Jul 03
Owen Signs, and he’s no Henrik Larsson
It’s official. The sun hasn’t run out of hydrogen yet, most humans continue to work for a living, but Michael Owen somehow finds himself a Manchester United player.
To be honest, I’ve never felt so underwhelmed by a United signing when I first heard it. I’ve been intrigued by some of Fergie’s buys but never so underwhelmed as I have been with this one. What shocks me is the PR on full tilt on the official site. Yes, we know it’s the official site etc, but to publish a headline that went ‘Reds fans excited over Owen signing’ made my stomach curdle.
I was extremely mad yesterday when this Owen signing gathered pace and didn’t even know how to react. Today I have better control over my emotions and I might be able to string a few sentences together. But first, the manager reaction:
“Michael is a world class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question. Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish.”
Yes, Owen would definitely relish it. He should be thanking his stars for being given a chance to redeem himself.
A free transfer is something one can hardly argue against. But we’ve had our trysts with injury prone players in the past with Saha, and Hargreaves now. I just wonder how Owen’s thigh, knee, groin, ankle, nose, eye will hold up. Our record with keeping injury prone players fit hasn’t exactly been a paragon in sports science excellence.
While describing Owen, one must be wary about his usage of tense. He was a world class centre forward. He was clinical. He was pacy. He is still a prick to a lot of fellow reds.
But he’s a United player now. I will always view this signing with scepticism until I see something on the pitch that changes my opinion otherwise. I would love to be proved wrong on this and he actually ends up rediscovering some of his past form. But he has a two year contract with us, and would be less demanding of a place on the first team. He will hopefully get a pay as you play contract on top of a modest weekly wage, and that should suit me just fine.
My main worry is this shouldn’t be viewed as a sign of desperation. Ferguson clearly wants his signings before the pre season. And that’s reflected by his need to get things out of the way in a hurry upon his return from holiday; we were in on the Benzema deal quickly to be fair whether we got him or not.
The main question will be whether he will persist with trying to buy another striker (and if so, why sign Owen then?) Or will he go for a winger or midfielder? These are questions I’m sure Ferguson will have to address if he wants his starting XI and formations sorted out before the season.
So I’m sorry, Manutd.com, I don’t currently share the excitement you seem to have gleaned from your messageboards. I may get excited if Owen actually stays fit for a few months in a row. Till then, I’ll wait to see if we have any more signings lined up.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Carlos Tevez continues to spout venom
- Ferguson’s comments on transfers, and he’s not stupid
- What is your formation?
- Hargreaves Agrees Terms… and Signs
- Man Utd Stories of the Day
Tags: Daily Roundup · Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:31
This picture alone should give all Dippers fans a nice sinking feeling.
Seeing him with our version of red and our crest on his chest just makes me happy, regardless of what he contributes.
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:33
Good point about Fergie signing him now rather than later. He wants him asap when it comes to training. But it still looks sad and pathetic after losing out on Benzema
I hope he pans out for us. But even if he doesn’t, it’s not like we took a big financial hit to get him.
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:34
@Grognard:
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:36
Well said RR!
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:38
Boy does he look odd in our kit!
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:43
You know, this signing could make Fergie a genius in six months’ time. I know he has a dipper history, but hell, it’s not like we took a huge risk on him. Had we spend one cent of our transfer budget, I’d be up in arms, but he’s FREE! He scores 10 goals off the bench this season and it’s a steal. How many goals did Tevez score last season?
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:45
bring back saha and they can split the striking duties between themselves
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:56
Viresh i think you ment share a banana split on the sidelines
July 3rd, 2009 at 20:59
we still need a top class striker and a CM or 2
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:07
lets look at micheal owen as a player
does he have any teqnical ability no
is he great on the ball no
is he great in the air no
does he make the great runs anymore no
is he a physical presence no
his 2 biggest talents was his pace and goalscoring when his pace went his goaals went with it.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:13
I must say, as good a signing as what Owen is (or might be), I feel RedRanter’s feeling of being heavily underwhelmed. Owen is a good striker. This is a good deal, especially because he’s free. The worrying part is everything surrounding the signing. It clearly shows desperation, but moreso, it indicates that I was right. This is one of those instances I hate to be right…Manchester United management did not plan for the departure of Ronaldo (even though they knew of it a year ago), and they fucked up with the Tevez deal (regardless of whether we believe him leaving is a good idea or not). There is NO strategy. Hell, I don’t even think they have a strategy for our youngsters (ala Campbell, Lee Martin, Possenbon on loan in Portugal?).
I know this is once again a negative rant, but how can I be positive if my beloved club’s management is not?
On a positive note, with Owen’s history, this acquisition should provide the likes of Wellbeck and Macheda an opportunity to grow.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:15
@Viresh Chauhan: The problem with Saha mate, was that SAF agreed with the medical teams assessment that when they passed him fit, Saha didn’t feel fit, and they believed his problem was MORE IN HIS HEAD! Owen will do everything he can to BE and to STAY fit. He wants to get to the world cup, he believes its his destiny and last chance, so who knows? Well Ronaldo knows that GOD knows
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I couldn’t believe we had gone for Owen last night when it was reported, and I have very grave doubts now. Yet if perchance the lad could find and keep some fitness, and play a good amount of games for us, then that would be a better time to see just EXACTLY what he has. There is no doubt that in his day, he was a fantastic goalscorer, and MAGIC does happen, and he could contribute in this area IF he stays injury free, but it is a bif IF isn’t it?
I think the SAF logic might be, that to sign the big players does take TIME and is slow and tedious more often than not. He wanted someone then that he could get NOW, to take on tour. Owen whether we like it or not, is a big name in Asia, and is liked there, and will be good for the tour commercially etc. So perhaps that’s another reason SAF got him signed. The rest I am not hopeful about, but he cost nowt, so if he does nowt, I am certain it will not be for want of trying. I still haven’t got over my depression about the signing though
. But I am too busy on a new work project, and deadline to fret about it today!
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:17
Cheer up folks! It’s not like we signed Djemba-Djemba again. Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons:
Pros:
1. He’s free.
2. He can score goals.
3. We will provide much better service to him than Newcastle can beg for.
4. He doesn’t mind sitting on the bench.
5. He is motivated to play well, he needs to revive his career, as opposed to Ronaldo at RM ala ‘I am God, worship me, then pay me”
6. He may not be our only striker signing. Think of the 4 striker mentality, leaving Welbeck/Macheda out.
7. Did I mention he’s free?
Cons:
1. “He could get injured hailing a cab”
2. He may not return to an ounce of form, a complete muppet on the pitch.
3. Owen is injured for the entire season, we don’t sign another striker, and any injury to Roo/Berba will knock us out of options (no more Ronaldo to play makeshift CF)
4. It takes time to adopt the team to finally playing with an poacher-type striker. Then again, we’re going to have to adapt big time anyways since we’ve lost Ronaldo.
5. He may get the number 7 shirt, a shirt I would prefer the yellow “Kuzczak 29″ over.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:19
I wont be surprised if those 6 ‘excited’ comments on manutd.com were the only ones amongst a miriad of ‘other’ comments. We all know they will not publish or air negative comments.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:24
@Jon: And NUMBER 4 ON THE PRO SIDE is one of the most important points. What happens to Rooney and Berbatov IF we sign a big name who doesn’t want to sit on the bench? Do we start putting Rooney on the wings again, or do we drop Berbatov?
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:26
Anyone know when kit numbers are released?
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:28
he is a midget and offers no ariel threat. also we needed a backup striker that offers a physical precence, we must get back a physical precence a plan B after losing ronaldo
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:28
@Craig Mc: Just a bit curious, did you not rant on numerous times that you value player loyalty and honesty most? (That’s what grieved you with the Carlos issue). Owen is a hardcore scouser that wanted to go back to Pool. He had other options, but the money was right from their most feared rivals (us).
How do you gauge loyalty?
Not claiming that I am against this signing, I’m not. Just curious on possible ‘double standards’
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:34
@Jon: I would add to the pros list that at 29, signing only a 2 year contract, he can fill the gap whilst Macheda and Welbeck develop further. In 2 years time they can take over from him, playing a good few games in the process.
And did you mention he’s free?
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:36
has anyone also noticed that bar vidic there is not one united player now who as height and can be a threat from set pieces. we all have little nimble players rooney is no nice player but there is versitility all the wingers and forwards are so un versitile in terms of abilit to play upfront what ronaldo offered
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:36
fuck it dude if he sucks put him in mid field when we play liverfool and have him do a hack job on someone take his card then sit him back down. hahah how sweet would it be to have him hack down torrez and put him in the rehab center for a few games the scouse would be crying blood. hahah
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:37
There is a certain method to this madness. We have spent less than £20 million and we have two new signings to replace the two players who left ready for the pre-season. Our squad depth is now restored. With the squad we have we will finish in the top 4 and qualify for the knock out stages for Europe. Valencia and Owen have proven themselves in the Premiership so will fit right in and have an immediate impact and ensure we remain in the top 4.
We have missed out on all the world class players. So Fergie now needs to identify a few players who we can nurture over the next couple of seasons and turn into stars. Any player we sign from overseas will take a season or two to adapt to the Premiership. So we have to be patient.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:37
In terms of ability and height, etc.
Looking at Owen, I have to ask “Why couldn’t we just sign Rossi back instead?”
Looking at Tevez, I have to ask “Why did we let Rossi go in the first place?”
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:43
@colver: Sorry mate, I have to disagree somewhat (not much). We had a squad that would finish top-4 even before the signings. The signings are supposed to ensure the titles.
The second part of your statement is what upsets me. I agree with it. Thing is, it should have been the plan ALL ALONG. Should not have been a plan-B to a pathetic plan-A.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:44
@steve: We have Sheasy, Vida, Rio, Evans, and especially Wes Brown for set pieces mate, corners anyway. What I want to know is who will take the penalties and free kicks and do a good job. If Hargo was fit it would be him, as he is marvelous at it
. I just hope it isn’t Giggsy, because he is useless in that department, and I mean useless with a capital U. SAF needs to get the players practicing, and find out who is the best in free kick taking.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:53
@Craig Mc: I have a feeling its going to be Anderson. Don’t ask me why, and I’m not trying to be sarcastic or make a joke. Just have that feeling he will be taking them.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:53
@Karl: Double standards???? My beef with Tevez is not that he wanted to go to City, Chelski, or the Dippers for that matter, but that HE LIED as to his reasons for going. Tevez said he was leaving because he didn’t get enough of the big games at OT, and that he was unloved. He said he wanted to play in the CL and all top comps. He said that he really wanted to go to Chelsea, but City’s financial offer was just too good to refuse. Right there he exposed his lies for why he was going, out of his own mouth he said he went for the financial package i.e. THE MONEY. That is what was dishonest about him. It was always about the money, whether you want to admit it or not Karl. So as far as I know, Owen has not said that he didn’t want to go to L’pool if the opportunity presented itself. He came to us because we were the only BIG club that offered him a lifeline back to the big time. So not the same as Tevez is it?
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:55
@Craig Mc: If Hargo’s fit he’ll take them. But otherwise I think it could be Nani.
July 3rd, 2009 at 21:55
@Karl: Seriously – ARE YOU DRUNK mate?
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July 3rd, 2009 at 21:57
@Red Ranter: I don’t think it will be Nani RR. He is pretty confident with the penalties though, but Carrick said he would like the pens
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July 3rd, 2009 at 22:01
Craig I ment in our forward area, ronaldo was our only attacking forward who was great in the air and was vital away from home.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:02
….Owen said: “I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him the next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me. I agreed without a moment’s thought.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands.
AMEN! Enough chancers…. SAF is a team builder and a gr8 judge of character. 5 impact goals and its a No brainer
And all that dosh washing around to deal with the real issues of centre mid and goalie!!! Now go out and get the best!
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:03
I wasn’t expecting much positive comments on this post, afterall, the heading set the precedent.
However, what most fail to realise is, Owen is nothing more than a stop-gap, just like Tevez was two years ago. Fergie’s only striker desire was Benzema, no one else. That much is obvious. He wants no one else. Benzema is now unavailable, so he has placed his faith in the kids, Welbeck in particular. I pointed out Fergie’s statement about the lad in my previous post, about how he believed Welbeck will develop well enough to be considered for a spot in Capello’s world cup squad this summer. This signing is partly made to allow Welbeck develop without the extra pressure to perform as a third striker.
Owen is going to prove an experienced and reliable goal-scoring sub for Rooney and Berba. Those two are our starters. They need to play with each other more frequently to establish a fruitful partnership now Ronnie is gone. Owen is merely going to deputise with Welbeck also getting more games along the way, allowing him to mature into a reliable striker for the 1st team without the added pressure. We bang on about giving our youth a chance ala Barca and Arsenal, well, we are about to do it and I believe Welbeck will not disappoint.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:04
@Craig Mc: Firstly, in all honesty, I still cannot see what you mean by Tevez lying. About the money, United offered to make him the highest paid in the Premiership. If HE was that much into the money, he would have taken the offer.
). In his heart it’s Liverpool. But, they did not make him an offer.
Secondly, what exactly is different with Owen? He also got other offers (Hull, Stoke), and he decided to come to us, because on top of it all, I’m sure the monetary offer is obviously better.
It is actually exactly the same. I’m pretty sure he will now also claim how we are the best club in the world, etc. etc. etc. Same difference. It seems like ALL players do that.
(Not that we aren’t the best club in the world – we are, just that he’s lying if he says he think we are
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:07
@Craig Mc: I know that all logic points the other way, but as I said, I just get that feeling (intuition if you may). Don’t be too surprised.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:09
Fantastic signing, and another peice of genius by SAF could not be happier 2 be honest. Dissapointed however with this sites reaction though, but just give it a couple of months and you will see the special 18 year old boy of 1998 against Argentina shine at old trafford hope to see 1 or 2 more signings, with my prefrence being a player like Silva (midfielders who can score lol) apart from that I can see a good season for us, goals will be plentiful and I really do believe berba, rooney and owen can provide us with this. I have to take into account the implications on the international stage aswell and I can see a good partnership with owen and rooney both for club and country. The biggest plus for me though is that we still have the ability to adapt and change our style of play with owen and berba being perfect examples of how they can change the dinamics of our game with one peice of genius substitution. Really happy though cant wait for the season to start and to buy my new United shirt!!!lol.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:10
Owen may be short but he can head the ball better than berbatov or rooney…he might not win balls hit towards him but if the service is right he does get his head on them and bury them…that was then dont know about now.If he gets injured then its more chances for kiko im happy with that
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:11
I really don’t mind the squad that we have now (incl. new signings). I quite content if we don’t sign anyone else. I just hope we will see some exciting, entertaining games next season.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:17
I think I’m going to order me an Own shirt as soon as the squad numbers become available. I have quite a few friends who still have their Liverpool Owen shirts
I’m sure this will get them to finally burn out their Liverpool shirts
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:24
I think its a masterstroke, £ree £ree £ree, he can score more goals than a certain bitter argentine,(£32.5 mill) and wont complain so much being on the bench. Thats an improvement for a third/fourth striker already.Now alot of us wouldn’t complain if, say, Huntleaar or Aguero was bought aswell. Then again maybe Fergie thinks he can rely on the youngsters in attack, and is thinking to purchase an attacking midfielder! Who knows?! I dont think that we have finished shopping yet.
With Owen there is the big question of fitness but time will tell. I understand the reservations that RR and others share, but feel his goalscoring rate will improve with better service, and he’s still got alot to prove too.
How does Fergie plan to use him? As a super sub coming on for the last 20 mins? As a mentor for the young strikers? cue Macheda and Welbeck.
But the real icing on the cake would be Michael Owen joining in the Prem champions celebrations overtaking the scouse league tally with say 12 league goals to contribute. Stick that in a Carlsberg/Mastercard tv advert. Priceless
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:30
yea just ike the scum glazers like it a free transfer
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:31
Owen has averaged a goal every other game at every club he’s been at, including Newcastle.
I’m telling everyone now, if he manages a goal every other game for us, not only will it be one of the best bits of business done by Fergie, we will also win the league.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:31
If nothing else, we can look at it this way… He might be the first liverpool player (albeit, ex player!) to win the league in 19yrs!!
)
Imagine how much that would get up their noses!!?
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:31
We were never interested in Benzema
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:32
@colver: Our squad is looking indeed looking okay once more, with the exception of central midfield. We have too many pretenders in this area; Carrick, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Scholes, Hargreaves, Gibson; most of them pretenders with no clearly defined roles.
What is Carrick?? An attacking midfielder or a defensive one?
What is Anderson?? Scholes?? Giggs??
Is Hargo ever gonna be fit again??
Will Gibson ever be United quality??
Who are our best two/best combination??
Personally, I feel we are alright if Hargo comes back to full fitness, because then we would have two defensive midfielders in him and Fletch. This should allow Cazza and Ando to do the attacking. The problem, however, is that one is spineless and the other is clueless.
Carrick has all the qualities to become an excellent attacking mid ala lampard, but he is gutless. He has found his comfort zone in central mid and just refuses to go forward even though the positive results are there to see whenever he does. I know Fergie orders him to protect the back four and playmake from deep as it suited our formation/tactics with Ronnie, but he should not do that anymore if we get hargo back or when he is paired with Fletch. This guy can shoot, pass, playmake and make deadly runs into the box, and he should be more prolific if only he can grow a pair and relentlessly attack like Lampard does for Chelsea.
Anderson is an enigma. I feel this guy just needs to slow his game down a bit in order to become a very good attacking mid. Composure, rather a lack of it is what is holding him back. How can a professional football player be incapable of shooting on target?? Lack of composure is the answer. If he can slow his tempo, he can use his underrated vision to pick out better passes and shoot better. He should really be given a good go at an attacking mid position this season just t’see if he can cut it. By now, that pressure to perform should be eleviated and he should show some maturity.
Again, this all depends on Hargo being fit again. If he isn’t, I recommend we get a solid player in this part of the pitch. Attacking midfielder or defensive one, I’m not sure as cazza can play both but i would prefer a Box-to-Box player like Keano.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:33
@Gabriel: Either you have been made Man Utd’s assistant Manager and are in the know, or you been spending too much time looking into that Crystal Ball of yours – so which is it eh?
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July 3rd, 2009 at 22:34
@Dan: I’d imagine when we’ve finished signed all our signings and can give them a full kerjigger. Tour of Asia starts in 2 weeks, so by then I’d imagine.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:36
Completely agree Phoenix Red. I am excited about this season, and mark my words guys the signings aint finished yet. Real Madrid will not be the Galacticos dictator it was, while Barcelona and United simply wont allow it. Supremacy of Europe however will stay in England I will laugh at the time Ronaldo and even Kaka realise they have made a mistake in joining the mercernary club of madrid, which I have lost all respect for this season. Money wont buy you trophies especially the champions league Chelsea learned that now Real will. Stability wins you trophies Real do not have this as they change manager every season
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:38
Karl agree on both points. Rossi would have made the Tevez and the Owen signing unnecessary.
Im not sure we were a top 4 team before the signings. Tosic and Nani on the wings? Welbeck and Berbatov up front when Rooney gets injured? At least with Owen and Valencia we have players with Premiership experience who take some of the pressure of the youngsters.
I agree the Plan B should have been Plan A. But it is not too late. Real did us a favour buying theire targets early. Better that then spend all summer thinking we had a chance only to get gazumped.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:39
@steve: Steve mate, is there anybody that you are not intent on giving a good hiding to with your comments
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July 3rd, 2009 at 22:39
@Craig Mc: We need a non-Englishman to take our penalties.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:44
@Craig Mc: I remember Rooney taking a pretty good one on his debut! Does Valencia take them? Nani? I think Carrick would be pretty good at them, what with his accuracy and all. He could pretty much pass them into the top corners. Rooney will take the penalties I’d imagine.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:44
Craig well the glazers deserved that no doubt about it
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:52
@Red Ranter: Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah that’s a bit below the belt, even for you Red Ranter
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July 3rd, 2009 at 22:54
@steve:
, You have not taken up Boxing by any chance have you, as you especially like slugging it out against our players, Manager, coaching staff, Glazers, David Gill, etc etc etc 
.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:55
@Red Ranter: Maybe Anderson, his penalties are class!
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:55
Gabriel, good analysis. Carrick fitted perfectly into our system when the team was built around Ronaldo. But now he needs to develop his attacking instincts because we need someone to score goals and link midfield and attack because we will no longer be such a counter attacking team. If he cannot do that then he will need to be replaced or relegated to a substitute role. Fergie needs to be ruthless because Ronaldo’s goals will no longer be able to cover up an unproductive midfield.
I think a defensive midfielder should be our priority. Hargreaves will not be back until next season at the earliest if at all. Get a defensive midfielder to alternate with Fletcher, then take the shackles off Anderson and Carrick and tell them to contribute to our attack. If they cannot do the job, ship them out next season and buy someone who can.
Same thing applies with Nani. He has one more season to show what he can do. If he doesn’t improve dramatically we can ship him out as well.
Last season Fergie played it safe and gave all the games to players like Giggs, Scholes, Park and co. This season it is time to give youth a chance and if they do not take their chance then hopefully next season there will be some quality midfielders available to sign.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:56
@Craig Mc: What you mean Giggs is useless at dead balls? Giggs was the original Beckham until Beckham came and hogged the set-pieces and the limelight. Giggsy is a great exponent of the dead-ball, contrary to what you say. You could even say Ronaldo was useless at dead balls then cos 90% of his free-kicks hit the wall and he missed some crucial penalties for us.
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:58
@Karl: Ando’s pretty good at penalties…hasn’t missed one for us so far. Shame he’s not so prolific from open play though! Hopefully now with Ronaldo gone he can take them for us and get off the mark finally!
July 3rd, 2009 at 22:58
@Traverse: Something tells me Rooney won’t Trav! But yes I remember Rooney’s superhuman debut, what a night, the stands were rocking at OT
. Wouldn’t it be something if Michael Owen felt the need to PROVE his credentials, with a hat trick debut – I think we would all have to suck it up then wouldn’t we? 
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July 3rd, 2009 at 22:59
Personally, I feel a bit awkward about this Owen deal. Im a little dissapointed because he is “old”, has lost some of his pace and is injured 10 out of 12 months a year, but on the other hand he is an awsome finisher who can nurture Welbeck and Kiko as well as scorng a couple of important goals for us. And he will upset the dippers, and in the way he does it it is priceless!
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:00
@Craig Mc: Nah, I threw my crystal ball away after it mislead me about Ronnie
Mate, it’s just my instinct, plus it is logical too. 
I personally feel Welbeck will feature heavily in ManUtd’s future and this signing will aid, rather than hamper his development. Benzema was Fergie’s pipe dream, now he’s gone to the facists, who funnily enough say they got him only because they couldn’t get Villa and were on a time deadline!! Talk about player appreciation !! 
Fergie has just snapped back to reality and is being pragmatic, like any 67-yr old sage should be.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:01
@Nino: Errrr yes you need to put emphasis on the word WAS! I have watched Giggsy taking free kicks in Ronnie’s absence and he IMHO is shite mate – sorry!
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:01
Break the bank for Essien?? I would gladly pay £50m for him as he is the ultimate modern box2box midfielder. The May 2009 Barca debacle would never happen again with him in our midfield with Carrick pulling the strings and Hargreaves shielding the back 4.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:03
@Gabriel: Yeah I notice that word logic is being used in bundles on this topic of Michael Owen at the moment
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July 3rd, 2009 at 23:04
@Craig Mc: I wonder why Craig…perhaps it could have been something to do with first Becks, then Ronaldo hogging all the dead ball duties throughout his career with us. Use it or lose it as they say, and seeing as Giggsy was never given regular chances to use his dead ball talents, he’s gone and lost most of it as you say lol
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:04
What about De Rossi, the best midfielder in Italy? Roma are in financial difficulties. Could we not prise him away for midfield?
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:07
@Red Ranter: What would be ideal is if we signed a German, ANY German, just to take our penalties! No German national team player has missed a penalty in a shootout since the early 1980’s I think (Grognard can correct me on this).
How about purchasing Neuer the U21 goalkeeper this summer? He’d be a replacement for VDS AND a penalty taker too! Kill two birds with one stone!
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:09
@RedAddict: Real Madrid have just gone in for De Rossi mate, because L’pool are messing them about regarding Alonso.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:10
@Nino: We already have a German keeper, Ron Robert Zieler. He can take our penalties.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:18
I cant get the song ‘Summertime blues’ out of my mind. Have we all just grown weary of the seemingly ridiculous decision making at OT re transfers/transfer strategy, that we have become like a crowd totally laid back on Cannabis?
Oh those Summertime blues 
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July 3rd, 2009 at 23:22
Why can’t Rooney or Owen(God that sounds weird) take them? Hargreaves should be fit and he’s GERMAN, so thats another option, plus Nani has a good shot him so he could work. Carrick is not a bad option either.
For free-kics: Hargreaves, Gigss or maybe even Tosic(if he’s gonna be a regular).
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:24
@Craig Mc: You are joking Craig. Have you got a link to this story? This is like one really bad case of deja vu. I really hope they get Alonso.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:28
@RedAddict: Rooney has never struck me as a confident penalty taker. Owen is a good idea, provided he’s on the pitch.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:36
@RedAddict: No I’m not joking Redaddict. I saw the reports on several Spanish sites, that they have grown weary with L’pools stalling, and have turned to Roma and De Rossi! L’pool have said they are willing to talk now, but Real M apparently feel it may be too late.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:37
@Rd: We already have some fantastic penalty takers at this club…Hargo as you mentioned, Ando as I mentioned earlier, Berbatov is usually ice cool from the spot (the Everton FA Cup mishit was a one-off that went wrong)…Giggs and Scholes are experienced dead ball exponents as well.
Carrick is a great penalty taker too…hasn’t missed one for us so far and I remember him taking one in a preseason friendly last year against Aberdeen I think, and he just looked like he was calmly threading a through ball between two imaginary defenders into the bottom corner.
I also agree with RR that Rooney has never struck me either as a natural penalty-taker/dead ball specialist. Neither has Owen throughout his career. I wouldn’t let Park near a penalty either.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:38
Course it could all just be Real M tactics to get a L’pool response, dirty tricks nothing unusual from Real M. Or it may just be spanish media speculation.
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:49
@Craig Mc: I don’t get that.A player’s injuries are all in his head?How?The pain is definitely in the head.I’m sure there is a part of the brain that notifies you that something is wrong,through physical pain.But injuries in the head?
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:53
I’m gonna take a punt with Wesley Sneijder as our main dead ball specialist!!
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:56
@ Jay wire – It’s a mental barrier thing…when you keep on getting injured it will eventually psych you out and you think you are constantly injured or going to injure yourself even when you are not. I think Craig is referring to the psychological problems that Louis had when he was with us. It’s kind of hard to explain lol
July 3rd, 2009 at 23:57
@Craig Mc: Well that’s put a dampener on my dream signing. I really think De Rossi would be perfect for us in the centre of the park. Not a like-for-like replacement for Scholes obviously, but a classier version of Keane. That would do nicely beside either Carrick or Fletcher for midfield.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:01
@RedAddict: That would have been a good player to get, your right. I don’t think De Rossi would come to England though to be honest!
July 4th, 2009 at 0:04
@phoenix red: We have to get him first mate. But agreed though if we did get him i would have no trouble putting him in as our dead ball specialist. Some of his free kicks if anybody hasnt seen them are bloody brilliant, he hits them very similar to the way hargreaves does actually. I dont know about you guys but whilst ronaldos FKs were pretty sensational the way they went in and were unique the way he would strike the ball i just think a simple placement of the ball the way beckham used to works much better.
Im not sure he has taken much penalties but his free kicks and corners are top notch so i have little doubt he could do a decent job at taking the pens. First things first though we need to sign the guy, im praying we do though cos this guy would be magic for us. Him and another goal keeper and i think the squads looking pretty good.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:06
@phoenix red: The only Real Madrid players I’m interested in signing are one of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema! Seriously though, I think we can do without the likes of Sneijder and Van der Vaart….wouldn’t mind Huntelaar or Higuain though at a knockdown price of £12-15m, though what I really want us to sign is a pacy striker with real class like Aguero, even if he is Argie and our last two fucked us over big time. That’s not to say all of em are like that though!
July 4th, 2009 at 0:17
This is an excellent bit of business. He’s a proven striker and if we can get bits and peices of his old magic that would be a boon. We won’t be counting on him to be the main attacking option like Newcastle did.
Of course there’s a good chance he will be a spectacular failure at United. But there’s also a smaller chance that he will be the ideal pairing with Berbatov. What could be better to go with an over-sized set up man than an undersized finisher? This would move Rooney to Ron’s old roll as a Striker who operates from the right side of midfield, with Valencia feeding the ball in to those three.
It’s a gamble, but a very smart gamble because Fergie didn’t have to pay for the raffle ticket. He’s a free transfer and on a pay-as-you-play contract so any goal he gets is a goal we didn’t have to pay a dime from the Ronaldo transfer for. This gives us the freedom to use the whole 80 million quid (I don’t count valencia against this because i think we would have signed him anyway) on our own terms. We could even wait til the winter where better bargains are sure to be had because summer of 09 is definately not a buyer’s market.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:20
In other words Owen for free is a much better value than Tevez at 32 mil, so count me as at least whelmed.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:21
@Rd: Who is German?
@Nino: Scholes is not a very good penalty kick taker.
I think our penalties will be taken by Rooney and Berbatov,with the former being the preffered.Hargreaves can’t be relied on because of his availability.Berbatov will play less games than the Roon.I would have had him as my 1st choice because he’s as cool as ice.
On the Owen issue I’m not very very excited.But I still have faith that he will become a very important figure @ OT.He is clinical and has good technical ability contrary to what others may believe.If he stays fit for the larger part of the season I have no doubt that he’ll deliver goals in most games he plays.He may even prove to be better than Larsson another injury prone player.My main concern however is everyone’s concern right now.Can he survive at least half the season without injury.If indeed he can then I have zero doubt that he’ll be a success.The boy knows how to guide a football to the back of the net.This could prove to be SAF’s biggest masterstroke in recent years.I’m also not sure why everyone is angry at the club for “looking desperate”.That’s how life is.We’re the ones who always complain that the club signs players late.Clearly we’ve been trying to get the best players so far but they seem to prefer spending the careers on the Madrid subs’ couch.Nothing anyone can do about that.So Now that the club acts swiftly and takes a risk in order to have at least most of the new players in before the tour,we curse and moan.Others still call the now United player names.How silly can it get?
And tbh I think this is exactly what we need.Owen can’t complain much about shining the bench,and is obviously willing to be a permanent sub player.Kiko and Wellbeck are on the brink of regular 1st team football and most of us have high hopes for them.A signing like Owen’s will not seriously hinder them from actually breaking into the team.Imagine a Luis fabiano or David Villa or a Berbatov content with being on the bench.Not gonna happen.In any case,the manager may not be finished yet with his tranfer activity and can’t be blamed for anything concerning this year’s transfers.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:24
@millz: I disagree about the winter being a better market than the summer because a lot of managers panic buy during mid-season and pay an extra million or two than they should for players. Furthermore, a lot of players will be cup-tied for various competitions like the UEFA Champion’s League and FA Cup, having already played for one team in the first half of the season.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:31
@steve: yea that scum that bought us 3 in a row you cant please some people
July 4th, 2009 at 0:33
@Jay wire: I seriously think we are going to get everything done in the next 2 weeks. Fergie will NEED to have everyone together for pre-season to build a new team and gel the new players. Adapt for the new style of play.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:36
@steve: I hated the Glazers as much as anyone when they came in but there is no denying our transfer activity hasn’t been hampered, and they pretty much do fuck all but sign the cheques. If their actions start affecting our ability to compete then the gloves are off, but until then we really could have done much worse (see Liverpool, Newcastle, Arsenal)
July 4th, 2009 at 0:37
This has got to be the most elaborate prank anybody has ever played. Michael Owen?!? Is this what we’ve been reduced to? Good grief.
July 4th, 2009 at 0:41
@ Matt, totally agree bro, Wesley is class and offers much more than just free kicks. Big problems still for me in midfield, Carrick needs to greatly improve his command of midfield, he’s just not decisive and lethal enough for me. I had major doubts when he was signed which have mellowed, but now Ronaldo is gone, does Michael Carrick have what it takes to make a meaningful goal contribution? I know he’s probably been hampered without a constant partner and differing tasks. But i wonder could he do with a bit of real competition for his place. I agree with other posters with the mediocrity of some of our midfield players, this is why i think we need 2 world class centre mids. Ideally one will be Owen Hargreaves, we all hope this will be the case. I dont think Anderson is an answer, he’s got alot to learn yet! Sorry Eddy! What about Fletcher? Great cover and should be used in a rotation system, but lacks that killer edge. Sometimes when Carrick and Fletcher play together they seem to get their prospective roles mixed up, and i dont know which one frustrates me most?! So Sneijder and an “Essian” type player is what we need to improve our midfield.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:03
Imagine owen getting a league’s medal, how would liverpool fan feel? i lol forever.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:03
@Karl: hells yea mate that will have their faces reder than ther shirts
July 4th, 2009 at 1:14
@ROOOOONEY: hahaha i love this signing just to see the scouse cry
July 4th, 2009 at 1:41
ya gator i love it too, but seriously if he doesnt do well at all, we will get eaten by the media, and the manager by the fans. and of course the scouse section will have a laugh but only at themselves when they fail to win the title again.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:59
here are top 10 ferguson gamble signings
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/5732502/Sir-Alex-Fergusons-gamble-on-Michael-Owen-could-hit-the-jackpot.html
July 4th, 2009 at 2:23
Since we are rebuilding, after a good run of three years. Anyone thought of Downing? Where is he going?
July 4th, 2009 at 2:28
The English and Spanish media are on overdrive right now. A bunch of bleeping psychos. I have read that United are going after David Villa, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Edin Dzeko, Fabiano, Sergio Aguero, Alexandre Pato, Arda Turan and in a worst case scenario just in case all of you out there have not overdosed completely on languid and lazy with Berbatov, now I am reading the name Zlatan Ibrahimovich. I mean how frakken ridiculous and absurd can the media be when it comes to reporting on football? There should be international laws against this kind of garbage.
July 4th, 2009 at 2:29
City have put in a huge offer for Terry and Real Madrid are possibly doing the same to Cashley Cole. Now what we must do is put in a huge offer for Michael Essien, say 35 or 40 million , and try to turn his head. Chelsea are on a downward spiral at the moment and he maybe tempted to join us. What is the harm in trying?
In addition, we also need a left-back to replace Evra as he needs to be benched or sold.
July 4th, 2009 at 2:33
@nino, I completely agree that in general it’s best for clubs to do their business in the Summer, but in this instance we might avoid overpaying for Ronaldo’s true replacement(s) by putting a bit of time between our next buy and the Madrid transfer massacre.
A real panic buy, imo, would be overpaying by twenty-thirty mil for a galactico calibre player.
July 4th, 2009 at 3:01
@Jay wire: Actually Scholes was a very good penalty taker. Missed less than Ronaldo, imho.
But considering he will not play much…
July 4th, 2009 at 3:30
Why is anyone contemplating the bad side of Owen’s transfer. Do you know any proven goalscorer who doesnt give a shit if he is on the bench for 85 minutes. If he breakes his leg taking a piss what do we loose out of it… wages? Its not the end of the world. All i want to know is who the f*** we are gonna get to fill in the old bag of bones king of the world ryan giggs??
Enlighten me
July 4th, 2009 at 3:31
@Faizan: I’m sorry.. did i just read that evra should be benched or sold
July 4th, 2009 at 3:47
@Grognard: … and for some of the garbage spewed on blogs like this, perhaps???
July 4th, 2009 at 4:13
@Anthony Los: You’d be surprised to know that a lot of people on here actually aren’t big fans of Evra.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:51
@Red Ranter: Evra’s as good at full back as Owen is at striker!!
July 4th, 2009 at 6:15
this feels like a sick, twisted, demented joke. it was bad enough when we bought alan smith, but this is wrong on so many levels i can’t begin to dwell on it without another stiff drink. this is michael owen for god’s sake. the cute, cuddly version of beckham. i don’t care how many goals he scores he is liverpool’s waste. he is not and never will be United.
if we really need an injury prone poacher i’d sooner we bring back somebody who is undeniably a true Red: Ruud.
July 4th, 2009 at 7:15
OK, this is the final straw. He has gone to far now. I urge all you supporters out there who make it to games at OT to make Tevez rue the day he said these things and to let him know how unimpressed we are with his lack of class.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/07/04/fergie-a-liar-claims-tevez-115875-21493552/
July 4th, 2009 at 7:18
@Rd: Michale Owen is an excellent penalty taker and I know that Carrick and Hargreaves are also very good at taking them.
July 4th, 2009 at 8:00
@Anthony Los: Yes. After the injury in mid-season, his game has regressed to a great degree. He was responsible for many of the goals conceded. Moreover, he has become useless going forward too. A new left-back must be signed , or Fabio must be given his chance. Maybe we should go after Cissokho of Porto , who was immense in his first season at the Portuguese champions
July 4th, 2009 at 8:24
@RedDevilEddy: Mate, Anderson for Penalties!?!?!? He is the the least confident player when it comes to kicking the ball. In short, He is like School in July. i.e. No Class.
July 4th, 2009 at 8:45
new post up. And sorry, it’s another Tevez post. Unfortunately he continues to spout venom.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:13
@Faizan: We have Delaet, he was bloody brilliant in the Hull away game for us. Fierce tackler, and has real pace and presence. He should be blooded and given more 1st teams opportunities this year in some games!
July 4th, 2009 at 10:41
it’s quite sad really. We should not be like some other club who scold and hate their stars when he leave Real madrid and now come to United. We should try to accept him. Owen is a good person, why not just give him a chance? Although i feel shock of this move, but i’m quite excited also by his arrival. In the past, we see him play so well, but recently he’s not but i’m quite happy for him to be playing again at the high flight and yet in my favourite club. Sir Alex Ferguson had been at this club for 23 years, many fans still can’t believe him and blame him for losing the plot and never have a plan b for selling Ronaldo and such. I mean everyone know Ronaldo is leaving so just let him go now and we get our money instead of letting him go on a free transfer. As for Benzema, a lot of people are sadden for Fergie fail to sign him. But for the whole time, Benzema is always going to Real Madrid in his mind so no point buying him now when his heart is not here. We want player that wants to play for this club and not players being forced to come. If not, we have another Ronaldo. A lot of people couldn’t think of this. It’s really a sad thing really. Lastly, no point buying expensive player. You think Fergie will buy a 45+m player? No way! He will use his money wisely to rebuild. So what if we didn’t have the best player in our team? We build our best player and not buy best player!
July 4th, 2009 at 15:34
Hi everyone,
this is my first post on this forum, so please excuse possible grammar errors, because english is not my first language.
Im not going to write my opinions regarding Michael Owen, actually i would like to post an interesting piece of article i have found on the ManUnited Official forum among the myriads of the “Please Sign Aguero” threads. It is called “Why have we never dominated Europe” and i think it is very well written and some very good points are being made there.
So here it is:
This is long post (sorry) but very informative (I hope) so please read all before commenting.
We are supposedly the richest club in the world, we have the biggest fan base in the world and we are the most dominant team in what is widely regarded to be the toughest league in the world but yet we have never been able to stake claim to any period of sustained dominance in Europe. Even Nottingham Forest and Anderlect are able to do this with sound evidence to back their claim.
There’s one of two ways to measure dominance in Europe: we can either look at the performance in the European Cup/UCL over a certain period of time or look at rankings based on 5 years statistics in major European and National Competitions – also known as the UEFA Coefficients.
Let’s look at the 1st measure: Performance in the European Cup/UCL. Dominance is based on one or more of the following three criteria:
1 Minimum twice winners within a period of 3 years
2 Minimum twice winners and once Runner-up in a period of 5 Years
3 Minimum thrice winners and twice Runners-up in a period of 7 years
If these criteria are applied to the European Cup/UCL history, we get the following table:
Period Dominant Club Years Won RU SF QF
1956-1960 Real Madrid 5 5 0 0 0
1961-1963 Benfica 3 2 1 0 0
1964-1967 Internazionale 4 2 1 1 0
1969-1973 Ajax 5 3 1 0 0
1974-1976 Bayern Munich 3 3 0 0 0
1977-1978 Liverpool 2 2 0 0 0
1979-1980 Nottingham Forest 2 2 0 0 0
1981-1985 Liverpool 5 2 1 0 2
1986-1988 None 3
1989-1995 AC Milan 7 3 2 0 1
1996-1997 None 2
1998-2002 Real Madrid 5 3 0 1 1
2003-2007 AC Milan 5 2 1 1 1
2008-2009 None 2
As you can see only 8 teams can rightfully claim that they have actually dominated europe based on this measure. Had we beaten Barcelona in May then we could have claimed the 2008-2009 period. We could still do it if we win in the next 3 years but I fear that with the loss of Tevez and especially Ronaldo, we are back in a re-building phase and it is highly unlikely that we’ll even be challenging unless we get adequate replacements. Barcelona just need to reach the final next year and they will lay claim to this period based on criteria 2.
Nottingham Forest’s claim is the bare minimum entry-level dominance. This brings us to levels of dominance. The following table is completely arbitrary but, nonetheless, I think most people would agree that the criteria for the levels are sound and acceptable:
Level Criteria Teams that have achieved this level.
1 National Champions Probably <500 in Europe, including Ipswich Town
2 National Champions more than once Probably <250 in Europe, including Man City & Roma
3 National Dominance (Short: 2-4 yrs) Probably <100 in Europe, including Chelsea & Aberdeen
4 National Dominance (Long: 5+ yrs) Probably <50 in Europe, including Arsenal & Lyon
5 National Dominance more than once Probably <25 in Europe, including Rangers & Anderlect
6 Continental Champions 9 Clubs in Europe including Aston Villa & Celtic
7 Continental Champions more than once 4 Clubs in Europe: Man Utd, Juventus, Porto & Barcelona
8 Continental Dominance (Short: 2-4 yrs) 4 Clubs in Europe: Benfica, Inter, Munich & Nott Forest
9 Continental Dominance (Long: 5+ yrs) 1 Club in Europe: Ajax
10 Continental Dominance more than once 3 Clubs in Europe: Real Madrid, Liverpool & AC Milan
We are currently at Level 7 on this scale and share it with some very big names. When SAF took over we were at Level 6. Nottingham Forest managed to jump from Level 1 to Level 8 which may be regarded as fluky, but look where Liverpool are! No matter how much we believe we are the best team in England/Europe/World/Universe in history, the fact of the matter is we are not! Liverpool fans will always point to their European record as they have not only dominated Europe but have done it in two separate periods. And this is not just what Liverpool fans think this is the probable consensus in Europe and the World. Even if we win 10 more EPL titles without reply from Liverpool, they will still be considered the best english team in history just like most people regard AC Milan better than Juventus despite Juve having 10 more national titles.
Now let’s look at the other measure of dominance, the UEFA coefficients. The details of the criteria can be found in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uefa_coefficients . This is the table of all the clubs that have been ranked no1 in Europe:
Rank Club Years Ranked No 1 in Europe Total
1 Real Madrid 1960-63; 1968; 1992-95; 2001-05 14
2 Juventus 1986-88; 1991; 1997; 1999-2000 7
3 Barcelona 1964; 1981-83; 2009 5
3 Borussia Mönchengladbach 1975; 1977-80 5
5 Benfica 1965-66; 1969 3
5 Leeds United 1970-72 3
5 Ajax 1973-74; 1996 3
5 Bayern Munich 1976; 1989-90 3
9 Liverpool 1984-85 2
9 Milan 2006-07 2
11 Real Zaragoza 1967 1
11 Anderlecht 1986 1
11 Paris Saint-Germain 1998 1
11 Chelsea 2008 1
I think this is a less acceptable but more accurate method of determining dominance as it takes into account the performance of the club in all major competitions in the previous 5 years. There are some surprising clubs in this table: look at Chelsea, Leeds United and even Anderlecht! Real Madrid are, not surprisingly, way ahead in terms of total number of years but one thing I want to point out is how much Juventus and Barcelona feature in this table. Remember they are on the same level as us on the previous table but because of this perceived dominance they are regarded higher than us in Europe. Basically, we are essentially almost identical to Porto from the european point of view: how we regard Porto is how most of Europe regard us.
Why is dominating europe important?
Assuming all other factors to be equal, why did Benzema choose Real Madrid over us or Torres choose Liverpool over us or Ronaldinho choose AC Milan over Man City? The answer is SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS. These clubs were dominating europe while these players were growing up, they have a clear perception of the difference between the clubs. Because of their historic success and dominance they are attracting the best talents from Europe and the world and breeding more success!
So why have we never dominated Europe despite our wealth, fanbase and national dominance?
I am acutely aware of how sensitive some people on this forum are at any hint of criticism towards SAF, the board and the players so I will steer clear of any direct implications. But the buck has to stop somewhere. Where has all the money from almost 2 decades of complete national dominance gone to? Why has it not been invested to strengthen our team and consolidate our european wins in 1999 and 2008? All too often we seem to dither and haggle over deals and either lose out on great players or pay too much on average ones. The secret of Success is thinking BIG. Dithering and haggling is not thinking big. Buying average players and has-beens does not show any intention to dominate Europe. Despite what you might think of Real Madrid’s current spending spree, they are thinking big and, I believe, their business model is sound. They will recoup their investments via global branding and merchandising the images of the players while having a damn good go at dominating europe with these superstars in the next 2-5 years – effectively for free, and sowing the seeds of yet more success.
If we want to have any chance of attracting future Ronaldos or Benzemas 10 or 20 years down the line, then we have to think big and buy big with the intention to dominate europe for a sustained period. And it has to happen right now because SAF is not going to be around for too much longer.
So what is your opinion on this matter? Do you agree or not?
I hope by copy/pasting it here i did not violated any rights of the original poster i am not aware of. If it´s that case, please feel free to ignore/delete my post entirely.
July 5th, 2009 at 23:33
that is a truly fucking amazing peace mate. I completely agree with you on that matter, and i alos have been frustrated but i tink ive said it many a time, everything ends up all good for united and it wont change this time
July 6th, 2009 at 2:58
owen to wear number 20!
who is wearing it currently?
July 6th, 2009 at 17:24
On the “underwhelmed” topic – perhaps we could have a league of some kind for least whelming signings ever: those that made your heart skip no beat, even slow down to near-death when you heard them.
For me Owen is middling but not the worst (he came free, no reason to think he won’t score more than Tevez last season, he has all the motivation in the world etc.) *IF* this proves to be it s regards summer signings (unknown at present) then my ehelm factor would lessen further. At present, though, don’t think the (redeemed? we’ll see) dipper can compete with, e.g.
Peter Barnes (1985)
Terry Gibson (1986)
Jordi Cruyff (1996)
Laurent Blanc (2002)
Not saying these were all catastrophic signings (though they mostly were), just that *in context* (e.g. Blanc: “replacing” Jaap; Gibson: “saving” United’s 85-86 title campaign; Cruyff: waiting – and waiting – for a Big Signing post Euro 96; etc.) they were a sodding great letdown. Owen’s certainly up for a place in this pantheon IMHO, hope I’m wrong.
Any other candidates?