Owen - If only the fans knew the facts!

[KeithJ 0]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13139857.stm

 

Michael Owen bemused by Newcastle United boos

 

Owen has scored four in 13 games for Manchester United this season Manchester United striker Michael Owen says he was disappointed after being booed by Newcastle fans during Tuesday's 0-0 draw at St James' Park.

 

The former Magpies man was jeered when he came on after 81 minutes.

 

Owen said on Twitter: "Got a poor reception off the home fans which was disappointing. Was desperate to score!"

 

He added: "Knew I would get booed as that's what a lot of fans do but if they knew the facts then they may have a different opinion."

 

Owen joined Newcastle from Real Madrid for £16m in 2005 and scored 30 goals in 79 appearances in an injury-hit four years on Tyneside.

 

The England striker was unable to prevent Newcastle being relegated to the Championship in 2009 and left the club that summer to join Manchester United on a free transfer.

 

After Tuesday's match, Owen, 31, hit back at negative comments from Magpies' fans, saying (hereafter all quotes are reported verbatim): "From what most of you Newcastle fans are saying you should be pleased I left the club! If i had known that earlier I could have left sooner!

 

"For the record, I tried my best in every game for Newcastle. Under KK (Kevin Keegan) I played well and i'll never forget the 2 I scored against Sunderland (on 20 April 2008).

 

"When I meet Newcastle or Liverpool fans they all respect what I've done for their clubs. In stadiums it changes, 1 boo and the rest follow.

 

"By the way, im not looking for sympathy. As long as my family don't boo me when I walk through the door I couldn't care less!!!"

 

Owen had expected a difficult reception on his return to St James' Park, saying prior to the game: "What a day, it's even sunny here in Newcastle! Looking forward to seeing old friends but I doubt the fans will give me a warm reception!"

 

The result meant Manchester United missed the chance to open up a nine-point gap at the top of the Premier League table - with Arsenal seven points behind with a game in hand.

 

Owen added: "Disappointing result but credit to Newcastle, they played well and put us under plenty of pressure especially in the first half an hour."

 

But after the game, Owen, who has more than 120,000 followers on Twitter, was involved in a frank exchange with the Daily Mirror's chief sports writer Oliver Holt on the social networking site.

 

Owen aired his views on his Twitter page after facing Newcastle Owen and Holt's Twitter exchange in full:

 

Holt: "Honest question then Michael: why don't you tell them the facts?"

 

Owen: "I try to answer most questions Ollie but can't be bothered* being a back page story so some things don't need to be said!"

 

*The BBC has substituted "bothered" for the word Michael Owen actually used

 

Holt: "Fair enough, Michael. But I think sometimes if fans and journalists knew facts, there would be more sympathy with players."

 

Owen: "Fair point. The relationship between players and media is poor and needs improving as the people who suffer are fans."

 

Holt: "Probably worse now between media and players than back in 97-98 when you burst on to scene. More contact then, I think."

 

Owen: "If papers printed what is actually said then i think players would talk to you more openly. I know I would."

 

Holt: "You have spent a lot of your career writing for our newspapers, though Michael, both tabloids and broadsheets."

 

Owen: "It's the sensationalising of headlines that annoys most players. It makes us look like clowns when most lads are normal."

 

Holt: "Headlines are a problem for a lot of writers, too. Comes down to trusting a journalist to look after you, I suppose."

 

Owen: "But I made sure I had headline approval! My point is, the articles are fine, it's the headlines that make us look stupid."

 

Holt: "Agreed. Think we are at a point where writers need to fight for right headline to ensure bit of trust with player spoken to"

 

Owen: "And there is my point. The trust just isn't there hence the relationship between players and journalists is non existent."

 

Holt: "Players and media stuck in bad cycle now. Understand why trust has broken down but less contact is making things worse. Part of problem is no contact. GNev (Gary Neville) said journos should stay in England hotel so we'd have to face you after bad piece."

 

Would love to know the facts about this? The fact he took a lot of money for little return? The fact he couldnt be bothered or the fact he cared amount England than the club paying his wages!

[NJS 4385]

I alwways did think and still do that he deliberately took it easy when recovering from his broken toe to make sure he was fresh for the world cup thus only playing a couple of games for us - funnily enough I also think his lack of matches at the end of that season probably then contributed to his injury in Germany.

 

So when he says he "tried in every game he played" he's probably telling the truth. Whether he played every game he could is another matter imo.

[KeithJ 0]

I remember sitting in the East Stand vrs Portsmouth. The infamous match we conceded 3 goals in the first 11 minutes. He was poor, shouted at Emre for putting a pass 1 yard in front of him instead of to his feet! For £100k a week I would have sprinted 5 yards to get the pass quicker!

[Monkeys Fist 42442]

Could he not have put the "facts" in his brochure?

[Asprilla 96]

Could he not have put the "facts" in his brochure?

[ChezGiven 0]

The facts are he would have stayed for the rest of his career if we'd offered him another 120k per week contract. The owners were too tight and didnt make him an offer so he had to leave. He didnt want to leave, we didnt make him an offer to stay though. What other facts could possibly be relevant?

 

Apparently we could have let him known about our feelings earlier. By that i think he means we should have booed him when he was playing for us.

[Holden McGroin 6585]

The facts are he would have stayed for the rest of his career if we'd offered him another 120k per week contract. The owners were too tight and didnt make him an offer so he had to leave. He didnt want to leave, we didnt make him an offer to stay though. What other facts could possibly be relevant?

 

Apparently we could have let him known about our feelings earlier. By that i think he means we should have booed him when he was playing for us.

 

Rumours are he was rushed back too quickly by managers in order to save their skin(s).

[Happy Face 29]

"Knew I would get booed as that's what a lot of fans do but if they knew the facts then they may have a different opinion."

 

£202,531 per game

£533,333 per goal

[Giraffidae 0]

MO was doing well for us then he missed several months because he broke his foot and when he did come back — and yes he seemed determined to play for his country in the World Cup — he then knacked his knee at the WC which had to be rebuilt. It was such a bad an injury that we got millions in compensation from the FA and he has never recovered from it since.

 

To treat him as though he was a Marcelino is OTT,

 

if like other players he’d made a few cringey PR comments via the media about how he loves the NE and the fans you’d all have loved him.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Giraffidae

[Happy Face 29]

"Knew I would get booed as that's what a lot of fans do but if they knew the facts then they may have a different opinion."

 

£202,531 per game

£533,333 per goal

 

 

Michael's right, I didn't know the facts, got my sums wrong...

 

Transfer Fee £16m

Wages £120,000 per week

Wages £24.96m Total

Insurance return £10m

Total outlay £30.96m

 

£1,032,000 per goal

[LeazesMag 0]

There must come a point in the career/life of top footballers on these huge sums of money where they become totally blase about it. They think they connect with the general public and 100% believe they are still "the same person" despite their money and fame, as when they were just breaking into the first team at a top club.

 

In MO's case, my guess is that he had got to the stage where he genuinely thinks 80k-110k [whatever it was] was insignificant [not the best word] but he was worth all of that money. When the club wanted him to take a pay cut, he genuinely became very indignant about it and thought the lower offer wasn't what he was worth, despite his fitness record, and his lack of committment to the club off the pitch etc

 

So he stamped his feet. I'm the first to say that the club must sell itself to top players, not the other way around, and have done many many times. However there are always exceptions, I think the club had every right to talk to him about a lesser contract, perhaps based on appearances and fitness, and if he was fair minded he would have accepted this point of view.

 

However, I'm convinced that if KK had continued as manager and he had stayed fit, we would have seen how good he is.

 

Such is football.

 

The booing last night was quite intense, I don't think I've heard any ex player booed like that, but he deserves it tbh. His lack of understanding of why it happened underlines my views above. He is more detached than he realises.

 

This is just my reading, I may be totally wrong.

[Guest alex]

There must come a point in the career/life of top footballers on these huge sums of money where they become totally blase about it. They think they connect with the general public and 100% believe they are still "the same person" despite their money and fame, as when they were just breaking into the first team at a top club.

 

In MO's case, my guess is that he had got to the stage where he genuinely thinks 80k-110k [whatever it was] was insignificant [not the best word] but he was worth all of that money. When the club wanted him to take a pay cut, he genuinely became very indignant about it and thought the lower offer wasn't what he was worth, despite his fitness record, and his lack of committment to the club off the pitch etc

 

So he stamped his feet. I'm the first to say that the club must sell itself to top players, not the other way around, and have done many many times. However there are always exceptions, I think the club had every right to talk to him about a lesser contract, perhaps based on appearances and fitness, and if he was fair minded he would have accepted this point of view.

 

However, I'm convinced that if KK had continued as manager and he had stayed fit, we would have seen how good he is.

 

Such is football.

 

The booing last night was quite intense, I don't think I've heard any ex player booed like that, but he deserves it tbh. His lack of understanding of why it happened underlines my views above. He is more detached than he realises.

 

This is just my reading, I may be totally wrong.

Spot on. Seems disinterested now England have stopped picking him, even at a club like Man Utd. If he had owt about him he'd give away his league winners medal for this season (if he manages to qualify for one) as there's no way he deserves it.

Edited April 20, 2011 by alex

[acrossthepond 877]

The booing last night was quite intense, I don't think I've heard any ex player booed like that, but he deserves it tbh. His lack of understanding of why it happened underlines my views above. He is more detached than he realises.

 

This is just my reading, I may be totally wrong.

 

This was what really did it for me - that he doesn't understand why he was booed. It's because we got nothing out of him. He was always injured, he never looked arsed about what happened to us, he never seemed to put in any effort on the pitch, and he never seemed like he wanted to be at Newcastle. I understand that injuries were not his fault and that naturally the role that he plays was never going to be one that rushes up and down the pitch like a Rooney or some other combative striker, but it all contributes to the fans' perception of him as a waster who collected huge cheques and never had to work for them.

 

Just last night, we saw Lovenkrands rushing about everywhere, even appearing next to Simpson to win back a ball he'd lost in the left channel. This isn't to say that Lovenkrands is as good as Owen or anything like that, but it did display a bit of fighting spirit from a player who plays a similar role to Owen that Owen would simply never have shown. He wanted the ball played to his feet in the box, and I have no doubt that if he'd been in a team that could have done that with more regularity than we were able to for the 4 years we had him, he would've produced a much better goalscoring return. But it just never seemed to click for him that he was a luxury player in a side that could not afford one and that he actually had to graft, and that was one of the reasons why he got the reception he did last night, as well as his terrible showing in the relegation season.

[LeazesMag 0]

The booing last night was quite intense, I don't think I've heard any ex player booed like that, but he deserves it tbh. His lack of understanding of why it happened underlines my views above. He is more detached than he realises.

 

This is just my reading, I may be totally wrong.

 

This was what really did it for me - that he doesn't understand why he was booed. It's because we got nothing out of him. He was always injured, he never looked arsed about what happened to us, he never seemed to put in any effort on the pitch, and he never seemed like he wanted to be at Newcastle. I understand that injuries were not his fault and that naturally the role that he plays was never going to be one that rushes up and down the pitch like a Rooney or some other combative striker, but it all contributes to the fans' perception of him as a waster who collected huge cheques and never had to work for them.

 

Just last night, we saw Lovenkrands rushing about everywhere, even appearing next to Simpson to win back a ball he'd lost in the left channel. This isn't to say that Lovenkrands is as good as Owen or anything like that, but it did display a bit of fighting spirit from a player who plays a similar role to Owen that Owen would simply never have shown. He wanted the ball played to his feet in the box, and I have no doubt that if he'd been in a team that could have done that with more regularity than we were able to for the 4 years we had him, he would've produced a much better goalscoring return. But it just never seemed to click for him that he was a luxury player in a side that could not afford one and that he actually had to graft, and that was one of the reasons why he got the reception he did last night, as well as his terrible showing in the relegation season.

 

agreed.

[JawD 99]

The bloke hasnt got a clue. But he is emotionless, the guys a fucking robot. We got relegated and it was like he couldnt give a fuck. Back in his copter to the north west or wherever, another day another £ earned. If he thinks he gave his all in every game then he was more injured then we realised cos in my opnion those last few games he was just going through the motions.

 

I can forgive him for the injuries, it's the lack of being arsed about our relegation, as captian, thats fucked me off.

 

His attitude is just shit, it's like football owes him or something.

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

The fact he "didn't expect it" and his comment "one boo's the others follow" sum up how out of touch he actually is with the fans. It is fucking embarrassing, on his part.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Anorthernsoul

[Gemmill 44879]

Re the relegation, I bet he was told by the same freak that wrote his brochure to distance himself from it - not good for the brand. Not that that excuses him not making any public statement as club captain.

[Ugly Mackems 133]

After his injury v Tottenham he played virtually no part in the remainder of that season. From Xmas to May he put in how many minutes on the pitch?

 

If the tail wasn't wagging the dog then then the dog should really have said 'you are not fit enough to play for NUFC you are not fit enough to go to the WC' If he didn't like it he should have been told to fuck off.

 

Blame NUFC for his subsequent injury and long term lay-off.

 

I agree he is a little shitstain of a man though.

[adios 717]

"Knew I would get booed as that's what a lot of fans do but if they knew the facts then they may have a different opinion."

 

£202,531 per game

£533,333 per goal

 

 

Michael's right, I didn't know the facts, got my sums wrong...

 

Transfer Fee £16m

Wages £120,000 per week

Wages £24.96m Total

Insurance return £10m

Total outlay £30.96m

 

£1,032,000 per goal

good posts, all the details of a nuanced argument covered there

[Happy Face 29]

"Knew I would get booed as that's what a lot of fans do but if they knew the facts then they may have a different opinion."

 

£202,531 per game

£533,333 per goal

 

 

Michael's right, I didn't know the facts, got my sums wrong...

 

Transfer Fee £16m

Wages £120,000 per week

Wages £24.96m Total

Insurance return £10m

Total outlay £30.96m

 

£1,032,000 per goal

good posts, all the details of a nuanced argument covered there

 

Why thank you. I didn't think it was THAT good. But it did say more than your post didn't it.

[Tooj 17]

 

What a nob.

[Lazarus 0]

"Knew I would get booed as that's what a lot of fans do but if they knew the facts then they may have a different opinion."

 

£202,531 per game

£533,333 per goal

 

 

Michael's right, I didn't know the facts, got my sums wrong...

 

Transfer Fee £16m

Wages £120,000 per week

Wages £24.96m Total

Insurance return £10m

Total outlay £30.96m

 

£1,032,000 per goal

 

you should also take into account the £10million in compensation received from the fa and the fact that we never actually paid £16-£17million for him as part of the fee was offset against money still owed by real madrid from the woodgate deal.

[Howmanheyman 33203]

So little Michael Owen was a bit put out that he got a heap of scorn poured down at him from the stands when he came on as a sub and seems a bit surprised? Apart from never wanting to be here, apart from being injured a lot, apart from only being bothered about Ingurland, apart from missing a load of glaring sitters which might have kept us up in the run in, apart from stating it was a 'shame Newcastle got relegated' a few weeks after the event, apart from getting his agent to put out a lovely glossy brochure for clubs to read about how good he is as we were awaiting our new fixture list to see when we'd go to Doncaster, Scunthorpe etc, apart from being the worst Captain I've ever seen at my club, (take a look at Kevin Nolan to see how a Captain should really go on), apart from being pound for pound the worst ever signing in our history, (and given the competition, that's no mean feat!) Apart from being a cold fish who just didn't 'get' NUFC or gel with the support.............Then yes, I'm a bit surprised as well.

 

I'd love it, really love it, (to coin a phrase), if SAF told him he wasn't fit to be at MUFC even on a play-as-you-play deal and watch him squirm as no big club would touch him. I'd love to see him end up at Stoke listening to Tony Pulis give team talks with his baseball cap on.

[Jusoda Kid 1]

As someone on skunkers put it last night 'I hope he swallows his tongue'

[adios 717]

"Knew I would get booed as that's what a lot of fans do but if they knew the facts then they may have a different opinion."

 

£202,531 per game

£533,333 per goal

 

 

Michael's right, I didn't know the facts, got my sums wrong...

 

Transfer Fee £16m

Wages £120,000 per week

Wages £24.96m Total

Insurance return £10m

Total outlay £30.96m

 

£1,032,000 per goal

good posts, all the details of a nuanced argument covered there

 

Why thank you. I didn't think it was THAT good. But it did say more than your post didn't it.

only if you're a fucking autist who likes to post meaningless numbers and can't read between the lines.

 

those numbers are relevant to the two major injuries he suffered, without which he would have been a good signing, and speak nothing of the reasons why the bloke is actually a prick.