Derek Llambias has revealed in the Evening Chronicle today, that Newcastle United are set to offer a new contract to captain Michael Owen.
Derek Llambias – reveals new offer will be made to Michael Owen
The initial contract offer that Newcastle made to Michael was withdrawn on January 1st, but it looks like Newcastle are set to make another bid to retain their famous England striker, and that’s got to be good news for Newcastle fans.
Of course Michael is currently injured again with an ankle problem, but plans to return to the Newcastle side at the end of this month, so he’ not too far away from being able to help the team fight the relegation battle ahead.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid star has been linked with moves away from Tyneside and there were reports that Manchester City were after him, and quite honestly it’s a decent bet that he will move to join Shay Given at Eastlands, as a free agent this summer.
Managing Director Derek Llambias told the Evening Chronicle today:
“We offered Michael a new contract and he has chosen to walk away and think about his future.”
“It’s not on the table any more after January 1st. But we’ll be sitting down with him again soon and seeing what he wants to do.”
“It’s difficult – he’s a goalscorer who has 10 already this season in the games he’s played.”
“It’s down to Michael.” “He’s done his term here, and it was lucrative, but he’s decided he wants to wait until the end of the season.”
“So it’s a case of watch this space.”
We seem to have gone from famine to feast this week with the inside news on Newcastle United.
Having not been told anything about what’s been going on at the club for months, Derek this week has unloaded lots of information to Newcastle fans, and we’re not complaining.
It’s good to know what’s going on behind the scenes, and what the thinking of the Ashley regime is.
It would be a surprise if we could keep Michael at the club, since he’s a name known throughout the football world, and will help us to attract good players to the club.
However, we had already made up our minds he would be one of the high wage-earners leaving the club in the summer, since he seems to play so few games because of injury.
If Derek can unload all the news on the inside thinking of the club once a month – like he has done this week – that would be very good.
Comments welcome.
65 comments so far
Kash
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:21 PM
Comment #1Giving Owen a new contract isn’t good news to me. I don’t think he’s been value for money, I wonder how much each goal has cost us?
Tom_Toon
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Comment #2NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Please dont resgin him, he is a cancer in our club!
Kash – £1.3mil a goal, roughly.
Joseph
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Comment #3i’d rather we didn’t getting rid of him would solve wage problems
Robbanufc
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:25 PM
Comment #4Sign him up. We need him to attract other players to the club.
DanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:25 PM
Comment #5Why, get rid.
Kash
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Comment #6@Tom_Toon – That doesn’t sound like value for money to me!!!
murphy
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:28 PM
Comment #7Don’t bother in my opinion!
He’s injury prone, expensive, and doesn’t really care from what I’ve seen. He’ll only end up getting injured as soon as he’s signed his contract and we’ll end up paying millions for him to sit on the bench. And although he’s still a big name, is he really going to attrack quality players to newcastle?
Kash
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Comment #8Is Temuri any good as a manager?
Tom_Toon
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Comment #9YES!
Kash
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Comment #10He’d be perfect then. Experience of palying for the club and in EPL, and experience of managing a club with success and Champions League experience too!!!
cashleyout
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Comment #11get shot of him, his heart is not with newcastle, never has been.
nufcc
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Comment #12lol… how bout martins. Get rid of him as well. Very injury prone, has barely played this season does not justify his wages. Surely its michael and obas fault that they get injured. Fact is that owen is the best striker we have right now and im sure no replacement of him will be better than him. We have to look at facts, no one wants to come to newcastle, yes we are that bad all round.
Tom_Toon
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Comment #13http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-WwDNFxbBM&feature=related
and he’s one of ym favourite ever toon players.
lesh
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Comment #14An astute move I’d say. It should force his hand if he’s told to commit or otherwise sooner rather than at the end of thes season.
That’ll allow a bit of planning to get an alternative in, if necessary.
Dragonera
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Comment #15NO! Get rid!
sirjasontoon
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Comment #16Get rid of him,luxury player,hardly plays,injury prone etc etc
Great on his day…we just haven’t seen enough days in my opinion.
Kash
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Comment #17@nufcc – I don’t think Owen or Martins will be at the club come next season!!!
Toon Graeme
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Comment #18In all honesty I like MO and always have. his injuries are more than frustrating and if you look at what else could be done with the cash we spend on him it kind of makes you think.
Im impressed by Nolan and Taylor and Lovenkrandz – good signings and only after a couple of matches between the three of them.
Ive read all the Llambias (uses correct name) interviews and something still doesnt sit right with me. Cant put my finger on it.
Its now up to them to prove their worth and for the team to give 120% – even more so with Joe (best wishes gaffer) being out the picture and we must now unite more than ever and blow the roof of SJP!!!!!!!! More than the Mackem match.
Lets now concentrate on staying in the prem and supporting the team.
Mags
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Comment #19Oh my God, no. Everytime he opens his mouth it gets worse. I thought the silence was disgraceful but this pathetic Q&A session is becoming unbearable.
We do not need Owen, he is the wrong age, injury prone and too expensive. Do they not realise just how perilously close we are to being relegated? It is no good keep talking about players they could have, should have, may have got AFTER THE WINDOW HAS CLOSED.
As for his snide comments pertaining to NUSC, please look at this extract…….
Llambias: “They are welcome to come along to our forums. That’s fine, they are coming on February 12 and there will be four or five of them”.
NUSC Response: This indeed appeared to be “a fact”. However within an hour of the interview going to print the club had emailed us to tell us that Derek was now unable to make the meeting and that as a result the meeting was “postponed”. We hope that Derek can find the time to honour his comments soon.
jordi
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:51 PM
Comment #20@Mags
To be honest mate I’d rather he spent his time sorting out our current managerial crisis than answer NUSCs questions.
He has bigger things on his mind than honouring non-essential meetings I would think.
Mags
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Comment #21Jordi – I would like him to be honest
jordi
Feb 11, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Comment #22Yes but these interviews were done last week was it? And they’re being released drip feed in the Chronny.
I’m not trying to defend Llambias as a person (or even Chairman) but you have to admit that things have happened since the interview that he needs to focus on that he couldn’t have foreseen.
At least he sent an email saying he wouldn’t be there, it’s more communication than I’d expect from past experience.
Davies
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Comment #23He may be injury prone, but we’d be a damn sight lower in the table now without him. We’d have been relegated without him last season too. Still life in the old dog, but maybe he should consider lowering his wages.
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Comment #24get owen signed up but dont offer him ridiclious wages
Mags
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Comment #25Jordi 22, I don’t want to sound argumentative and I am aware that the interviews were conducted last Friday and are only now being released.
I also appreciate things have moved on apace insomuch as the problems with Joe Kinnear, which obviously need addressing and should be his priority. However, his cancellation of the NUSC appointment was also done within half an hour of the said interviews.
Yes someone did communicate with NUSC to cancel and that is a small step in the right direction I suppose; its a pity that same somone cannot put anything up on the official site informing the fans that Joe needs a heart operation.
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Comment #26http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2009/02/11/dubai-bid-was-never-realistic-72703-22903899/
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Comment #27“He’s not a guy who wants to sit in the chairman’s suite.
“West Brom wouldn’t allow him to wear jeans and his shirt and jacket.
“So when they come here I will insist they wear jeans and T-shirts.
“We’ll see how they like that one!”
comments from llambias
jordi
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Comment #28Would Owen take a Pay-as-you-play contract?
Because I think that’s the only way we’ll get value for money out of him.
His wages are just too high for his contribution.
I’d rather have a striker with a goal every four games who plays week in week out than a goal every 2nd game striker who plays less than half the season for twice as much money a week.
Just my 2p.
Tom_Toon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Comment #29No Jordi, Owen is reported to want an INREASE in wages, he is on 105k a week now, he aint worth over 40k, he is well past it, I just want him to get out the club now!
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Comment #30And, reflecting on the Cockney Mafia banner, Llambias admitted he had to take it with good heart.
He said: “The one thing about fans is that they chant some great stuff.
“They are funny and they are so quick. When I saw that banner, I had a wry smile.
“I knew they had gone a long way to do that.
“I thought ‘that’s their statement’ so I had a wry smile.
“People said I was being smug – I wasn’t. I thought they’d gone out of their way to do it.
“I have heard the chants as well, some of it’s very funny.
“I have a sense of humour and they aren’t being spiteful so I can understand it.
“I can understand their passion. There is so much passion here and you have to appreciate that.
“So as far as the lonely times in the stand are concerned that was just me getting on with my job.
“It wasn’t a case of ‘up yours’, it was a case of the club is bigger than us, it was always the factor.”
more comments from llambias
jordi
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Comment #31Mags #25
Fair comment. Not looking for arguments, just trying to see both sides as it were.
There are still some things in the ‘interviews’ (more like biased PR imo) that need addressing further, such as his Milner comments. We only thought he was worth £6M so didn’t think they would offer £12M. Fine, where did the money go and why was he let go without a replacement?
And given Given’s statements about the club when he’d left, it throws his (Llambias) comments on that fiasco into doubt.
Pons Aelius
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Comment #32The big issue is that when Owen leaves can we replace him with a striker just as capable?
In my opinion not a chance. Like Davies has pointed out, without doubt if Owen wasn’t here we’d be in the relegation zone right now.
I agree that on his current wages or higher his current contract is impossible to maintain, especially as we haven’t got value for money through injury. BUT when fit Owen is NOT past it. He is by far the best finisher at this club (I’d still have him ahead of Defoe in the England team) and I’m glad the club are attempting to keep our best player.
Sadly I can’t see Owen staying for less money. He’ll be off to Villa. Mark my words.
jordi
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Comment #33Tom_Toon #29
I know it was reported when Owen revealed he wouldn’t sign a new contract that he had offered to take a pay cut. I don’t know how true it was but it was quoted from Owen himself in the press.
The p.a.y.p. contract is the only one I’d offer him but still on decent (85k ish) money.
The trouble is I don’t think he can be arsed with it any more, he’s just going through the motions for us.
Need another couple of ‘hungry’ strikers with points to prove in the summer once we get rid of Owen, Viduka, Smith etc. (Although you could argue that Viduka was very hungry! 😉 )
Tom_Toon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Comment #34I wouldn’t want to replace Owen, like for like. Owen can just finish, he is useless at everything else and doesn’t care. about the club at all.
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:25 PM
Comment #35Llambias added: “There is £8m there (from January transfers) and it will be spent in the summer, as will the next instalment (£4m) for James Milner. Mike isn’t afraid to spend money out of his own pocket either.
Pons Aelius
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:28 PM
Comment #36Owens positional sense is amazing and directs the front line. He’s more than just a finisher. When I first saw him at St James against Man City I couldn’t believe the footballing intelligence of the man. He stood head and shoulders above the rest of the team. You could see how much faster he could think compared to the other players.
Keegan knew that and IMO that’s one of the reasons he played him behind Viduka and Martins.
jordi
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Comment #37Pons Aelius
The trouble is that without Owen we’d have someone else in his position who may or may not have scored as many as him if you see what I mean? So we’ll never know if we had someone else (say Defoe) there if they’d have scored the same amount/less/more goals.
In my opinion Owen doesn’t want to be here. Look at his body language on the pitch. I’m not disputing his ability, just his effort. He’s marking time til the summer and he’ll be off.
I think he hoped someone might come in the Jan window (I hoped tbh) but I’d expect 3 or 4 teams might want him on a free come the summer (offset the cost of purchase to his wages).
workyticket
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Comment #38Mags // Feb 11, 2009 at 2:08 PM
“NUSC Response: This indeed appeared to be “a fact”. However within an hour of the interview going to print the club had emailed us to tell us that Derek was now unable to make the meeting and that as a result the meeting was “postponed”. We hope that Derek can find the time to honour his comments soon.”
Mags, his manager is in hospital needing an angioplasty, but all these jumped up, self appointed little idiots could think about was their pathetic little meeting. It shows me exactly where they are coming from.
Stardust
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Comment #39For those who are saying things are missing in the interview – please remember it isnt a club issue – its the journalists for not filling in the blanks – that is before we get another consipracy going
workyticket
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Comment #40Mags // Feb 11, 2009 at 2:08 PM
However, his cancellation of the NUSC appointment was also done within half an hour of the said interviews.
It was “within an hour of the interview GOING TO PRINT” Mags.