The first goal of the new owners of Newcastle United will be to sign up Michael Owen on a new contract.
Michael Owen – hey, I’m going to stay – I’m already half Geordie
The Daily Mirror is reporting today that Michael Owen will delay contract negotiations until the end of the season. But we don’t know ewhere the information comes from, and if that’;s true, that will only mean he wants to leave the club.
We would hope that Michael will sign a new contract once the new owners and manager are in place at the club, and things have settled down a bit. It would be good for the new owners to also describe their long term strategy for the club.
Michael has shown this year that he’s prepared to graft for the side, and he’s been rather impressive as captain since last January, and it looks like he is willing to take responsibility for the playing side of things at the club. He’s also been very responsible, down to earth and positive, as well as a calming figure in these last few weeks.
If Kevin Keegan comes back as manager, it will, be almost certain Michael will stay at the club, but if it’s somebody else, other than Shearer, then it’s probably a toss up as to whether he will stay.
But we hope Michael stays at Newcastle United, he’s a great player and every club needs a marquee player, and Owen is certainly ours.
Comments welcome.
72 responses so far ↓
1 irish_al // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Can’t blame him, wait until the end of his contract and see what interest there is
Can’t see many teams offering him more than we would though
2 irish_al // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:15 PM
running that helicopter of his can’t be cheap
3 Terry // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:23 PM
I seriously had a dream last night that he joined Aston Villa, and it’s something I could kinda see happening if they were willing to pay his huge wages.
4 NYCNick // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:25 PM
I don’t see how a new owner could do anything BUT sign owen to a new deal…along with solidifying the manager position, it’s the most important stabilizing move to be made
5 SwedEric // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:25 PM
Would understand him if he left. If he keep produce the goals like he does atm, then many clubs would be after him, and who can blame a guy to leave a club who is trying to get in the top 10, and at the same time it´s a big crisis at the club going on?
Realy hope he stays! Big name, and just look at his goal per match ratio… Saw it was something like 11 goals in his last 15 games for the club… Adebayor, Torres, Drogba, Berbatov and Rooney would dream about that! Even if they might not be that much behind…
6 Hadrian // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:36 PM
cant see micheal staying tbh , he needs tobe playing champions league football and theres no chance here .
7 Toon_Ksk // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:36 PM
Owen owes the club. He only served 1/4 of his contract so far, the rest of the time he was injured. I hope he realises that and repays the club with another 3 years of loyalty.
8 ObaFan2 // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:39 PM
Owen could well be on his way out of the club unless a miracle new buyer can come in and sort our club out quickly.
Owen’s goal to game ratio is excellent but that can’t be said about his actual game appearances for our club in the time he’s been here.
9 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:43 PM
owen deserves to be playing at a big club! he has wasted years of a short carreer at newcastle . he wants to win trophies and to be honest he wont do that at newcastle. i expect spurs to resurrect the deal that fell through during the last transfer window and i wish him well. he is to good to be battling relegation.
10 Micky Toon // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:47 PM
Ha ha. AO you spud. How can you say we are going to be in a relegation battle and not spurs? You are below us in the league and don’t look like moving anywhere soon. You messed up by letting your two best players go and over paid for the players you bought in.
In case anyone doesn’t know AO is a spurs fan, yet posts on here as though he is a geordie.
11 ObaFan2 // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:47 PM
Lol like he’ll win trophies @ Spurs or they’ll pay him what he wants lmao. and yes b4 you say they did win the lesser cup last season
they must be so good then.
12 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:54 PM
firstly i am a geordie. and if you think he would have more chance of winning silverware here than at spurs you are foolish. to start with we are only in one cup and spurs are in 3!
Obafan- it might be a lesser cup to you but the majority of fans on here would give there right arm to see us lift a cup. any trophy that gets you into europe is important in my opinion.
13 Micky Toon // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:57 PM
AO – No one on here would say that spurs are a bigger or better club than NUFC unless they were a makem or a spurs fan. You are a spurs fan.
14 ObaFan2 // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:58 PM
lol some Geordie you are but i agree with MT you’re another nando or have nando tendancies.
15 Lacedaemonian // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:01 PM
I would not be interested in winning the league cup. Arsenal play their kids in it.
16 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:01 PM
mickey toon – i have supported the club for 40 years. i am not blinkered and realise that we are not as big as spurs. if we were we would have won a trophy in my lifetime. very sad but true.
they are playing in europe as we speak while our players probably have another day off.
17 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:03 PM
lacedemonian- arsenal have earned the right to play there kids in the cup. it is the only cup we realisticly have a chance of competing for. or did till we got knocked out.
18 irish_al // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:05 PM
AO has made valid points, we are 1 place ahead of them in the league but that doesn’t mean much
Hull were in the top four
spurs are probably as big a team as newcastle, we just have a bigger stadium
He way or may not be a spurs fan
19 ObaFan2 // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:05 PM
Come out the closset.. be loud be proud.. even if that means ur a Geordie Spurs fan…
20 I Made 1000 // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:06 PM
he wont stay
21 Tom_Toon // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:07 PM
AO – YOU ARE FERNANDO, YOU EVEN SAID IT YOURSELF ON ANOTHER THREAD.
NOW DO US ALL A FAVOUR AND DIE.
K
22 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:08 PM
oba- what are you baseing our greatness on. 40 years i have followed mediocrity. if you are 100 and saw us win trophies i take it back
23 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:12 PM
tomtoon- do us all a favour and die???
that comment shows me all i need to know about your age.
Do you know how to have a grown up conversation?
i have made valid points that no one can argue with
24 micepie // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:19 PM
I’m dwelling on a totally random idea – why don’t the club invite fans to apply to be a scout for particular countries throughout the world for reasonable wages? Research would be done on going to games, of course, but also being given a permit to visit training grounds (of the lower profile clubs) and word-of-mouth on the streets. So that, say, TomToon would be a representative in Uruguay and for his scouting services would be given a quality apartment, beer vouchers, a good supply of ex-Pat products like Marmite and a reasonable wage. Ed Speed might be given a penthouse in a pagoda in China etc etc. A Toon fan for every football-mad nation everywhere except Iraq, a few less-stable African countries etc unless there were enough Toon chaps with an intrepid bulldog spirit about them.
Possible team for Sunday, if the injury situation goes well:
GIVEN, BEYE, ENRIQUE, BASSONG, TAYLOR, COLO (df MF), GUTHRIE, GEREMI (if Beye is fit), ZOG, DUFF, OWEN
SUBS – HARPER, EDGAR, CACAPA, BUTT, LUA LUA, AMOEBI, XISCO.
25 kelvin // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:20 PM
owen won’t go to spurs unless it’s for money, but don’t spurs have a wage cap? i can’t see anyone outside the big 4 realistically who would pay his massive wages (except maybe man city). he’ll stay or go for a reduced wage.
26 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:23 PM
i reckon he would take a paycut to go. surely trophies are more important than wages at this stage of his carreer
27 am sick of this // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:25 PM
will be tragic if Owen does go we lost the right to scream Owen us the first 3 years of his contract the minute the club tried to sell him to spurs on the last day of the window
i just hope the owners pay what it takes to keep Owen
28 am sick of this // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:26 PM
sorry new owners pay what it takes
29 irish_al // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:27 PM
i reckon he’ll sign for everton or possibly liverpool on 80k a week
30 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:27 PM
am sick of this- and the fact owen wanted to go to spurs has stopped me cheering his name.
31 AndyNUFC // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:28 PM
Anybody that thinks Owen is staying is deluded. So he’s got a choice, stay with this joke of a club, or walk straight into a top four team, free of charge, money straight to him, and a big fat salary. He’s ONE OF our best players, but that doesn’t make him loyal, far from it.
32 AO // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:31 PM
problem is i think he would walk to any team in the uefa aswell. including pompey.
33 capt. darlin // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:33 PM
Owen will be gone in January….. anyone who thinks different has been drinking petrol
34 irish_al // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:34 PM
i think he’ll be looking to move back to the northwest, save on kerosene
35 am sick of this // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:35 PM
AO not sure Owen wanted to go to spurs the fact that he went ballistic when he found out the club tried to sell him kinda contradicts that
but hey this is newcastle united were talking about and as fans were always last to know the truth especially under this regime
36 Ganiyu // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Remember before owen there was a competition called champions league
37 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:41 PM
capt.darlin – that must mean I’ve been drinking petrol!! if Owen does go he will wait until the end of the season!! because it comes down to who gets the transfer fee! although he will be going on a free! that means he’ll get the money for himself and not if he is still here Ashley!!
38 am sick of this // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:41 PM
also there has to be relative good chance he will stay as this will be Owens last major contract
and out side of Manchester there’s probably only
Chelsea could afford his current wages
spurs and the gunners both have wage caps
39 The Sloper // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:47 PM
Any new owners who would hand Michael Owen the sort of contract he is after, at this stage in his career and after so many injuries, should not be owners.
40 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:47 PM
the only way he will stay and sign a new contract is dependent upon who buys the club, the manager who they bring in the players they buy and the structure! hope he does stay but unsure and wouldnt blame him if he left! Likely bids will come from man city or the north west!!
41 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Oct 2, 2008 at 4:56 PM
yes he has had injuries but you all forget we recieved £10million for him from the FA, meaning that reduced his signing on fee from £17m to £7m or has paid 2 seasons of his 4 years at the club! + we need players like Owen, his name alone will attract players he scores most if not all of our goals at present and is a good captain!!
people should be looking at Viduka before getting on Owens back! what has he done in the year and a half being hear apart from being injured!!!!!! you have to pay for quality simple as that!!
42 Matty // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:06 PM
Lot of “if’s ands, or buts” in this statement. Everything is a waiting game at this point, and I must admit it’s driving me nuts. If there are new owners, when there are new owners, if Keegan comes back, if he is offered the job again, who wil put in a transfer request in Jan, who won’t, who’s here for the long haul, who wants to be here…………
43 Terry Mac's Crossword // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:11 PM
They’ll all be begging to stay when Ambani blows his potatoes on NUFC and his big pal Shearer is in the driving seat! MMMNNAHAHAHAHA. . . . begging.
44 shearer9 // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:20 PM
BBC are reporting the South Africans have tabled a bid in the region of £300million.
45 shearer9 // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:21 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7649200.stm
46 Michael12 // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:26 PM
“If Kevin Keegan comes back as manager then it is almost certain Michael Owen will stay”
Quite how you have made such a deduction is beyond my thinking. Again Ed you play with the minds of your readers.
Those want Owen to stay but care less about whether Keegan returns will now hope Keegan returns if it means Owen stays.
I disagree. Even under Keegan Owen never declared his intention to stay but merely danced around the subject.
Keegan has very little pulling power with players. He has pulling power with the fans only. I do not see players around the world jumping at the proposition of playing under Keegan.
That era is gone.
As to Owen, I would prefer he stayed but if his aspirations and objectives are not in line with those of our club, then the end of the season is as far as we go.
He may display a rigidity regarding the wage cut offered so as to price himself out of Newcastle. His sudden improvement and great attitude while good for the club, may simply be a case of placing himself in the shop window and thus entice possible buyers. There are always two sides to a coin. I may be wrong and I have been before. Just thought I may open your minds to other possible motives.
47 Ever seen a mackem in Milan? // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:28 PM
Hope so shearer9
48 nezanufc // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:39 PM
owen can do one for me.hes over rated and is only up here because of his own greed.we should have cashed in along time ago.even heskey has embarraced him this season.And for him being our captain haha thats another arguement.ill be happy piggy-back him to any club out there.
49 Waddle's mullet // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:41 PM
You have got more chance Me signing a new deal with Newcastle than Owen.
50 Lokes // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:42 PM
SA WANTS TO BUILD THE TEAM LIKE MA
51 Born Again Geordie // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:44 PM
Lokes
That is all good and well and everything would have been rosey in the garden if MA had given KK the cotrol he wanted.
I think the system is good problem is we ha the wrong people trying to implement it !
52 HAMMY14 // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Am hoping Owen signs a new deal as we do need a goal scorer like him he hasnt played a lot of games for us but i reckon this will be his season for us weather he stays or goes. Personally i think he would stay as he is picking up a canny wedge and he gets a game if he went to the ‘ Top Four ‘ he wouldnt get as many as he would here and they certainly wouldnt pay as much as we do. Owen is a big face in the dressing room he is one of few players we have that we could build a squad around and to lose for nowt would be devistating.
53 Born Again Geordie // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Hammy 14
agreed ! I think he is respected and can help attract other class players to the toon !
54 carabay // Oct 2, 2008 at 5:50 PM
im fan nufc Kevin Keegan comes back as manager, it will, be almost certain Michael will stay at the club,newcastle beast team the world from somali carabayrobson2@hotmail.com
55 happy toon // Oct 2, 2008 at 6:01 PM
yep owen is going….come lads who really is suprised by all this…if you are than you must’ve been in a coma for a while and by the way we’re in the year 2008….he has a perfect cover story…ashley, ashely ashely i say no more!
56 I want Steve Bruce in, Along with Amir Zaki, Valencia and Palacios(GG7) // Oct 2, 2008 at 6:09 PM
i would really like the south african fella’s in, that would be real good if all the things i here about this fella from richemont.
57 happy toon // Oct 2, 2008 at 6:11 PM
i wouldn’t mind steve bruce…he’s worked with a legend like alex fergusen
58 HAMMY14 // Oct 2, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Gerodie. Ta muchly mate. He deffo would if you look at the squad he have one player in each position we can build around GK , Given Def Colo , Mid Jonas and FW Owen and to be fair if Owen was going to go we would have made a proper attempt to sell him in summer or sooner to get some sort of money for him. He will be staying there is a lot pro factors to him staying than there is cons plus he knows he is worshipped by most here.
59 Big Dave // Oct 2, 2008 at 6:19 PM
well lads and lasses hows thinks with you’s. To be honest untill KK came I wounln’t have cared if MO went as he seemed lost and uninterested, but from then he seems to have changed a lot so I would hate to see him leave as I think he is an important part of the team now. but I think if things get sorted he will stay.
60 reillers // Oct 2, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Owen was a very good player, not as good now, but still will get us about 10 plus goals a season if we’re lucky. But..I’m sorry but it’s seems that all we’ve done is fix is injuries, got him fit and now he’s ready to jump out the door. He’s been waiting for more then a season for an excuse to leave.
He doesn’t want to be here and is only here for the money, if ye can’t see that then I don’t know what ye’re seeing. He’s been in contract talks for months trying to get as much money out the club as possible. He doesn’t want to staying he and he’s ony stuck around this long because he’s felt obligied.
Apparently he felt he’s done his time. He scores a few goals, gets the headlines the next day, is our captain..etc. But he’s too good for this club apparently.
Now I’d have no problem if wee Given turned around tommorow morning and said I’ve had enough, we’ll I’d hate it but I wouldn’t resent him, he deserves a crack at winning something. He’s dead on, extremley modest, but everyone knows that the one thing he wants is to win a trophey before he finishes. Shay (and Harper for that matter), have been with us threw thick and thin and could have and should have left time and time again and gone anywhere but stayed with us, and it’d be safe to say that we’d have been relegated without them.
Given rarely gets the headlines, he never complains, he should have gotten the armband but when Keegan told him that he was giving it to Owen he said no problem, again didn’t give out.
If he, or Harper decided in the morning that they wanted to leave then I’d wish them luck. They’ve done so much for the club when they could have left. They are better then us, but they’ve out up with us, and our “defence.”
The fact that he’s captain as well is a bit of a joke.
61 toon head // Oct 2, 2008 at 8:23 PM
mr.consolation goals
62 jules // Oct 2, 2008 at 8:49 PM
If Owen went I would think he may end up sitting on someone bench (Manure, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelski) and he does not want that, I still believe he wants to get back into the England set up and this means playing week in and week out not on the bench. He has the possiblity to play each week at newcastle and prove his worth, he has won trophies but on the downward slope of his career he has also to be looking at money
63 Rob // Oct 2, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Scores a few goals!!!?? he scores 1 every 2 games ffs. In a team with a hopeless, slow, uncreative midfield, anyone on here saying he’s not that good are deluded. In our current position and state, there is no way in hell we will be able to get a forward who is anywere near the level of MO. Which is the biggest tradgedy of all, we actually have the player and we are going to lose him! absolute disgrace
64 ende // Oct 2, 2008 at 10:26 PM
michael12, I would hope that Ed’s readers can think for themselves.
65 domtoon // Oct 3, 2008 at 12:02 AM
let’s face it. owen was likely to leave before all this crap happened. now, it’s a dead certainly. we’re in freefall, and owen has a parachute. i guarantee you he will jump ship very shortly…and what’s worth, for pittance.
SHAMBLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
66 shaz // Oct 3, 2008 at 1:12 AM
you haven’t got a prayer of keeping him.i think the reason why this info has come out is owen wants them to start looking for his replacement asap cos hopefully he will be trying to leave in January so he is just giving people a heads up.i hope he ends up at anfield
67 MichaelOWaN // Oct 3, 2008 at 2:08 AM
If Im Owen, I will definitely want to move on. I mean the club is not moving forward as it should at the moment plus he is already at his peak age, if he wants to win something, it would be the wise decision that he leave. I dont want to see that happening but I cant blame the lad either.
68 Michael12 // Oct 3, 2008 at 2:18 AM
@Ende: Oh I am not so sure about that! You must realise that Ed sets the topic and tone of the debate. In doing so, I am of the perception that he even sets your thinking by making subtle remarks and suggestions, some tacit, others obvious for those who know what their eyes are for.
69 clinta // Oct 3, 2008 at 3:17 AM
Understandly owens waiting to see what will happen down the track, can’t blame the guy really.
what’s all this shearer toss about?? it’s been denied (again) by the man himself so stop all the b!”"£ks it isn’t helping anyone ed.
70 Taiwantoon // Oct 3, 2008 at 4:49 AM
To those who attack MO for asking for a better contract:
Do you ask your boss to pay you as little as possible? Some common sense plz.
71 ginkoh // Oct 3, 2008 at 5:56 AM
How can you blame him? He’s the best scorer in England but have to stuck with club that underachieved like us. It’s not good for his career at all so why should we blame him. The man who have to blamed is our hopeless united.
72 bruTOOOON // Oct 3, 2008 at 9:51 AM
as a big newcastle fan…i would be happy if owen going out of nufc during the january transfer window….we know and he know that we won’t win any cups for the next 5 years(minimum) therefore a good player like him deserve to win trophies…(his age is no longer younger…)
for me its best for him and best for us
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