Why LFC Should Forget His Lack of Loyalty & Re-Sign Michael Owen
TRANSFER deadline day was a frustrating day for Liverpool fans, myself included. After Andy Carroll was loaned out to West Ham on Thursday, Liverpool were expected to sign a replacement on Friday before the transfer window closed. Instead, the club and its fans waited… and waited… and waited. When it was revealed that Tottenham were closing in on signing Clint Dempsey for £6m – and Liverpool were either unwilling or unable to offer Fulham more than £4m for the American – it became brutally apparent to Reds fans just how little money the club had left in the bank.
Brendan Rodgers made no attempt to hide his frustration with Liverpool’s deadline day activity, or lack thereof, in the press conference that followed the team’s 2-0 defeat at home to Arsenal. When asked if he would have let Carroll go to West Ham if he had known he would not be able to sign a replacement, Rodgers said “no“. When asked how confident he was that he would be able to sign a replacement for Carroll before the transfer window closed, Rodgers said “very“. Then, perhaps most intriguingly, Rodgers was asked if he would consider signing Michael Owen, who as a free agent can be signed outside of the transfer window. He responded: “Any player that I believe can improve the squad I will look at. We have got a very, very small squad with some very young players in it. So I can’t say no”.
In other words, Rodgers refused to rule out a move for Owen, and of course the media picked up on this. But given that Owen spent the last three seasons playing for our bitter rivals Manchester United, how would Liverpool fans respond to a second coming for the striker who was once their favourite son? Personally, I’m able to look past the three years Owen spent at Old Trafford and I hope other Reds fans can do the same. The 32-year-old proved at Man Utd that he is a useful squad player and given our shortage of striking options, I feel Owen can still offer something to Liverpool. Despite his age and fitness problems, one thing Owen hasn’t lost is something the club desperately needs – the ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
A lot of Liverpool fans haven’t forgiven Owen for leaving Liverpool back in 2004. In the final year of his contract and having expressed a desire to leave, Owen was sold to Real Madrid for £8m plus Antonio Nunez. Getting so little money for a player who had been our top scorer for six seasons running was a bitter pill to swallow, and the fact that Nunez was a complete flop didn’t help the ill feeling towards Owen. Nor was the departure a happy one for Owen, who struggled to make an impact in Spain and was sold to Newcastle after just one season at Real. An injury stricken four years followed in the North East, with Owen scoring 30 goals for the Magpies before leaving the club at the end of his contract.
In three years at Man Utd, Owen has managed 17 goals in 52 appearances. It is hardly a prolific scoring ratio, but with just two senior strikers at Liverpool, Owen would be a worthy backup for Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini. He would be a more reliable option than unproven youngsters such as Adam Morgan, Dani Pacheco and 18-year-old Samed Yesil, signed from Leverkusen for £1m. Owen would be a short-term fix and would only be worth signing on a 12-month, pay-as-you-play deal… but Owen would surely jump at the chance to play for Liverpool again, even if it was just for one season.
A poll on Goal.com suggested that Liverpool fans would be open to an Owen return – when asked if Brendan Rodgers should sign the striker, 77% voted yes. However, whether or not Owen gets to follow in the footsteps of Robbie Fowler by returning to Liverpool for a second spell remains to be seen.
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September 3rd, 2012
NO NO NO NO NO!!! I’d rather see heskey return. Owen is a scumbag and I will never forgive him. We are already having a sh*t season, I don’t want us to “swollow our pride”. We are liverpool for god sakes, rodgers should think outside the box and look at free agents from around the world rather than go for joe coles cousins.
September 3rd, 2012
I do not want Owen because he is a traitor and because
he is a pale shadow of his former self. Yes to Lucas Barrios.
I do agree that we should back Rogers but I do not enjoy Barcelona style 7 dwarfs playing in midfield.
I rather suspect that our only way back to the top without a billionaire benefactor is ultimately to get Benitez back.
September 3rd, 2012
If that rotten CU*T rejoins, I won’t be able to handle it!!! Really, I won’t!! Ohhhh Noooooo.
September 3rd, 2012
LFC need to look no further than the training ground. Its not a case of who will get the goals but how the TEAM will get goals. After having played 3 games 2 goals scored BOTH from set peices.
The system has so far produced spells of possession albeit largely in our own half. Passing to Reina has had an effect of increased strain in defence not rely alleviated any pressure.
The midfield must work for each other. Take note of Abu Diaby who was a powerhouse winning the ball keeping it moving forward moving his team forward. Allen can do this yet needs ready runners. More effective movement of the ball.
The centre of the park is a big concern. There is no true threat from 16 yards box to box midfielder. Gerrard is drifting to the wings too much although the plan was that he plays as a foil to the forwards more centrally.
Stevie G just hasn’t found that all important edge. His tackling has been good and perhaps Rodgers must hand him the Lucas role in defensive mid. Gerrard is a long ball, hollywood shot type, tiki taka isn’t cutting it for him. So as a change of tac drop him back, get him to marshall the defensive line going forward.
Play out and out wingers so for heavens sake G. Johnson might defend and only contribute to forward play as a last resort- not simply abandon defensive duty and go into wing commander mode.
Sterling is sound on the left. On the right try Hendo or Assaidi and just stick with it rigidly cuz frankly both goals came from a gaping hole left at the back by neglectful defending from Johnson.
Practice some break out drills cuz the speed is there, the potential to finish is there so just find something that works in training and use it.
As for the goal scoring threat from mid field we may have to play an experimental set up at times to give us that obviously absent dimension. Use Borini, Morgan, Pacheco as the centre forward Suarez just behind cuz let’s face the music only Suarez has any fizz in his shots to speak of. Shelvey is not accurate enough.
Need some open play moves that restore some faith in the faithfull. Swift move or two that bags a goal. The packed defence as Arsenal played is dificult to break down so dont be afraid to go route one BR, that all important change of tac, stylistic variation, the switch round. It is plain stupid to think that we will get tiki taka to work in such little time. Use it indeed, yet the final third requires carefully rehearsed drills designed to undo defences. Many drills so that if one doesnt work then another does. Too predictable so far. It was a job and a half breaking Hearts down its no surprize Arsenal were beyond us.
Barca, Spain even Italy average thousands of passes completed per game. Liverpool are a long long long long way from that kind of competence. So in the meantime there is a screaming need for fluid moves that produce clear cut goals or goal chances. The truth of the matter is the final third appears to be alien territory for the current LFC team in open play. Either a snatched shot or final ball too speculative or the forward (usually Suarez) looks for a pen. Doesn’t inspire confidence instead adds to dejection.
Going forward LOOK. Pass the killer pass. Or if shooting get it closer to the stick than the keeper. Lol it’s that simple.
As for Owen, not going to do much good, might be better off retiring. If he does turn up then the training ground can use his experience though on the field of play he’s definately past it.
September 3rd, 2012
no way!!
September 4th, 2012
If we are thinking about bring back Owen lets bring back Robbin fowler as well
September 4th, 2012
I agree with the person who said we should not be looking for short term fixes but give Morgan and the two Spanish lads Pacheco and suso a chance but my bet is Pacheco will not even be in 25 man squad list today as BR tried to sell him last min of deadline day even after he knew we had no chance of bringing anybody in”…..BR wants to play like barca and here are two players who have been bought up in bar as youth teams and in pachecos case who played along with There superstars of today, he has also played for Spain at all Levels to U21….rated by barca, Spanish, Norwich and Liverpool fans but despite being our best player per season won’t be given a chance by Rodgers….same situation as AQUALANI here