Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill yesterday refused to rule out a move for Michael Owen, the Newcastle United striker, to partner newly arrived Emile Heskey at Aston Villa.
Michael Owen – is an Aston Villa bid on the way?
O’Neill picked up Heskey for £3.5M, with his contract ending at Wigan Athletic in the summer, and of course Michael Owen’s contract at St James’ Park expires at the end of the season and a bid of around £5M could tempt Newcastle.
But Joe Kinnear will be adamant that neither Shay Given nor Michael Owen, two of Newcastle’s best players, will be leaving the club in January.
And certainly we don’t think that would go down well with Newcastle fans, since we need the two of them for the relegation scrap ahead – Shay to stop the goals against us, and Michael to score the goals for us.
Martin O’Neill told The Sun yesterday:
“I’m not saying that I will move for Owen in the summer – I’ve not looked at anything at that remote a distance,”
“But that’s not to say Michael Owen is not a terrific player. We wait to see. Anything is possible. Kaka is a possibility!”
“We want to try and compete at this level but what’s happening in the future? I have no idea.”
Owen and Heskey played together for both England and Liverpool and proved a very good partnership and Michael scored a lot of goals alongside the big man, whom Fabio Capello has used so well for England.
Aston Villa are now where we hoped Newcastle would be, after their American owner Daniel Levy came in and has backed Martin to the full, and kept in the background – and Aston Villa are now 4th top and going for a European Champions place next season.
This would be interesting to Owen for a number of reasons:
- He could partner Heskey who he’s been successful with before at Liverpool and England
- Michael could get European Football again, which he’s had very little of at Newcastle United.
- He would have a better chance of returning to the England fold in the very good and attacking Aston Villa side
Add to that the fact Newcastle could get £5M for him, while they’ll be getting nothing for him in the summer, and it could be a good deal.
But we don’t think Joe Kinnear will do this, since it would seriously damage our ability to stay in the Premier League, and we still hope Michael will stay at the club in the summer, although we admit that could well be a forlorn hope.
Thinks – why couldn’t Newcastle have brought in Heskey to partner Owen at Newcastle?
Comments welcome.
107 comments so far
RyanToon
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Comment #1give us 20m and youu can have him lol
repo
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Comment #2let him go he’s done nothing in the last 3 games.
and he’s a massive drain on our club in terms of wages..
Norn Iron Magpie
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Comment #3Its certain he’s leaving in the summer but we need him now. If he goes who’s going to replace him?
cooldj
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Comment #46 mil and I’ll drive him to Birmingham. Then move for Danny Sturridge (5mil should do it)
Mikeflame
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Comment #5lets swap him for agbonglahor! or if not 5mil for him is the best we could hope for! get rid, get another striker to partern martins!
Norn Iron Magpie
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Comment #6What a good setup Villa have. Great owner and manager. Fcukin jealous. 😉
AussieToon
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Comment #7If he leaves where in the hell is our goals gonna come from?
As much as the 5 million is tempting considering we are going to lose him for nothing in the summer (your summer, mine is happening right now) he will be a whole lot more to us if he can bang in a few and get us to safety.
Who else we got, Carrol and Xisco and Ameobi?
Your having a laugh!
Norn Iron Magpie
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Comment #8Agbonglahor and Martins up front would be quality. Nobody would get near them. Wont happen though it would be nice
Shanghaitoon
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Comment #9I’d let him go to be honest… He just misses too many chances and this shows really that his heart is just not at Newcastle anymore. A focussed Owen would not miss some of those gifts he’s had in the last 3 games or so. Sell him while we can get something back on him. Give Barton the captaincy and let another of our young strikers in in Owen’s place up front.
Toon Graeme
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Comment #10AussieToon – we will have Ameobi – if he got of his sicknote. Cant beleive we got him to sign when injured! You should never sign any player when he is crocked.
Watch Ameobi play a get injured again. Oh joy three years.
Sorry bout that lads – just having a moan. I’ll just slap myself accross the face. Then again why make the effort when even after the slap the facts still speak for themselves!!
We need a revitalised good attacking team for Wed.
Given
Taylor Colo Bassong The Bull
Jonas Barton Duff
Carroll Owen Loven
Go guns at 4 3 3.
Then again – its JFK whooop 4 4 2
Mikeflame
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Comment #11the trouble i find with Owen is he rarely creates his own chances Martins styleeee! he wants it on a plate, thats why 433 works for him he gets those crafty tap ins etc! however i just think its his name that keeps him playing week in week out! if Xisco got the chance to play a similar amount of full games that Owen does he would score just as many! martins has a similar number of goals and hes been out a good few months!! Get rid before he goes for nothing, plus 120k+ a week sounds mighty fine to me finance wise!
Marty-Toon
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Comment #12This will never happen now…..He didn`t say anything about January but he said in the Summer.
We wont get a Penny for him.
GEREMI WILL BE UP FRONT NEXT SEASON WITH SMITH AT THIS RATE OF GOING
The Real Entertainers
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Comment #13We may have left it too late in the window to do anything with the money.
We could get:
Given 13 million
Zog 6 million
Owen 5 million
That would give us 24 million, plus the 10 Mike will give us leaving JFK 34 Million to play with. Not to mention getting rid of 3 players who in reality dont want to be here.
The down side the window is closing teams would loath to sell their best players and we could end up in the ‘panic lets buy Xsico’ situation!
or
we would hold our own, buy noone and go with what we have and lose the money come the next transfer window, just like the Milner millions !
Once again Newcastle United are showing their naivity in the transfer market.
Marty-Toon
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Comment #14Meaning we will score a total of 5goals next season
Toon Graeme
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Comment #15Marty – If that was to happen I would run to the dug out and slap JFK and also give Hughton a crafty kick for the fun of it!!!! LOL 🙂
J
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Comment #16I do rate owen.
BUT i dont think he is as good as people think.
He runs on past triumphs.
HOW many goals has he scored which seemed to of just bounced of him, of his shin, or ankle or shoulder ha ha
I would prefer Martins and a Big Solid Player.
I would love to Part ex Owen for Carew.
Carew is a GREAT player on his day, and is unhappy at AV especially now his position will be taken from heskey!
waddler
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Comment #17He will leave in the summer and l hope the backroom staff are looking for a young talented replacement.
He doesn’t have to be a mirror image of Owen but he will need electrifying pace and know were the goal is.
Norn Iron Magpie
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Comment #18J
i was thinkin that myself part exchange for carew
CLOIN
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Comment #19http://www.nufc-finances.org.uk/
THANK YOU SJH,DH &FFS
ronaldeano
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Comment #20Ed,
Daniel Levy is at Spurs.
Its Randy Learner that owns Villa 😉
toonmick1
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Comment #21I would say keep him because he will cuip in another 8 goals a least this season and boy do we need them
bettyswollocks
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Comment #22J – the whole point of owen getting this goals is that he is in the right place at the right time. It’s an art that very few strikers have. He does rely on service but then so do most strikers.
Oba gets the odd screamer but he needs service too. my feeling is we need owen til the end of season. His goals could be the difference between us going down or not.
J
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Comment #23bettyswollocks – i agree he does get in the right positions, but he aint the only one. TBH it would be good to keep him till end of season, but then what?
If we could get carew in Part ex now would be WELL worth it. Carew would help us get more goals in my opinion as we dont have that big solid player to set up martins.
Viduka when fit and younger would of been perfect, but get carew and we’ll get more goals i reckon.
craig_the_toon_fan
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Comment #24i might spray paint on st james’s park…ashley out with a hang man next to his name, nah i’m only joking…..i think, but i do feel like something need tobe done.
ashley out!!!!!!!!!!!!
RyanToon
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Comment #25http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4840570,00.html
are we one of the clubs in for him?
Ross
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Comment #26Owen has to be kept. There’s no point in talking about cash for him because we really cant afford to let him go in January, so he will be walking away a free agent in the summer-a complete howler for all involved at NUFC. Sign a player for 16 million, and watch him leave for nowt.
Thats the way the cookie has crumbled as they say though, so we’ve just gotta put up with it. Simple fact is, we need him until the end of the season. He’s on a very poor run of form at the moment but he will score goals for us.
cooldj
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Comment #27doubt it and hope not 🙂
Mikeflame
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Comment #28Carew sounds a cracking swap to me! but again reading the actual comments by o’neill he hasnt identified Owen as a target at all! Again its media slur making out he is moving for him! he hasnt ruled out a move but at the same time hasnt for any other player in the world!
would love to see Owen go, too greedy for my liking and has never regained any sort of 18yr old Owen form! he is too small and has lost a lot of his pace1
Ross
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Comment #29Ryan-not a chance mate. the “15 million” mentioned should show you that. There’s not a hope in hell he’d come to Newcastle either, he wants champions league football.
RyanToon
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Comment #30ross, we can dream
super.trooper
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Comment #31With all these players wanting out and owen walking in the summer , the toon wont be an attractive place to join for other players. Even if joe keeps the team up this season he will have the same problems next year.
batty
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Comment #32Mikeflame xsico couldnt hit a barn door from 5 yards
bettyswollocks
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Comment #33J – sound in theory but martins ain’t fit yet and if got injured again we wouldn’t have a goal scorer at all – then we would really be in the sh1te
Ross
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Comment #34Ryan-he’d be a exactly what we need playing the creative role in hole, but he’s not as good as he’s being made out to be. I heard someone on here call him one of the best players in the world the other day which is rather ridiculous, because he’s anything but. He had a few fantastic games in the Euro’s and then went missing completly when Russia needed him most, the semi final against Spain.
Jan Stavik
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Comment #35Owen for Carew sounds good to me, Carew is a rock. Owen will leave for sure, so we should start planning the future without him.
Having Carew and Martins up front would be a threat to any defense, the strenght of Carew and the pace of Martins would be a great match. Then we just need some creative midfielder to set them up, and we’ll be looking at the UEFA-spots again.
batty
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Comment #36super.trooper why arnt you on the way to the match thought you would be going old trafford
AngerOfTheNorth
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Comment #37Like ronaldeano says, the Villa owner is Randy Lerner… Must admit, when he came to Villa, I didn’t think he’d do much, but they’ve built slowly and sustainably.
Something we seem unable to do, in part due to MA’s lack of spending, THE LACK OF A QUALITY MANAGER and the weight of the expectations of the fans…
RyanToon
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Comment #38arshavin behind owen and martins would be good!
Mikeflame
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Comment #39but to be a Spanish U21 regular and sorely missed by his old team he must be half decent! the lad needs a chance which he aint getting!
AngerOfTheNorth
Jan 24, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Comment #40As for whether we should sell Owen… Say what you like but he always gets goals. Then again, is there a risk of him just cruising for the next few months, knowing he just needs to keep fit and well to ensure a move to a more successful club in the summer for a big pay-packet?
If I knew we’d still stay up, I’d say sell him. However he really might make the difference between staying up and not…