Maybe we are the only ones, but we are not too dismayed at last night’s statement from the Newcastle club.
Michael Owen – never produced anything at Newcastle
Even if Chris has no money to bring in new players this summer, we still have the chance to get some top class loan players and some free agents in during the summer, if they will improve the squad.
We always thought that Freddy Shepherd wasted far too much of Newcastle’s money during his 10 year reign as Newcastle chairman – just to appease the fans, and there were not too many of his big transfer buys that ever paid off.
Remember when he tried to sign Wayne Rooney in the summer of 2004 for £25M when our defense was just hopeless, and he didn’t even tell the then manager Bobby Robson.
Of course Freddy made yet another stupid decision a few weeks later when he sacked Bobby Robson after a few games of the 2004-2005 season and brought in ………. the hopeless Graeme Souness.
Add to that the fact that when you bring youngsters through the club’s Youth system they are much more attached to the club than big signings are who often arrived just for the money.
They don’t have the couldn’t care less attitude of a number of our recent players – like Michael Owen for instance – the most overpaid player in Newcastle’s long history.
We found it enlightening that Owen was quoted late last week hoping Manchester United could get the Premiership title and win him a Premier League winners medal.
And what was Michael doing? Injured yet again as he was for almost his full four years on Tyneside, which cost the Newcastle club £40M in transfer fees and wages.
Michael earns money these days only because of what he once was – a world-class player – no doubt about that – but not anymore.
Owen’s a player whose let his fame and fortune affect his attitude and play, and he no longer has the hunger to be great – and he isn’t.
We don’t mean to be too hard on Michael, because he seems a good guy, but as a professional he got his money at Newcastle for nothing, and when we really needed him at the end of last season to avoid our disastrous relegation, he didn’t produce at all and couldn’t even get into the starting eleven.
We’d much rather see players like Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, Jose Enrique, Kevin Nolan, Alan Smith and lots of others at the club right now, only too willing to run through a brick wall for the famous Tyneside club.
We love to see that commitment, and it will stand us in very good stead next season, back in the Premiership, just wait and see.
All Michael Owen seems to talk about these days is his future as a horse trainer – and maybe it’s time for him to start that new career.
Comments welcome.
15 comments so far
BT7MAG
May 10, 2010 at 3:40 PM
Comment #1Hate Michael Owen, I live with a load of Manure fans and they continuously bring him up with grins on their faces purely ’cause they know they’ll get a rise out of me…
I hope and pray he moves to Blackburn next season so we can do the double over him and fat sam…that would make my season!
lesh
May 10, 2010 at 3:48 PM
Comment #2Actulally Ed, the fact that Owen was quoted late last week hoping Manchester United could get the Premiership title and win him a Premier League winners medal is quite tastless.
He had only one season with Man U, and near four with us and what kind words did he have for Newcastle United? Not one, not even goodbye, not even thanks for nearly £40m of what was effectively pay for doing next to nothing.
Just how mercenary can one get.!!
Ericles
May 10, 2010 at 4:13 PM
Comment #3This clown has had his nose in so many troughs I am surprised he has not drowned by now! Good riddance. Must be why he is going for a horse troughs now – only the nags want him!
ebol
May 10, 2010 at 4:16 PM
Comment #4In fairness to Michael Owen (who I never thought we should have signed to begin with), it’s hardly his fault he gets injured all the time, and nor was it mainly his fault that we got relegated – he was just an easy target as he was so highly paid and on a bad run of form at the time.
If anything, a year on, I only feel sorry for him – a once great player, undone by injuries.
But I completely agree that running the club without massive expenditure on players is the way to go forward, especially in the current climate – it’s good to see that despite Ashley’s turbulent relationship with the fans, he won’t be coerced into the galactico-type signings typical of Shepherd.
As has been shown again and again, the team spirit at a promoted club matters much more than new signings when determining whether they stay up or not – Newcastle have enough quality to stay up and , if anything, refusing to buy many new players will help the team through strengthening the team spirit, which may take a bit of a battering once we start losing regularly again.
freddie
May 10, 2010 at 4:20 PM
Comment #5I HATE OWEN WITH A PASSION. How he ended up at man u is anyones guess. After he left newcastle i hoped he would end up at a hull or birmingham type club. Hope fergie offloads him and he has to settle for a pay as you play deal.
freddie
May 10, 2010 at 4:23 PM
Comment #6ebol- newcastle do not have enough quality to stay up. The shit teams in the prem ie wolves and wigan will strengthen while newcastle hope there championship team will be good enough to survive even though it wasnt when there was the likes of martins and bassong in the team. I wouldnt be surprised if ma is trying to sell the club again on the quiet.
Robby Bobson
May 10, 2010 at 4:24 PM
Comment #7ebol….his displays were heartless, awful captain and always spoke like he was better than everyone else at the club.
When in fact he got dropped by THREE different managers last season.
balubas1
May 10, 2010 at 4:28 PM
Comment #8Owen used to be great back in the day.. some weeks ago I watched some vid’s of him in his glory days.. man he had an eye for goals! respect him for that, but as you say Ed.. he is now living of his past greatness.. he didn’t do NUFC any wrong.. its not like he bought himself to the club. it is the lame judgement of the people who decided Owen was still worthwile.
But good it is that this type of management is now in the past for Newcastle.. so it seems at least.
And finally a statement of opinion to all fans: I dont think we should get to carried away about the way tranfers are being carried out now.. It has worked fine this season hasnt it!!??
Silence from the management on this issue is good; let them work quietly, finding the right talent. If all the players nufc are interested in were to be broadcasted nationwide, man utd will just pick’em up before us and place them in their reserves…
And finally.. I think it is time we buy Skjelbred!
Why?
1) Excellent workrate
2) Good passer, gets out of tight situations
3) BLEEDS for the club (Is a lifelong NUFC supporter)
4) Has pace
5) Will not be too expensive. (With that I mean probably not over 5m£)
6) he is young
7) is a committed footballer. Professional to the bone. No off-pitch BS.
Critics might say he lacks some shooting ability… but I say it doesn’t matter as he loves those 1-2’s and moves around so fast that he can easily just pass the ball in the net;)
Geordie_Pants
May 10, 2010 at 4:29 PM
Comment #9Who would you rather have :
LEON BEST OR MICHEAL OWEN ??????
I would rather have Best! 🙂
balubas1
May 10, 2010 at 4:31 PM
Comment #10btw.. Skjelbred can play central midfield, offensive central midfield, and right midfield.
balubas1
May 10, 2010 at 4:32 PM
Comment #11Geordie_Pants:
I totally agree… usually right to pick the one who has legs..
yuwing
May 10, 2010 at 5:57 PM
Comment #12i cant wait to see owen being thrown out by man u
RetroBiscuits
May 10, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Comment #13I remember Owens magical injury recoveries for England matches and once he was injured for NUFC then played for England the following weekend without injury throughout the game then failed to show for training at NUFC the following week pulling another sickie ??!?!?!
Wouldnt be suprised if he has a few claims with claims direct saying “It was a normal day at work when i broke my toe on a rouge blade of grass”
Charlietoon
May 10, 2010 at 10:46 PM
Comment #14Yeah I was so happy when Chelsea won because it meant that he did not get that medal. I hope they win nothing next year as well and then he’ll end up somewhere else.
He had the gall to come out and say he was fit for the first 33 out of 34 matches or something like that. It’s easy being fit when you only playing 15 minutes of football every fortnight!! My gran could stay fit for that amount of time. The second the pressure was on and he had his chance to be the man who gets injured again!
Brutooon
May 11, 2010 at 8:24 AM
Comment #15and he is out of the England radar which tell him that he is not good enough!
Michael Owen was good during his 17-23 years old. after that he is just take the money