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Is Michael Owen on a pay as you play deal at United ? because if not they are stupid.Comment
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Oh dear...Michael Owen has completed his surprise move to Manchester United after the free agent signed a two-year deal with the Premier League champions.
The 29-year-old ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid striker's contract with Newcastle ended earlier this week.
"Michael is a world-class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level," said United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Owen had also been linked with Everton, Aston Villa, Stoke and Hull.
But instead he becomes United's second summer signing after the recent addition of Antonio Valencia from Wigan.
"Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish," added Ferguson.
Owen said United's interest in him came as a surprise, adding: "I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me.
"I agreed without a moment's thought. This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands.
OWEN FACTFILE
ENGLAND 89 games, 40 goals
LIVERPOOL (Trainee - August 2004) 297 games, 158 goals
REAL MADRID (August 2004 - August 2005) 40 games, 14 goals
NEWCASTLE (August 2005 - July 2009) 79 games, 30 goals
"I am now looking forward to being a Manchester United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here.
"I missed pre-season last year and am pleased that I will be starting from day one.
"I'd like to think that everyone was quite surprised with my medical.
"I've obviously passed them before, and my fitness is high. A lot is made out of it but I certainly don't feel like I'm injury prone.
"I want to thank Sir Alex for the faith he has shown in me and I give him my assurance that I will repay him with my goals and performances."
Owen had checks on an old knee injury in London on Thursday before undergoing a full medical at the private Bridgewater Hospital in Manchester on Friday.
He has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, suffering with groin, ankle, thigh, hernia, metatarsal and knee ligament problems.
The 2001 European footballer of the year has dropped out of the England squad, but a move to United gives Owen the chance to revitalise his career, even if it involved accepting a lower basic salary.
It was reported by the Press Association that Ferguson has struck a pay-as-you-play deal, with the player also taking a significant salary cut from the £110,000-a-week wages he was said to be on at St James' Park.
Ferguson has been a long time admirer of Michael Owen and has decided to gamble on the striker who has proven himself a prolific scorer at both club and international level when fit.
Since losing the Champions League final to Barcelona at the end of May, Manchester United have sold forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for £80m and failed to persuade striker Carlos Tevez to stay at Old Trafford.
The departure of those two players has left United manager Sir Alex Ferguson with a shortage of strikers, with Fraizer Campbell also likely to be sold.
United have been linked with Lyon striker Karim Benzema, who is set to join Real, while Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery has been linked with a move to the Madrid club rather than the English champions.
Owen made 79 appearances for the Magpies and scored 30 goals in four seasons at St James' Park.
But an ankle injury and groin operation severely disrupted his final year at the club, with the last of his 10 league goals for the 2008-09 campaign coming against West Ham on 10 January.
Ferguson has previously shown his willingness to take a chance on players like the enigmatic Eric Cantona or stars that have suffered serious injury problems like Henrik Larsson.
Pete Spencer, sports editor of the Manchester Evening News, said: "It is a bold move. It could put them at risk of the fans mocking them because they've missed out on Benzema and Ribery.
"Owen will have a lot to do make sure that he overcomes the natural hatred between Manchester United and Liverpool, although he has been at Newcastle for some time.
"United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has a record of older players doing well at United and if Owen has got anything like the pace he had before then he should be a hit. Who's to argue with Sir Alex Ferguson?"
And former Liverpool striker Ian Rush admitted he would have liked to have seen Owen return to Anfield, saying: "Personally, I'd like to have seen him at Liverpool but they haven't lost their best strikers. Rafael Benitez will be happy with what he's got.
"I know the way he is and he doesn't have to prove anything anyway. It's a chance for Michael to get back and score some goals. He'll get chances for Manchester United and will score goals."
Even so, the move for Owen represents something of a gamble for Ferguson, given Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce ruled out a move for the striker earlier this week because of concerns over his fitness.
"I just question the injury scenario," said Allardyce.
"I need a striker that's going to be available for 30 games next season. That's not happened for Michael over the last four years."
After Newcastle were relegated to the Championship, Owen expressed his desire to remain in the Premier League.
The Wasserman Media Group (WMG), the management company that represents him, sent out a brochure to a number of clubs reminding them of the talent that resulted in the striker scoring 158 goals in 297 games for Liverpool and 40 goals in 89 appearances for England.
Owen's move to Old Trafford could revive the former Liverpool striker's hopes of resurrecting his international hopes and taking part in the 2010 World Cup, especially as he will now be playing alongside England striker Wayne Rooney.
He has been marginalised by England manager Fabio Capello and has won just one cap under the Italian, as a substitute in the 1-0 friendly defeat by France in Paris on 26 March, 2008.
Owen's exploits in helping Liverpool to victory in the FA Cup, Uefa Cup and League Cup in the 2000/2001 season led to his European footballer of the year award in December 2001.
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Originally posted by Demise View PostOh dear...
It was reported by the Press Association that Ferguson has struck a pay-as-you-play deal, with the player also taking a significant salary cut from the £110,000-a-week wages he was said to be on at St James' Park.
Its worth the risk provided the above is true.Comment
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Originally posted by Demise View PostStill.
He's damaged goods.
Id take a punt on him on a free transfer pay as you play, would you?
Interesting article.
England boss Fabio Capello believes Manchester United can rejuvenate Michael Owen’s career
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By Martin Lipton 4/07/2009
Michael Owen (Pic:AP)
Fabio Capello believes Manchester United can rejuvenate Michael Owen’s career – and give England a huge World Cup boost.
Owen has been the forgotten man of England since Capello took charge, restricted to just one 45-minute run-out against France in March 2008.
But the England boss feels the striker’s shock switch to Old Trafford can breathe new life into Owen and hand him a better chance of leading the country to glory in South Africa next summer.
Capello will monitor him intensively next season, looking for signs that Sir Alex Ferguson has indeed pulled off a master-stroke by bringing the 29-year-old to United just as it appeared he was running out of options. Capello remains to be convinced that Owen really can recapture the form and sharpness that made him a crucial member of the national squad from France 98 onwards.
The England boss does, however, feel that if anybody can unlock the talent within Owen, it is Fergie. And if Owen consistently finds the back of the net for United, that will put him back into the World Cup equation.
Capello has told close friends that he views the move as a very positive development both for the player and England, hoping that a refocused Owen can bring him an unexpected bonus in World Cup year.
But the Italian will expect to see a dramatic improvement in the star’s play after he appeared lost and listless as Newcastle’s survival hopes withered and died.
If the improvement happens, then Capello is ready to give the striker the chance to close in on Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 49 goals and play in his fourth World Cup.
However, he will expect Owen to show more humility than he did in Paris.
Capello recognises Owen’s international record – he has 40 goals in 89 matches – but the coach has never hidden his misgivings over the front-runner’s all-round contribution. His view was simple – if Owen did not score then England were effectively playing with 10 men.
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That perception seemed more than harsh, but Capello had an extra reason for his approach. He believed the rest of the squad had developed a dependency complex, feeling that if “Mo” was not available to bail them out, nobody could deliver the goals required. That thinking clearly irked Owen, who vented his frustrations after his half-time substitution in Paris.
Owen said: “You had better ask the manager what he is trying to achieve. You ask him.
“In terms of what he is trying to do, you’d best ask him. Every player wants to play but for now I’m not. I am sure he has seen me play before.”
Owen’s subsequent pull-out, citing illness when he was seen enjoying himself at Chester races, for the summer friendlies with the USA and Trinidad and Tobago, was a massive own goal, reinforcing Capello’s initial instincts.
But as England romped through their World Cup qualifying campaign without Owen, Capello was ready to let bygones be bygones. After all, take away Wayne Rooney, and how many world class strikers do England have? Not many. Not any, probably, with Emile Heskey an unlikely line leader and Capello having doubts about Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Had Owen started and scored for Newcastle in either of their last two Premier League games against Fulham and Aston Villa, he would have been recalled for the summer games against Kazakhstan and Andorra.
The fact that Toon boss Alan Shearer left him out, giving Owen just 24 minutes at Villa Park, gave Capello little option but to omit him again.
It looked as if the one-time emblem of English football was seeing his career peter out. All that changed when Ferguson made first contact.
Expect to see Capello at Old Trafford very early next term.Comment
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I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, you've convinced me Dynamite!
I hope Ferguson plays him a lot though.
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Originally posted by Demise View PostI'll give him the benefit of the doubt, you've convinced me Dynamite!
I hope Ferguson plays him a lot though.
TBH i did not see him much last season, so i dont know how poor he was.
If he was willing to drop his wages and play on a pay as you play basis then.........maybe he might have a bit more incentive and drive to want to succeed at United.
I suspect Owen might have been a bit uninspired turning out for the bar-codes everyweek, especially when he did not even want to go there, he only went there because no one else was willing to take a risk on him because of his inury record, which is understandable.
IMO one of Owen's main assets has always been his mentality, he is mentality very strong, he has to be i mean many other players would of given up a long time ago with the injury's/set backs he has had.Comment
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I'm hoping (but doubting lol) and if it happens i will laugh my ass off....if owen stays fit, for at least most the season and scored loads of goals....That would be hilarious, But hes the white louis saha...he aint gona stay fit....somin will hav 2 happenComment
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