle ensures he will not launch an all-out attack on a club that seems on a mission to self-destruct.

 

However, mere commonsense dictates the backdrop to life on Tyneside meant producing his best form was impossible.

 

‘‘There is no hiding from the fact it was disappointing at Newcastle because the team got relegated,’’ he reflected.

 

‘‘I played 33 games, so I will not shirk my share of the blame. What I would say is whether you are the best or worst player in the world you are a human being.

 

“You are affected by the surroundings, the mood of people, by confidence. I could have done more and score more goals but the team was lacking in confidence.

 

“It was not playing well, there was a (new) manager every two minutes and unrest at board level.

 

‘‘In a situation like that you cannot name many players who have played well on a consistent basis over the years.

 

Everyone’s standards drop.

 

‘‘I don’t want to say I was dragged down by Newcastle because I have a lot of respect for the club and had some good times.

 

“But I do believe I play better in a team full of confidence.’’

 

 

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/foo...at_St_James___/

[Kitman 2204]

Whatever. Ex-Newcastle striker.

[Park Life 71]

Let it go lads.

[Tom 14011]

He gets his second preseason goal against Malaysia to take it to 2-0.

[ohhh_yeah 2964]

somebody made this in response to the tevez to citeh billboard...