Benitez swerves question on owen return - Piece in sunday's observer
Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:00 amNot really a story, seeing as though all he did was say neither yes or no to a questioner, but here it is anyway...
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http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1318727,00.html
Benítez swerves question of possible Owen return
Neil Johnston
Sunday October 3, 2004
The Observer
Life after Michael Owen might be something Liverpool are still coming to terms with. But whether manager Rafael Benítez, despite a shortage of goalscoring options available to him, will take advantage of a clause in the former Kop idol's Real Madrid contract and bring him back to Anfield remains to be seen.
Owen has struggled to make his mark in La Liga since leaving Liverpool for £8million in the summer and the 24-year-old has admitted that he could be forced to reconsider his future if first-team chances at Real continue to elude him. Displacing Raúl or Ronaldo has so far proved beyond Owen, who is also behind Fernando Morientes and now Guti in the pecking order.
Owen's concerns are compounded by the fact that Real do not play reserve-team football and he is worried about the effect on his fitness as he returns to England this week to join the national squad. There is a clause in Owen's contract that gives Liverpool first refusal should he leave Real.
But under Fifa regulations, Liverpool would not be allowed to re-sign the player until next summer. Benítez, who is in the market for a fourth striker, is, however, backing Owen to flourish in the Spanish capital.
'English players normally play better when they go to teams in northern Spain because the climate and the style is very similar to England,' Benítez said. 'But Michael is obviously an extremely talented player. It is hard for him to establish himself because there are so many world-class players at Real Madrid, but if he's got a positive mind and works properly in training then he can come through.'
But Benítez would not be drawn on whether he would consider bringing Owen back to Anfield, saying: 'All I am doing is concentrating on the next match.'
One former Anfield legend who would relish the return of Owen is Kenny Dalglish. 'As time goes by, people might start to realise how important Michael was for Liverpool - and the goals he scored,' Dalglish said. 'He never got complacent, but people maybe got complacent about his successes. He got a good volume of goals last season, but people still say he played poorly.'
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http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1318727,00.html
Benítez swerves question of possible Owen return
Neil Johnston
Sunday October 3, 2004
The Observer
Life after Michael Owen might be something Liverpool are still coming to terms with. But whether manager Rafael Benítez, despite a shortage of goalscoring options available to him, will take advantage of a clause in the former Kop idol's Real Madrid contract and bring him back to Anfield remains to be seen.
Owen has struggled to make his mark in La Liga since leaving Liverpool for £8million in the summer and the 24-year-old has admitted that he could be forced to reconsider his future if first-team chances at Real continue to elude him. Displacing Raúl or Ronaldo has so far proved beyond Owen, who is also behind Fernando Morientes and now Guti in the pecking order.
Owen's concerns are compounded by the fact that Real do not play reserve-team football and he is worried about the effect on his fitness as he returns to England this week to join the national squad. There is a clause in Owen's contract that gives Liverpool first refusal should he leave Real.
But under Fifa regulations, Liverpool would not be allowed to re-sign the player until next summer. Benítez, who is in the market for a fourth striker, is, however, backing Owen to flourish in the Spanish capital.
'English players normally play better when they go to teams in northern Spain because the climate and the style is very similar to England,' Benítez said. 'But Michael is obviously an extremely talented player. It is hard for him to establish himself because there are so many world-class players at Real Madrid, but if he's got a positive mind and works properly in training then he can come through.'
But Benítez would not be drawn on whether he would consider bringing Owen back to Anfield, saying: 'All I am doing is concentrating on the next match.'
One former Anfield legend who would relish the return of Owen is Kenny Dalglish. 'As time goes by, people might start to realise how important Michael was for Liverpool - and the goals he scored,' Dalglish said. 'He never got complacent, but people maybe got complacent about his successes. He got a good volume of goals last season, but people still say he played poorly.'
