Would You Like Owen Back At Anfield

[Fan65]

A fit Michael Owen is a great player at club and international level ..Proven

It is well discussed that we need a top finisher

He's Liverpool through and through and strengthens the backbone of the team Carra, Stevie and Michael

He's a real worker in the Rafa mould.

We supposedly have the funds

How can anyone not want him back ???????

[Mumsafan]

A fit Michael Owen is a great player at club and international level ..Proven

It is well discussed that we need a top finisher

He's Liverpool through and through and strengthens the backbone of the team Carra, Stevie and Michael

He's a real worker in the Rafa mould.

We supposedly have the funds

How can anyone not want him back ???????

His injury record isn't too good is it?

[Red_Polo]

...and does he have the right mentality?

[Xabi_is_God]

Could Michael Owen be on his way back to Liverpool?
Mon, Apr 16, 07 13:34
Tom Harness

The back-to-fitness striker will not be relishing a season of mediocrity at Newcastle so it's a question of which of the big four has the biggest cheque book.
At the moment it is all speculation by the media linking him to a move to Manchester United, but a fully-fit Michael Owen would be a target for all the top clubs. The problem is, has he left his injury-plagued history behind him? Will any club be willing to invest the money and take the chance that they can rely on him to be able to play the majority of games in a season?

It is a huge risk. Even if he plays and stays injury free from now until the end of the season, because of his history, would many people be surprised if he broke down again at the start of next season? If he is bought by one of the top four, that club will be taking a huge gamble, but if he has overcome his injuries and can stay fit then the club that signs him will have one of the most prolific and proven strikers in the history of the Premiership.

Its not hard to believe the media stories that Sir ,Alex Ferguson is interested in the former Liverpool player, and an in-form, injury-free Owen would once again become one of the top strikers in the league. Chelsea are always after players and sometimes it's about not letting the competition sign them. Owen paired with Didier Drogba would be an attacking force most teams would fear.

Arsenal are the team most in need of a proven goal getter, so I suspect they will be more interested in his medical reports than anyone. They need someone apart from Thierry Henry to spearhead their attack; everything else at the club is good but they just cannot put the ball in the net. The pressure is on Arsene Wenger for results.

The last of the four is Liverpool, by far the most complicated transfer destination for Owen. Liverpool also need a prolific striker; as much as I rate Dirk Kuyt and as hard-working as he is, he seems to better suited to setting up play and providing chances for other players than an all-out goal getter. A 20-plus-a-season Premiership scorer is what we need. Owen would fit that bill perfectly but there is a little bit of baggage to this grand reunion.

Owen's departure from Anfield left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Liverpool fans. His reluctance to sign a new contract meant Liverpool were held to ransom and forced to sell him for only £8m to Real Madrid with only months left on his contract. It was not all his fault; Liverpool should have sealed the deal earlier in the year or sold him in time for Rafa Benitez to replace him, but still we were left starting the season one striker short .

It seemed like justice when we won the Champions League without him while he spent most of the season on the bench at the Bernabeu. He eventually forced his way into the team and actually had the highest goals-per-minutes-played ratio in La Liga. He also came through the season nearly injury free from playing fewer games, so maybe Benitez`s rotation system would help with his injury problems.

All this would be a tough on Newcastle United, who paid £16m for a man who has only played 11 games so far for them. But Owen will want to play Champions League football and there very little indication that he will get it on Tyneside.

Owen has never endeared himself to the Anfield crowd in the way that Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher have done, but he has produced some great displays and created wonderful memories; the FA Cup victory over Arsenal in 2001 will always be the Michael Owen final.

Liverpool now have other options - Samuel Eto`o and David Villa are names that keep cropping up. They are the best that Europe have to offer right now, but it normally takes a season or two for these players to adjust to the Premiership. With Owen, this is not a problem - he was educated in our league and knows what it takes to succeed.

Owen`s first choice would be a move back to Anfield, but sadly for him I think one of the other three teams are going to be more interested in him. Liverpool now have the resources they need to at last make a proper challenge for the title and after so many false dawns it's just too risky bringing the little striker back home.

Where do you think Michael Owen will end up? Send your views to Sportingo.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Did he stall on a new contract in the same way as Stevie Gerrard did Sheiky?

Owen ****ed off, Gerrard never though Spion.

Would I consider Gerrard a **** if he had ****ed off to Chelsea that summer?

You bet I would.

[Xabi_is_God]

Owen ****ed off, Gerrard never though Spion.

Would I consider Gerrard a **** if he had ****ed off to Chelsea that summer?

You bet I would.

the fact that gerrard decided to go and then changed his mind and stayed is almost as bad for me. Iv never looked at gerrard the same since. il always support him as a liverpool player but il never forget that he wanted to leave

[IrishPaul]

the fact that gerrard decided to go and then changed his mind and stayed is almost as bad for me. Iv never looked at gerrard the same since. il always support him as a liverpool player but il never forget that he wanted to leave

Hmmm, afraid I've gotta disagree with ye there Xabi. Gerrard didn't really want to leave, if that was the case then he would be a Chav player right now. It was more like he felt that he might have to go before he was pushed out cos he didn't think Rafa rated him over possible transfer funds but as we know now it was one big **** up which consisted of Gerrard being insecure cos Rafa didn't pamper him like GH did and Rafa not being a huggy type of manager, add to that some miscommunication regarding his new contract and bingo, a mountain was made from a molehill. SG and Rafa now know each others ways a lot better and IMO it's obvious that they now have a good working relationship.


Owen on the other hand (as much as I respect what he did while playing for us) was just a little bollix who got above his station, promised many times that he was signing a new contract, tried it on with a new manager who obviously thought 'Right **** you, if you don't wanna play for us then **** off but I'll get some money for you rather than letting you go for free in the summer' Owen then appears in Madrid with his 'Its great to sign for the world's greatest club' bull**** and the rest is history.

[Fivex]

Yes please. He has to improve what we have at the mo

[Milan_Milan]

Owen's a goalscorer. We need one. There isn't a better one available for the same money. I heard on 5 live the other day that Dr Steadman or whatever that american bloke is called, said that his op was one of the best he'd done and that he expected him to be fully fit, and in fact injury free for the first time in a few years.

I'd take him in a heartbeat if that £12m fee is correct, plus you know Rafa wouldn't let him get too big for his boots.

[Diego]

Show me exactly where I said that. You can't because I didn't. Don't twist my words or plain lie to try and prove your point.

The question is; does he improve our first team. The answer is a resounding yes for me. In which case regardless of the supposed baggage that some of you think he carries - laughable when compared to Pennant and Bellamy - at the right price he would be a good signing.

sorry but the only thing you can read out of what you said is that, the only thing that matter is the quality he brings and not the baggage. theres simply no other way of understandin that...

[marcus50bucks]

sorry but the only thing you can read out of what you said is that, the only thing that matter is the quality he brings and not the baggage. theres simply no other way of understandin that...

Agreed.

[Nicey]

In Short Yes, use to hate how Liverpool Fc was a One Man Owen team, but times they have moved on and imho we are a 18 man team these days and Owen .. Does the Business at the very highest 20 lg plus level

[AFII]

MICHAEL OWEN returns from his injury hell, vowing: "I'm not just back - I'm back stronger and better than ever."

Owen's nightmare will end when he steps out for Newcastle at Reading's Madejski Stadium on Monday week.

And he promises to show Toon fans and all of England what they have been missing since his World Cup ended in agony last summer.

Owen, 27, said: "I have had 10 months out and had to grit my teeth and work long hours to get back.

"Lots of people can come back from a cruciate injury, but not many people come back BETTER from a cruciate injury. I don't THINK it has been a blessing in disguise ... I KNOW it has.

"I am positive this break has happened for a reason and it will prolong my career and allow me to play into my mid-30s rather than my early 30s."

Owen had set his heart on returning to face Chelsea this afternoon, but a minor groin injury meant Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder was not prepared to risk him.

So the comeback has been delayed and Reading will be his first competitive appearance since being carried off only four minutes into England's match against Sweden in Cologne last June.

After a season working one-to-one with consultant physiotherapist John Green, Owen is more like the Bionic Man.

He said: "I had two operations on my knee, so I spent a few-months in a brace. I'd broken my foot prior to that, so I had four major operations in a year.

"Add all that together and I'd been sitting on my backside for too long, so it wasn't just my leg which needed rehabilitation, it was my whole body.

"I had hamstring problems in my early days, so they needed building up, too. I was having medical care at the club but then, suddenly, we had about 18 first-team players injured.

"The priority had to be with players who were as close to playing as possible, not with someone who was several months away from playing.

"Everyone agreed I needed one-on-one attention to make sure my recovery was right so Glenn introduced me to John, who had got Kieron Dyer back in great shape.

"We hit it off straight away and it went from there. John has made it enjoyable and, thanks to him, I shall come back stronger.

"His particular area of expertise is what is called high-level functional rehabilitation. Your waist and abdominal area is very important.

"I'm not talking about having a six-pack, it's the collective contraction of the torso and hips - as your upper body strength is important for holding people off on the pitch.

"It's a bit like when a sprinter comes out of the blocks, the power is generated when the upper and lower body work together.

"We did a lot of work on that in the gym to develop that connection and I now feel as if I have got that extra strength in my upper body."

As that other Toon icon Paul Gascoigne will tell you, a cruciate ligament injury can be destroying both physically and mentally, but such is the strength of character of Owen, he has turned the experience into a bright new dawn.

He added: "I know for a fact that when I was 17 or 18 there wasn't anybody quicker than me in the league.

"In my heart of hearts I know I'm not as quick as I was then, but I'm quicker than I have been for the last two of three years and I can do more.

"OK, so I am not built like Alan Shearer - I am small and quick, but you get what you are given in life and I have been given this body and I have to make the most of it.

"People will find it difficult to knock me off the ball, they can't shoulder-barge me too easily because I am low and nippy.

"Having speed and agility is good, but strength is important, too."

Green - physiotherapy's Mr Fix-it, who will come to England's aid next by working with West Ham striker Dean Ashton - says Owen's new build reminds him of Diego Maradona in his prime. And sitting just a couple of feet across the table from Owen, you can sense his burning desire to play again.

He said: "I have been dreaming about running on to the pitch for the first time and getting an ovation from the Newcastle fans, then that feeling of scoring my first goal.

"I am looking forward to the whole experience - it is going to be an exciting time."

CLICKY - People

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Does the Business at the very highest 20 lg plus level

He's never scored 20+ league goals in his career. Ever.

[Johnny]

I don`t want him back,we should be looking for an injury free YOUNG talent that will be with us for yrs.Owen is only a short term remedy to our striking problems.