Eurosport - Tue, 23 Jun 09:19:00 2009
Michael Owen may be set for a Premier League lifeline, thanks to Hull City's interest, but is the Newcastle striker still able to cut it at the highest level?
Plagued by injury over recent years, the England international has struggled for both fitness and form at St James' Park.
He managed just 10 goals last season and rarely looked like the player that once saw him crowned European footballer of the year.
That said, Owen is a natural goalscorer. Does that instinct for the back of the net ever leave a player of Owen's pedigree? Does he just need a run in the side, free from injury, to regain his form?
Certainly Phil Brown seems to think so. If the Tigers get their man, will it prove to be a masterstroke or will Owen turn out to be a white elephant?
What do you think? Have your say below, or on the message boards, via the link below the photo.
Here's what some of you have said already:
WORTH A PUNT
saalemnok: "If Owen wants to prove he can stay fit and still do it at this level then yes this is the right move for him. But he'll have to take a hefty pay cut to prove himself. Is he ready to do this? It all depends on if he wants to prove that he is still a hungry class striker or the has-been most think he now is."
djarmstrong1984: "If he's fit he'll score. Owen's not had a great supply since he's been at the Toon, if he gets the ball in the right area he'll put it away, he's got the natural ability to finish and that's something he'll always have. Definitely worth the risk."
dunkerfour: "I think he is still worth a shot, no transfer fee and if you can get the right pay as you play deal he's worth a gamble for anyone."
Roland: "Of course he is still worth it. Owen just needs to be free from injuries for six months and all his confidence will come back. You don't just go from being world class to being average overnight."
paul67taylor: "I think he is worth a go but only if he severely drops his wage demands."
STEER WELL CLEAR
G: "Why would anyone in their right mind take a gamble like this? Even with a pay-for-play, the amount you spend on salary could be much better spent bringing up a young talent or two. Owen's career is done, deal with it. "
Kevin H: "If I was Hull I would give it a wide birth and look elsewhere unless they are looking for a shirt seller?"
Joseph: "Sound move by Phil Brown, I guess Jimmy Bullard needs somebody to keep in company in the treatment room and play cards with."
Sloaney lad: "I'm just relieved he's not coming back to Liverpool. The man's gone crackers recently, claiming he'd find it difficult to live on 40,000 a week. Some nerve on the man coming out with that kind of statement after spending most of his career in two working class cities that have struggled with employment since being ravaged by Thatcher in the eighties."
steveandnou: "He failed in the relegation battle for Toon so what difference would it be at Hull? As proven at the Toon he can't play the link up role and striker - the only way he can score is played up front off the shoulder off the defender."
AntiBrand: "A lot has been said about a lack of service, I don't buy into that, if you are a really great player then you don't rely on others, if its not happening then you make it happen. It is too easy to blame everyone else. Make no mistake he was a great player a hat trick against the Germans says it all but those days are gone and if he does not watch out he will just be a has-been who slides done the leagues and that would be a shame."
sappercommando25: "He lost it the moment he left Liverpool on the ill fated Real Madrid adventure. Not that this has in any way diminished that account of his though."
Comment 69 - 88 of 88
IF MICHAEL OWEN "STILL" HAD IT THEN HE WOULDNT BE SIGNING FOR HULL WOULD HE.
valeriewilliams1. YOU R A MENTAL CASE SON. PI$$ OFF FOOL
sherbet_d. HAD AWAY AN @#$% MAN YA MICEY FU kk IN HUCKLE DIVVY NA KK A. R SOUL
DON'T SIGN HIM. HE'S AN INJURY PRONE MERCENARY. I HOPE YOU DON'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN THE EPL. YOUR MANAGER'S A W@ NKER. YOUR CLUB IS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO BE IN THE EPL. HULL IS A $H IT HOLE. HULL CITY UNDERMINES THE EPL. HULL IS A RUGBY LEAGUE CITY. U R $HIT HEADS. EVEN GEORDIES HAVE MORE CLASS THAN YOU CHUMPS. BY THE WAY wilkysprivatehire YOU'RE GETTING CARRIED AWAY. YOU'LL BE BACK DOWN WHERE YOU BELONG B4 YOU KNOW IT. R SOUL
Hull are my hometown club & I think bringing Owen in would be a terrible move for the club, he would only be joining the club for the paycheque as if he has serious ambitions of still making the world cup squad & proving the doubters wrong he should be looking to take a pay cut & join 1 of the prem's bigger clubs or a high profile european one.
I think its unfair to right the guy off, I don't ever believe he went to Newcastle with the intention of fleecing the club & let's remember just how bad the injury he got at the last world cup was....nobody would ever be quite the same player again. Coupling that with playing in probably the worst team he has ever played with at Newcastle then anyone look bad.
But can you seriously criticise a player who (even in his worst season for you) scored 10 in 24 last season....13 in 28 during 2007-8, 7 in 10 during 2005-6??? How many of your other strikers have averaged virtually 1 in 2 playing for you? None.
Right the guy off at your peril, he may have been signed by a regime that INSISTED on throwing money at players not at the top of their game & paying over the odds, but lets be fair...if he was fit & having team-mates who did their job as well as he did then you might not have gone down.
He aint a scapegoat for the demise of Newcastle United & you should be wishing the guy well wherever he ends up.
WY-AYE MAN! gan doon the toon to smoke tabs,am not wearin a jakit cos am hard as nails,divna have a fookin jakit anyway,wanna make sumthin of it like! Am a goerdie an that makes me unexplicably violent like!
TOON ARMY W£$&ERS LIKE!
The toon is the ruin of many good players and who the hell would wear that away kit once again the laughing stock of english football
got @#$% all only toons fat cash suckers maun !!!!!only smith sucked more per goal
I think Michael Owen will do well at Hull and should be back back on form this is just the sort of club Owen needs so he can get back in the England Side.
I think Michael Owen will do well at Hull and should be back back on form this is just the sort of club Owen needs so he can get back in the England Side.
kEEP WELL CLEAR FROM HIM HE'S TOO INJURY PRONE. ANYBODY THAT TAKES OEWN ON WANTS THEIR HEADS LOOKED AT,HAS MUCKED THE TOON ABOUT SINCE HE'S BEEN THERE DOESN'T DESERVE A SHOT IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE AGAIN HE'S PAST IT SHOULD SOD OFF TO AMERICA WHERE ALL THE OTHER HASBEENS GO
look, he just needs to go to a team that plays with his style
finds that and he'll be scoring goals again
(comment 70) your a great comedien.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT BUT, Fancy downloading THOUSANDS of ONLINE GAMES and ONLINE TV SOFTWARE; Visit okejer . bezoogle com / pp / games (remove all spaces).....Check it out, its great.....got some great stuff on it.......WORTH IT!!
DOH !!!! NO!!!! He's a coward
Has he @#$%, I hope Hull City have a full ER staff down there, they will need them!!!!
the only person who can answer that in my mind is OWEN
HAS "OWEN STILL GO IT?" in a word... NO
hes still the best striker in the world
micheal owen is a fat over rated beef cake who has to zoom zoom cause it will be a long time in the football forgotten toom
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account