Saint Mike is back.

[Reece]

How many times are you going to discuss the same topic? He is not even a liverpool player anymore. It's been done to death yet people love to these threads. I haven't commented on an Owen thread for a while now but just wanted to make a couple of points.

And excellent points they were

[marcus50bucks]

And excellent points they were

[Neil Young]

What do you mean exactly? Hand on heart do you really believe Owen didn't mislead the fans? Ok, he didn't categorically say he would sign a new contract but he was clearly intimating this would be the case.

How many times did we all see Owen on sky news stating contract talks were going well, even to the point where he confirmed he is as close as ever to signing a new contract? For me as a liverpool fan, I took that as a clear indication he wanted to stay. However behind closed doors I firmly believe Owen was keeping his options open. I also believe he was shifting the goal posts.

DJS, I really cannot undertsand how you amongst others can defend the way Owen treated us.

As one of those you might be referring to, let me answer that. The comment I've highlighted is where the problem is. As a Liverpool fan it was obvious to me at the time that Owen was keeping his options open and he wasn't necessarily going to stay. If I may say so, your desire for him stay made you interpret his words optimistically. Them when it didn't turn out as you wanted, you naturally felt he'd let you down.

He never lied. If he misled people it's because they wanted themselves to be misled. He's a professional. If he had signed a longer contract then it's perfectly possible Madrid wouldn't have signed him or at least the terms would have been less generous for him. Why should he go out of his way to earn less money or constrain his career just so the multimillion pound business that is Liverpool FC could get more money for him? As it is the club made a profit on him anyway.

If you could negotiate a lower price when buying a replica shirt from the club shop would you do it? If so there is no moral difference between that and what Owen did.

[Reece]

I can't believe this thread is still going. I haven't read it all, but I bet it is just the same arguments by the same people over and over again.

[Maestro]

Bump

[Reece]

Idiot

[tomasjj]

Football is all about emotion, even if the business element is strong.

[marcus50bucks]

He 'treated' us just like footballers treat most things. He said what he said, either because it was true at the time and circumstances changed, or because he wanted to be misleading. I dont know for sure which it was.

But the point is, that happens in football, and i can accept that. It was 3 years ago and i'm well over it. I dont hold any kind of grudge or anything.

As for the prospect of him coming back, i dont think about things like that with emotions. Business is business and if Owen returning to LFC is best for the club, then i'd want it to happen. We're not doing him any favours, he'd be back to score goals for US, and he would do.

So you are basically saying no blame goes to Owen at all for the way he left us? For me both Owen and the board have to take some responsibiliy for the way this contract saga was handled.

Anyway each to their own, I am not going to force you to admit Owen has to take some blame. If you don't see, you don't see it. Each to their own.

[Maestro]

Football is all about emotion, even if the business element is strong.

If you play around with the word order there, we could have a yoda saying:

"Football about emotion it is, even if business element strong it be"

[Monkeywool]

sorry but that's wrong, macca was a key part of the first team in his first season or so at madrid. he was a casualty of the galactico policy after that. nothing to do with ability, all to do with marketing. makelele was another victim. two chamions league medals, and a couple la liga titles- i think that is pretty successful

Hmmmm but only a season or two then being frozen out and being flogged to city? Don't know if that is a glittering career, sure he won medals in the two years he played, then he was discarded

[Monkeywool]

So you are basically saying no blame goes to Owen at all for the way he left us? For me both Owen and the board have to take some responsibiliy for the way this contract saga was handled.

Anyway each to their own, I am not going to force you to admit Owen has to take some blame. If you don't see, you don't see it. Each to their own.

Thing is he never lied, I never heard him once say he was staying and he could have been signing a contract the day after Madrid's bid for all you know. After the board screwed up with McManaman I don't think they wanted to make the same mistake, especially as Benitez wanted funds for Alonso so they took it straight away just in case the contract wouldn't get signed. I think Owen was genuinely gutted he left.

[marcus50bucks]

Thing is he never lied, I never heard him once say he was staying and he could have been signing a contract the day after Madrid's bid for all you know. After the board screwed up with McManaman I don't think they wanted to make the same mistake, especially as Benitez wanted funds for Alonso so they took it straight away just in case the contract wouldn't get signed. I think Owen was genuinely gutted he left.

:whatever:

Get yourself off to work fella. Remember to book those days off I told you about.

[Neil Young]

Football is all about emotion, even if the business element is strong.

Is that a Hicks/Gillett quote?

[Monkeywool]

:whatever:

Get yourself off to work fella. Remember to book those days off I told you about.

The joys of a friday...

[tomasjj]

Is that a Hicks/Gillett quote?

Maybe...
They have a good PR advisor you know