L'il Mikey Owen - Great Move
Fri Jul 03 04:03PM
So, you're Sir Alex and you're just coming off of a season where you've lived through three (OK, four) strikers (you have to include CRon as a striker) complaining about playing time and generally making your life miserable. Looking at their resumes, you can't really blame them. The World Player of the Year. The "Best English Striker of his Generation", The big summer acquisition, and the high profile South American with the big reputation. Throw in some up-and-coming youngsters and you really have some selection headaches.
Assuming you really didn't have a choice about CRon leaving - you can say anything you'd like about his attitude, etc. but you don't let him go for any amount of money unless you don't have a choice - and you didn't really try too hard to keep Carlito around you really have to figure that a decided change of strategy was in order.
Now, imagine further that you're pining for days gone by when you could actually compete with Real Madrid for players (or at least that's the way you remember it). You remember that you had two well-defined starting strikers (Ruud/Saha, Ruud/Rooney, Ruud/Ole, etc.) and a third striker who knew his role and wasn't going to agitate if he didn't start every match. This generally tended to be a formerly top-class striker on the downside of his career realizing that he was no longer capable of playing 90 every day. That said, these guys were still very capable of being extremely effective in spot starts plus a more regular dose of 20 or 30 minutes cameos off the bench. Sherringham, Cole, and Ole all evolved into this role. The alternative has been a young guy on the way up (see Forlan, Diego; Rossi, Guissepe).
Why do I mention this? Well, obviously because of the shock and surprise that seems to be coming from all quarters about the seemingly inevitable arrival of Michael Owen at Old Trafford. Should we be surprised? No, no more than we would be with Wenger recruiting a new continental 17 year-old attacking midfielder. This is what Sir Alex does. It's the formula that has always worked for him. He has his two de facto starting strikers - Rooney and Berbs - his up and coming options in Macheda and Welbeck and his crafty veteran available when the stage is perhaps a little to large for the youngsters to be counted on.
How does this not make all the sense in the world? It maximizes Owen's chances of being effective by not putting too much pressure on him to try to play 90 minutes on a regular basis. He can avoid the shame of lacing them up for the likes of Hull or Stoke. It fits SAF's formula. And even more importantly, the price is right which leaves SAF all that CRon money to buy an actual midfield.
Are ManYoo clearly the choice to win the Premier League now? Not at all but that has everything to do with the lack of a right wing, attacking midfielder, and holding midfielder and nothing to do with the lack of striking options. We haven't heard much about David Silva recently - might want to spend some of that extra money to give Valencia an opposite number. I'd suggest Robben but he doesn't seem like a SAF kind of guy (injured too often, moody, quiet, etc.). There are a wide variety of Dutch central midfielders available as well (Sneidjer, van der Vaart, etc.) who aren't likely to see a minute at Real this season.
If you put an improved midfield behind Rooney, Berbs, Owen, Macheda, and Welbeck then you might really have something.
What am I saying? I'm a fan of this move assuming that he can find some midfielders who want to play in England.
He was a liver bird. He went to Spain. Now he's a Devil His name is Owen!
From erfanpete on Fri Jul 03 07:45PMReally good article, guys: you've put across some points I hadn't even thought of here, and make a sound argument (well, statement really. Arguments go both ways). Excellent.
From alex.ranahan on Fri Jul 03 08:18PMAll you say is true, but he's stillacnut !!!
From nikyates on Fri Jul 03 08:25PMEveryone is lambasting Owen for this move but what other option did he have? Hull? Stoke? No way. He did the right thing. Forget about Liverpool, they cashed in on him. And he was a boyhood Everton fan so what's the problem? If anything he sold out bu going to Liverpool in the first place.
From cjc.shields on Fri Jul 03 08:56PMThis signing shows the desperation of man-yoo because all the top players in world football have snubbed the evil reds. they wisely know what a **** club manyoo are, with their plastic gloryhunting fans.and old whiskynose himself.
So fergusons rescue plan is to sign an injury prone liverpool fc reject, 10 years past his prime from a lower division club who were desperate to lessen their wage bill.
owen will hardly play a game next season and is a greedy man who's only motivated by money - proven by the fact he wasn't happy when he played for the 2 biggest football clubs in the world at liverpool and real madrid, he's quite happy to lower himself by signing for a small club like man yoo- as long as he picks up a fat wage packet every week!From donv08 on Fri Jul 03 09:44PMwhat a ridiculous point donv08
From banjothemandolin on Fri Jul 03 10:02PMWhat planet are you from DONVO8????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????From michael.gam_ble on Fri Jul 03 10:52PMi like the theory...if owen can stay healthy..he would fit the system you eloquently outline
From bodeyzafa on Sat Jul 04 03:24AMDonv08 you talk some @#$%. Liverpool biggest club in the world??? Seem to remember when Owen left Liverpool didnt look like winning a @#$% all.
Good move for Man-U, surprised Real didnt gazump them by nipping in and re-sighning Owen themselves.......that would have been funny.
From cansofswine on Sat Jul 04 08:24AMDonvo8, Ha Ha Ha - Liverfool - 3rd plce in the prem & 3rd rate on the world stage - biggest club - please.
From storm4ce1 on Sat Jul 04 08:37AMUTD GK - Van Der Sar Defence - Brown Vidic Ferdinand Evra - Midfield - Valencia, Hargreaves, Carrick & Park - Forwards Rooney Berbatov until Evra moves forward & the twins take over full back. Fletcher is coming into his prime; Scholes, Nani, Anderson, Neville, O Shea, Tosic, Owen, Gibson, Evans, Foster, Macheda & Welbeck all to throw into the mix - plus we are UTD - another young superstar will arise. Which other team can provide 25+ known players? Champions, Champions, CHAMPIONS
From storm4ce1 on Sat Jul 04 08:48AMStorm4ce1 #10 - Liverpool finished 2nd in the prem, not 3rd.
From johnnywilkinson on Sat Jul 04 12:54PMdoes not matter if it was second or third it was still below man utd where they belong.at least michael owen will finally have a chance to win a league medal now he is with a team that still knows how to win one
From sophiesmightymacs on Sat Jul 04 02:06PM"I'd suggest Robben but he doesn't seem like a SAF kind of guy (injured too often, moody, quiet, etc.)."
Is it me, or is that not just a description of Arjen Robben, but also a description of 'Li'l Mikey Owen'?From clivewilliamson on Sat Jul 04 02:36PMAll I have to say to all you United supporters, your team wins for a reason, I hate to admit that, BUT you have still failed to sign ANY world class player this transfer season, snubbed by Ribery, Tevez, Benzema, Villa (his clubs fault), etc. AND you sold your best player andh ave not found a suitable replacement, that would make me worried as a fan.
From kellz_86 on Sat Jul 04 05:07PMI think we're up for one hell of a season!
From wolvesboy84 on Sun Jul 05 01:46AMGreat article, can only see bitter liverpool fans thinking, actually, we do not have a chance, which makes me happy.
From loafer_11 on Sun Jul 05 11:19AMTo be honest I'm a liverpool fan I belive this is a good move for owen, Because I wan't owen to play well so he can get in the england squad but I don't want him to play too well for manchester united
BEST OF LUCK OWEN
From roger.stanley on Sun Jul 05 11:46AMgreat article. i'd like to see sir alex go for ashley young. in fergie we trust!!
From waynewarlow on Sun Jul 05 04:34PMHow can it be said that ManU do not have attacking midfielders/wingers? With Nani, Anderson, Giggs, Park, Tosic and now Valencia, all bases are covered. How many do they need?
From oliverstarkey on Sun Jul 05 09:11PMCan Yahoo start the fantasy game ?, it is already July
From shrivathsaiyengar on Mon Jul 06 06:14AMAll sports lovers, great place for all big and tall singles, please check: ____BigTalls Co M____ ,More fun waiting for you...
From summerlleee on Mon Jul 06 07:51AMAs expected, nothing but vitriol from Liverpool supporters. It seems not so very long ago that you were all hoping for him to return to Anfield. Now that he has signed with your most bitter rivals, you have nothing good to say about him. Will he become the striker he was several years ago? Probably not. Will he be a positive acquisition? Most definitely. He is a poacher and United have not had a poacher since Van Nistelrooy. There were dozens of goal scoring chances that United failed to capitalize on during the past season because they did not have a poacher. Now they have one that they can bring on mid-way into the second half when defender's legs start to fatigue. This is a good signing, and it scares the Liverpool faithful.
From dbawebster on Mon Jul 06 05:55PM@23: Don't make me laugh, I think it scares YOU more the fact you sold Ronaldo, your best player, were snubbed by Tevez, one of your hardest working players, were snubbed by some fo the worlds elite players, Ribery, Benzema, Villa, ect, AND who do you have to show for it? Valencia and Owen? LOL don't make me laugh
-BTW I still think Owen is a great striker and wish him the best at United
From kellz_86 on Mon Jul 06 06:05PMWe have enough players now maybe a strong holding midfielder but thats enough after this young lad from France.
Why spend money if you dont need to.
2010 Owen will win his first Premiership Medal. Then wonder why he did not come to OT in the first place.
From keithjoneskj on Mon Jul 06 08:41PMkellz, i like tevez's work ethic, but he was no more than a chicken running around with his head cut off. he lost the ball in all key situations last year. berbatov was better than tevez because berb set up alot of goals. ronaldo is good becuase he can run fast, his tricks are worthless all he has is speed. his free kick style is just a bolted-flat-paced-kick. we will not miss him. messi is great because he is smart, and has a bag of tricks, like the new midfielder we have aquired.
From babolat_pro_dkh on Tue Jul 07 08:20AM'Coming off of' is very bad grammar; you'd assume journalists would have passed their English exams before being given jobs.
From jonscrivener17 on Tue Jul 07 12:52PMOwen needs plenty of minutes to get sharp and unless Rooney is going to play left midfield I doubt he'll get the 7-8 match run in the side he'll need.
From oakes.ta on Wed Jul 08 12:15PMyou welcome to the parasite did nothing for us and showed no effort when playing glad he left newcastle ,a complete waste of time and money good riddance to the little scrote
From anthony.beavers on Wed Jul 08 03:08PMThe 'shame' of playing for Hull or Stoke, I find this attitude appalling. It's journalists using this kind of language that allows footballers to be as arrogant and self-interested as they are, and encourages supporters of the alleged 'big' clubs to have a superiority complex for what is essentially glory hunting. Any footballer should be proud and glad to be paid a ludicrous amount of money, by any club, to play a game they should love. And I would remind you that a player who has just played for a club that was relegated (so how good can he have been) should be absolutely delighted to be back in the Premier League, full stop.
From fos1 on Wed Jul 08 06:21PM
Comment on this article
Please sign in to add your comments.
The Fantasist
Sport Newsletter
Catch up with all the latest news
Sign up to our free daily newsletter to recieve the latest news straight to your inbox. Make sure you don’t miss a thing.
Sign up now
This site is Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
- Terms of Service
- Updated Privacy Policy
- Copyright/IP Policy
- Remarks and Suggestions
- Corporate info
- Jobs at Eurosport
Notice: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy.