Liverpool FC Forum

[destro]

And you think Real would of said 'Its ok mike, you have cost us 17 million,but due to your commitment to make a go of it here, we wont hold it against you'. Nobody knows the circumstances behind the move but i would bet that Real made it perfectly clear that he would warm the bench if he turned down the move

[LFC2007]

And you think Real would of said 'Its ok mike, you have cost us 17 million,but due to your commitment to make a go of it here, we wont hold it against you'. Nobody knows the circumstances behind the move but i would bet that Real made it perfectly clear that he would warm the bench if he turned down the move

How did it cost Madrid £17m, they paid £8m for Owen and Nunez and I'm damn certain Nunez isn't worth £9m!

They would have at least recouped the £8m and whatever the cost of a years wages from what we offered, rumoured to be £10m or so.

I don't see Newcastle as matching his ambitions given the season prior that was the reason he left us.

[destro]

They still would of missed out on 17 million regardless of what the breakdown was, and why would they take less for him hardly good business is it ?


MICHAEL OWEN has issued Real Madrid with an ultimatum: Either play me or sell me.

Publicly, the troubled England striker has put a brave face on his growing crisis at Madrid, but privately Owen's frustration at a lack of first-team football has reached breaking-point.

He now accepts that unless there is a dramatic change he is likely to return home in the summer after just one season in Spanish football.

Owen said: "This last month hasn't been perfect. I am not missing out on goalscoring, I am doing all right on that front - but I am missing out on minutes on the pitch.

"But I can't do anything about that, apart from try as hard as I can when I do get a chance."

Privately, though, Owen has told pals that if Madrid can't guarantee him first-team football he will join a club that will.

He said: "This year I will keep plugging away and see if I can get more minutes on the pitch. I have been involved in nearly every game this season. I don't know if any players have played as many games as me - but a lot of them have been from off the bench.

"I want to play and hopefully I can improve and put pressure on the manager to play me."

[LFC2007]

There's nothing there that's new. Why didn't he consider this as a possibility before he left then? It was patently obvious that Madrid had a plethora of talent up front, the managers were coming and going, so that's no excuse - no-one is guaranteed first team football especially at Madrid. We're not talking a move from Madrid to AC Milan, this is Newcastle United under the management of Souness for goodness sake. Is that fulfilling his ambitions that he stated he wanted to fulfil the season before?. There are also articles and quotes that will show Owen wanted to leave because of the 2006 world cup, as if there was any question he would be picked for the squad anyway.

[destro]

Raul and Ronaldo werent they the strikers when he went there ? Not really a plethora of talent.

He wanted to play football and if it was purely down to Owen IMO he would of chose us

[LFC2007]

Raul and Ronaldo werent they the strikers when he went there ? Not really a plethora of talent.

He wanted to play football and if it was purely down to Owen IMO he would of chose us

Raul, Ronaldo, Morientes. Sure, they're not exactly talented are they. Ronaldo only has the three world player of the year awards to his name, only the world cup's highest ever goal scorer. Raul, just the 194 goals to his name, only 5 la ligas and 3 UCL's. Just third on the all time list of scorers in Europe. Morientes, just the 180 goals, several UCL's and titles. That's pretty average to me.

That's besides the point, he left at the very end of the transfer window, with a new manager who needed to know what options he had for the forthcoming season, Fowler would never have done that, he has more integrity than to leave us in the lurch like that.

[destro]

I didnt think Nando was there when Owen went there? Im not saying they are not talented but two strikers ahead of you is hardly a cause for concern if you are joining a new club, its not like they had four or five in front of him, he must of fancied his chances of playing,

By all accounts he did well when he got the chance and then came to realise there was certain players who would be picked on reputation alone rather than form.

[maypaxvobiscum]

He compared the desire to return , nothing else

So Owen left under a cloud and therefore he would not have as much desire as  Robbie  to come back ?

He could have come back, he put England before Liverpool. He could have stayed with Madrid until the January transfer window or until the summer.

So to prove his desire he sits on the bench at Real by turning down a move to Newcastle who out bid us ( im not going into the politics of if we should of matched their fee ), i would call that comparing stupidity with desire and Owen is not stupid he wants to play football not sit warming a bench no matter how nice the weather is , there is to much made about his England career, the simple fact is he was and still is Englands first choice striker, a fit ( and not necessarily match fit )  Owen will always be one of the first names on the England team list even if he was sat on the bench at Madrid.

owen joined newcastle cuz he feared for his england place. that is why he went to newcastle.
if he was always gonna be one of the first names on the eng team list, why did he go? cuz of the money? speaks volumes doesnt it?

[LFC2007]

It's not like joining Newcastle where you're virtually guarenteed to play, Morientes, Raul and Ronaldo are three of the worlds most successful strikers. Given the managerial uncertainty surrounding the club too i.e. Perez's antics. then I think he should have realised that there's just no way you're going to be guranteed a place.

Irrespective of that, the manner in which he let his contract run down and left at the last minute is disrespectful and he left Rafa in a lot of sh!t when he came. I remember Rafa making it clear, you either sign a new contract now or you go now, but Owen procrastinated.

[destro]

Irrespective of that, the manner in which he let his contract run down and left at the last minute is disrespectful and he left Rafa in a lot of sh!t when he came. I remember Rafa making it clear, you either sign a new contract now or you go now, but Owen procrastinated.

All that to  get us back to the beginning 

I am not condoning the way he left, this all started over the issue of his desire to come back and as the original post said it would be the same as Robbies. What happened in the past is irrelevant to the question of his desire now IMO

Got there in the end 

[maypaxvobiscum]

Players don't turn down Real Madrid...full stop.

There is no player more focussed and professional than MO.  Football IS his life, and whoever he plays for he gives 100%.

If you think Robbie was happy to come back, double that for MO.  Back to his home club, and this time he knows the infrastructure is there to win things.

I can't believe anyone wouldn't think he is a bargain...

£16 million for Bent...my !!!

In the context of that signing MO for less than £10m is such a good deal we should camped outside his house with the contract.

Welcome back MO...25 goals this season is it???   

perhaps you should go and do some research on who xabi alonso rejected before he came here.

and double that for owen? what...you on drugs or smthn?

[LFC2007]

Well the way in which he left is a mark of his desire if you ask me, all in all I would accept him coming back on the basis of his footballing ability, but he has a lot to do if he's gonna convince me and others about his desire. But still, Robbie is much more Liverpool through and through than Owen will ever be.

[destro]

owen joined newcastle cuz he feared for his england place. that is why he went to newcastle.
if he was always gonna be one of the first names on the eng team list, why did he go? cuz of the money? speaks volumes doesnt it?[/quote]
And thats your opinion ?

He went so that he could play football and not warm a bench, did you read the other posts or just jump in halfway through 

[maypaxvobiscum]

owen joined newcastle cuz he feared for his england place. that is why he went to newcastle.
if he was always gonna be one of the first names on the eng team list, why did he go? cuz of the money? speaks volumes doesnt it?

And thats your opinion ?

He went so that he could play football and not warm a bench, did you read the other posts or just jump in halfway through  [/quote]
he went to newcastle so he could play......
so...liverpool supposedly wanted him too. except for much less money.
couldnt he have waited or told real he only wanted to come to anfield instead of going to the toons?

besides, what makes him so sure he could easily dislodge the strikers at real at that time?

[Bad Bob]

I didnt think Nando was there when Owen went there? Im not saying they are not talented but two strikers ahead of you is hardly a cause for concern if you are joining a new club, its not like they had four or five in front of him, he must of fancied his chances of playing,

By all accounts he did well when he got the chance and then came to realise there was certain players who would be picked on reputation alone rather than form.

I don't really want to butt into this discussion because, to me, it's all so much water under the bridge but...

Morientes was at Madrid when Owen went there.  Rafa wanted him to come the other way in a swop deal but Madrid played hardball and we ended with Nunez.  We did get Morientes that January (2005), however.  Now, as I recall, Owen was certainly beneath Raul (undroppable club icon) and Ronaldo (galactico) in the pecking order and was perhaps on par with, or slightly ahead of Morientes, who was out of favour.  He (Owen) was clearly not in the frame to start many games for Madrid but his fantastic goal tally as a substitute made certain that he at least made the bench most games.

Incidentally, that's why I'd love to see a healthy Michael Owen playing for us again: the lad scores goals, period.  I personally don't think he's past it and I'd take a punt for 9 million.  As for screwing us over...let's just say that he can make it up to us by scoring the goals that win us the league.