Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:19 pm**

GYBS wrote:I dont think it was the fact he left the club Bav i think its the way he let his contract run down and we had to sell him on the cheap in the end and prob lost about 12 mil on him .

Yeah that left a sour taste in the mouth but the club have to accept responsibility there as well. Who lets their best player (or joint best) run his contract down any lower than 12 months? I'm not especially bitter on that front, although I can understand why some posters are. My opinion is that he gave the club his best years, watched it all turn sour under Houllier (having also been a key player in the Evans years) and couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to Madrid. Things got so bad in Ged's last two years at the club so I didn't really blame him too much and we were very lucky not to lose our talismanic Captain in the same summer for exactly the same reasons.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:21 pm**

Werent they constantly offering him a new contract all the time thou and he said wait until the summer then they brought rafa in and rafa asked him to sign a years extension and to give him a year to see what happens and he decided against it and left on the cheap .

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:25 pm**

GYBS wrote:Like someone said if he is available a lot of clubs would go in for him hence pushing the price up even further.

I think it was me who said it

But there is a limit for a player entering the final 6 months of his contract and it's considerably less than £10 million.

Anyway, it don't think any of it matters coz it's not gonna happen. I just think it would/could be a very clever piece of business, a real difference maker. A gamble? Sure, but one worth taking in my book. I don't imagine there is a lot of money available for transfers and it's hard to see the manager bringing in someone who can make a difference unless of course he sent Keane back to Spurs or shifted on Babel.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:30 pm**

Yeah it would be a good bit of business for the buying side but i would expect someone like city to go in for him as well which would push the price up - yeah it would be a gamble - if you can guarentee he will stay fit and be happy to play second fiddle behind torres then yes . He is definatly still a great finisher and would score goals but like you say i cant see it happening as well .

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:34 pm**

GYBS wrote:Werent they constantly offering him a new contract all the time thou and he said wait until the summer then they brought rafa in and rafa asked him to sign a years extension and to give him a year to see what happens and he decided against it and left on the cheap .

I can't remember the exact details but yes, i'm sure efforts were made by the club to get him to sign a new deal so of course the player was at fault but I guess it was too late by then. Unfortunately he's not like Carra, he's an ambitious player, always has been, much like Gerrard and I guess playing for Liverpool alone wasn't enough for him. He wanted to go and win the big trophies and i guess he didn't believe Liverpool were the team to provide that. Course, he was proved completely and utterly wrong the following season! But I still have a lot of affection for the player. I remember watching him on ITV in the studio before the champions League semi at Anfield in 2005. The presenter tried to ask him a couple of questions and instead of answering he simply pointed out to the crowd with a big grin on his face to say 'will you just shut up and listen to these fans out there'

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:37 pm**

I guess thats why a lot of people woul be dubious about him coming back as he doesnt have the club in his heart .

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:43 pm**

Stopped reading when i got to

Crouch did well initially, but his limitations lessened his opportunities

But if the rest of the article is "why not get Owen for free ? " , yeah, why not.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:00 pm**

Rorschach26 wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:Havent read Tomkins article as am in work and he puts me to sleep usually.

But would deffo have him back as i have stated in loads of Owen threads.

so why read it then?

I didnt read it, i just read the start of topic and got the gist of it.

I havent managed to complete a full Tomkins article yet so 3 pages on what to me is obvious anyway was avoided.

Hence the two line post.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:04 pm**

Locked and Merged the Tompkins topic with this one. why make two trips to the same place ? .

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:41 am**

May as well lock 'em both Woof, this is a no win thread !!

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:52 am**

GYBS wrote:I guess thats why a lot of people woul be dubious about him coming back as he doesnt have the club in his heart .

and u'v been his soulmate since ?

give it a break its all been said ... not like Babel, Kuyt, Lucas or half the player who sign for us come here thinking.. "oh great i'v picked Liverpool although i could have joined Madrid, ManUtd, Milan or Barcelona"... most of the players sign because we'r either the best option they got.. or the best deal financially.. few join because signing for Liverpool is their dream move.... im sure many in our current squad would accept a move to RealMadrid, Barcelona and the likes if theyr offered the chance...

Owen believed he'd achieved all he could with Liverpool and that it was time to move on... we didnt seem to be going anywhere at the time and even the most optimistic of fans didnt really think we'd be winning a CL medal in 2005..

im not saying he hasnt made a coupla bad choices, but end of the day u cant really say he hasnt got the club at heart or hes a fcking disgrace to the shirt or the likes... he wants back i say welcome bak mickey... come bak and prove ur a Liverpool legend lad...

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:12 am**

In fairness, this kiss the badge, club in the heart, city flowing through their veins stuff is nonsense in 99% of footballers cases. There are exceptions, we certainly have one and arguably two but at best you can hope that a footballer settles down, respects the fans and the institution of a club and puts in an honest shift. Usually though, like the rest of us they are far more concerned about whether or not their kids are getting bullied at school, if their missus has found a bunch of like minded friends to hang out with and the like than they are about "fans" per se.

For footballers it's a job, partly about glory for sure but mostly about playing well enough to get a new or more lucrative contract, regardless of who offers it. I've no doubt that Owen feels considerably more affinity for Liverpool than he does for Newcastle, but he wouldn't be alone amongst footballers or indeed any other bunch of people who would swallow that allegiance for a better deal. This "better deal" could well be as much about likely regular starts as it would be about be about cash. Equally, his affinity for Liverpool is probably as much about his best mates playing for us as it is about a desire to play in front of the kop.

Most footballers are fairly normal souls I reckon, and although it's a natural phenomenon to build them up into being Gods or villains, most are just normal young blokes.

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:44 am**

He should have give Rafa a chance, he left us badly in the sh!t when he left, we had CL football coming up that season something he said he wanted.

My heart was broke that night I seen him on the subs bench in that qualifier and the writting was on the wall then, we all realised he was leaving despite his words and his agent being on a world cruise for 2 years.

And when it didnt work out in Madrid and he wanted to come back to Liverpool all he had to say to Madrid was NO I am not going to Newcastle, he would have moved back here in the January transfer window, instead he was more concerned about his Ingurlund place than playing for us.

Do I want him back ? yes I do not him the person but his goals he would gobble up all them chances we create, but my fear is he would be turned into a work horse, and wouldnt be in the box to put away our chances.

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:25 am**

Ciggy wrote:but my fear is he would be turned into a work horse, and wouldnt be in the box to put away our chances.

Good point, he could get Rafinated.

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:27 am**

thats the problem ciggy, Rafa would strangle him like he's doing with Keane

Liverpool FC Forum

Michael owen - Surely...