There are several reports this morning that Everton will offer Michael Owen a contract in the summer.
Michael Owen – not worth his wages or transfer fee
Manager David Moyes has done a fantastic job for Everton, and they do not have a lot of money to spend, so they have to look for good free agent players like Michael Owen.
Currently Moyes has Jo on loan since January through the end of the season but is unlikely to be able of buy the player, even if he wanted to. But this has not stopped Everton doing very well again this year and with 3 games to go, they are in 6th place on 56 points, a full 8 points ahead of West Ham in 7th place.
This is a club that Newcastle should try to copy, even if we will have more money to spend than David Moyes has ever received. It’s a well run and expertly managed club, there’s not much doubt about that.
Owen will be leaving Newcastle if we are relegated, which is now more likely than not, and the only question comes if we actually survive.
However, with Owen not doing much at all for Newcastle this year, with just a single goal, and hardly looking very good either, why would we want to keep him with his £110K/week compensation eating up the wage bill?
And it’s not like he’s our best player either, having been dropped recently by both Chris Hughton and even his pal, Alan Shearer.
So even if we do stay up, it’s a good question whether Michael is worth keeping, or should we cut our losses, which are quite considerable with Michael.
After 4 years on Tyneside, he has cost the club around £40M in transfer fees and wages (transfer fee of £17M and wages around £5.75/year), and he has scored 30 goals for us in 77 total appearances, which includes only 64 starts over the 4 seasons.
That’s hardly a good return, and as far as captain goes we could go with Habib Beye or Kevin Nolan next season, both of whom would be better captains that Michael has been. Michael has been almost non-existent with leadership in our troubles over the last two months.
If he scores a hat trick on Monday night we should reconsider all of this. 😀
Comments welcome.
27 comments so far
dougnufc
May 9, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Comment #1bye bye owen
DJG
May 9, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Comment #2Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
DJG
May 9, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Comment #3I think Beye should have been made captain when Owen refused to sign a new contract.
G 2
May 9, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Comment #4Hope this is true.
DJG
May 9, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Comment #5Its wierd how the rest of the country still thinks he’s the boy. They will get a shock when he signs and they see how past it he is.
DJG
May 9, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Comment #6In 4 years we have spent £40M on 1 player who has scored us 30 goals and we wonder why the club is such a mess.
ieffrey
May 9, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Comment #7If Owen does succeed to save us from relegation, just keep him! If he could just deliver us one or two goals in the coming 3 games, I think he is worth 110k/week/
Anyway, it is just “if”…
Ever seen a mackem in Milan?
May 9, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Comment #8Fingers crossed they do sign him. I would even consider paying them to take him now just to get him off the wage bill.
Patrick2349
May 9, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Comment #9Get rid of him. Give Martins an improved contract.
Toon Graeme
May 9, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Comment #10Im not gonna jump on the band wagon – but will offer my personal opinion –
Not bothered if he does goes go. We have had months to prepare for this eventuallity so why should this story in the papers on the weekend of a vital NUFC match change any of that.
Timing is always good for this kind of article.
Even if he scores 3 goals (cough laugh and fart) on Monday – that wont change the opinion that he is past it.
Having said that though – no one else is scroing are they??
workyticket
May 9, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Comment #11“After 4 years on Tyneside, he has cost the club around £40M in transfer fees and wages (transfer fee of £17M and wages around £5.75/year), and he has scored 30 goals for us in 77 total appearances, which includes only 64 starts over the 4 seasons.”
It’s £34 million Ed. We received £6 million compo for him getting knacked in the World Cup.
BigLish
May 9, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Comment #12Workyticket – well remembered! In that case he’s been a bargain!!!
DJM TOON
May 9, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Comment #13worky, you pedantic sod
thats about 450,000/appearance and over a million a goal
when it comes to owen, 6mil is neither here or there
Gunners
May 9, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Comment #14Liverpool fans will hate him even more.
JJJ
May 9, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Comment #15“If Owen does succeed to save us from relegation, just keep him! If he could just deliver us one or two goals in the coming 3 games, I think he is worth 110k/week”…
Um no, even if Owen scored a couple goals to keep us up against poor opposition I would still want his overpaid backside out the door at the earliest possible opportunity.
For the amount of money saved on his wages we could get in three very handy squad players that would serve us far better.
We may even strike it lucky and bring in three Bassong’s.
Im willing to take a bet that who ever MO goes to next season he will be a failure there too after two seasons. Reason: he is balls and has been for three seasons… (at least).
And he will never make the England squad under Capello.
JJJ
May 9, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Comment #16Workyticket,
If you really have to argue bullSh#t with Ed every time he breathes then rather FO fromt eh blog…
Nobody is interested in your ramblings.
That 40Mil does not include the medical costs incurred by Newcastle or goal bonuses and appearance bonus etc.
JJJ
May 9, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Comment #17Toon Graeme
I agree with you…
Just the last comment… “No one else is scoring either”…
That is true but the main difference is, with Owen… if he is not scoring he may as well not be on the pitch… were as the others all offer a tiny bit of something else, wether it be creating space, running off the ball, or tackling, tracking back, holding up play etc.
All Owen can do is finish and he hasnt done it that this year…
workyticket
May 9, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Comment #18JJJ // May 9, 2009 at 12:02 PM
“Workyticket,
If you really have to argue bullSh#t with Ed every time he breathes then rather FO fromt eh blog…”
If you don’t like it, don’t read it you ignorant f****** racist.
Sav
May 9, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Comment #19Time enough for tearing into our underperforming players all through the summer. And no shortage of targets. But for the next 3 matches, lets all be on the same side, eh?
stk85
May 9, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Comment #20i thought when he signed we would have a good team but he’s turned out to be quite emblematic of everything thats wrong with nufc. i will not be sorry to see him go.
why as captain does he leave the talking to other squad members? why doesn’t he live near newcastle? don’t think he ever cared. i blame shepherd for punching above his weight and first splashing soooo an extra 50% on his transfer value instead of being prudent. and then to actually get him there, you have to pay him 110k. with souness as manager, hahahaha! the guy destroys every club he manages and is a tool.
stk85
May 9, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Comment #21i’ve no idea why its soooo an extra 50%? anger stifling typing abilities
Marty-Toon
May 9, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Comment #22We all think he has been too expensive-so true but
He has almost a 50% scoring record which aint bad at all but the injury record is probably higher.
He will do really well at Everton if it happens as they actuially have a Midfield that can tackle and pass the ball to their team-mates.
No one can score for us as our midfiled is a joke.
BUTT keeps gettin picked for the team.
I reckon we should have been playin Guthrie and Nolan with Duff and Jonas on the wing or Loven or even Ryan Tayls
Macas
May 9, 2009 at 3:27 PM
Comment #23How can anyone expect Owen to play well when we don’t have a midfield? He may not be the player he was but is still a decent striker given service. If he goes to Everton I’m sure he will do well, and I wish him luck. He has always showed the right attitude and been professional while at the club, it’s not his fault we paid £17 million for him and gave him massive wages. And let’s not forget he saved us from relegation last season with his goals.
geordie deb
May 9, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Comment #24Stoke scored!!!!
stk85
May 9, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Comment #25can u imagine if you suddenly found fellaini, cahill, arteta, osman and peinaar as your team mates? beats duff, nolan, butt etc anyday!
nufcc
May 9, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Comment #26This article gets the Worst Article of the Year award. No point in saying take him. or making it a big deal because it does not really matter if any team takes him or not. If management dont want to re-sign him he is gonna be off our books n e ways. Just a chance for ed to take cheap shots at our captain. And definately nolan would make a good captain screaming out guidlines from the bench. Owen does not have good teammates who give him a lot of opportunities. Also he has been an excellent professional since he has come to newcastle.
Tom_Toon
May 10, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Comment #27Nolan as captain, hahaha.
He isn’t even good enough for our matchday squad.