Michael Owen gets injured; rejoice!

[NE5]

The unpredictable nature of Mike Ashley's ownership of Newcastle United was revealed again yesterday when Michael Owen received a four-year contract offer – not three years as has been reported – and at a salary believed to be around £90,000 per week, not £80,000.

 

That is still a pay cut from Owen's present contract but nonetheless represents a commitment of £18m over four years to the 29-year-old striker. Add it to Joe Kinnear's recent statement that he has been given assurances of spending at least £12m in January and Ashley's regime could be considered to have a long-term plan as well as a desire to sell up.

 

Senior figures at St James' Park are understood to have begun to speak about "next season" in operational matters and with Ashley admitting at the weekend that he has received no credible bid for the club, it seems he has been forced to produce a financial strategy for 2009 and 2010.

 

There is also a growing belief that Ashley will return to St James' on a matchday soon and take up a seat in the directors' box. But there is no plan to rejoin fans in the Newcastle end at away games.

 

There is still silence from Ashley and from the managing director Derek Llambias but a statement of intent, allied to new signings, would help create an atmosphere of possible acceptance among Newcastle supporters.

 

With January approaching, Kinnear needs to get some guarantees about players' futures. Owen is only one of them. It is not known if he will sign the deal he has been presented with but Newcastle appear to have made a staggering offer, one that his advisors will do well to replicate or better elsewhere.

 

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/owen-offered-fouryear-deal-as-ashley-invests-1192631.html

 

I take it that you - and numerous others - are now prepared to accept that these so called despicable "trophy signings" are in fact the way to go, in view of the ridicule heaped on them in the past ? The desperation to keep a player who has previously carried this label would be funny if it weren't so tragic.

 

Just a general comment like, and a sensible reply with an acceptance of the fact that you got it all wrong, would be in order.

 

Fancy realising we need to keep our best players, and pay the going rate ? Whatever next, Ashley might realise similar calibre players alongside him would be even better, that is if it isn't too late to persuade Owen to sign for a club that he believes may have some sort of ambition and be worth extending for ?

 

 

 

I don't remember saying Owen was a trophy signing.

 

As for players of his calibre, didn't we sign 2 Argentina Internationals in the Summer that blew your socks off? How many players of this calibre do you think we should sign in one window? Also, when was the last time you raved about 3 signings we've made in one window as much as you have about Jonas, Coloccini and Bassong?

 

Your DOF bollocks has failed kiddah, thats why Keegan left. I've told you before, there is no point in finding a couple of "bargains" and then undermining your manager and making a profit in the transfer window.

 

2nd rate.

 

Even your spurs darlings have realised your much vaunted DOF bollocks was exactly that.

 

Meanwhile, we are in a real relegation fight, and the club is in dissarary, yet you think everything is just great 

 

You didn't answer my questions or point out where I said Owen was a trophy signing.

 

If you want people to have a serious debate with you then you're not going about it the right way.

 

I'm not really bothered about having a serious conversation with you Baggy lad, that went out of the window ages ago, particularly when you decided you can't bring yourself to admit that your DOF bollocks and support of soopa Mikes "grand plan" has got nowhere the "lack of planning" of the old regime

 

Anyway, as i said a few days ago, don;t really know why I'm replying to you so I'll go now.

 

My comment about "trophy signings" is spot on by the way, and whats more you know it.

 

 

 

[madras]

It's a pity we didn't go for the cheaper Anelka who has played over twice as many games and scored twice as many goals in the time Owen has played 56 games and scored 25 goals.

 

Well, we could have gone for the cheaper Xisco ?

 

Never mind, I realise you are secretly pleased with the huge progress we've made since soopa mike came in and showed us all how to bring top players to the club and attempt to get into the UEFA cup never mind the Champions League.

 

You must be feeling at home now, having an owner who is happy with top league survival ? So long as you aren't "embarrassed" then 

 

 

luque wasn't as cheap as xisco.....we can play this game all night.

[Mick]

 

Well, we could have gone for the cheaper Xisco ?

 

Never mind, I realise you are secretly pleased with the huge progress we've made since soopa mike came in and showed us all how to bring top players to the club and attempt to get into the UEFA cup never mind the Champions League.

 

You must be feeling at home now, having an owner who is happy with top league survival ? So long as you aren't "embarrassed" then 

 

 

 

[Baggio]

I'm not really bothered about having a serious conversation with you Baggy lad

 

Then I'll not bother going to the trouble of replying to you in future.

 

Although you will probably wake up in the morning with a hangover and not remember any of this, Dave would have deleted it too by then so you won't be able to refresh your memory either.

 

 

[Guest firetotheworks]

This reminds me of year 5 when me and my mate ended up falling out over whether we should have sold Andy Cole or not. Difference was that we were 10, and even then we soon forgot about it and got on with our lives

[Baggio]

Michael Owen is looking for a lucrative free transfer in the summer and has told his Newcastle team-mates he is hoping for Liverpool, Manchester City or Everton to make him an offer he cannot refuse.

 

If Newcastle thought Owen would rush to agree a new contract — complete with a £20,000-a-week pay cut — they would have been disappointed yesterday.

 

Instead they will be made to sweat by the exiled England striker, who looks certain to quit St James’ Park in the summer in search of a fresh future.

 

Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear finally offered Owen a new deal yesterday, eight months after his predecessor Kevin Keegan urged owner Mike Ashley to secure the former England striker.

 

But 29-year-old Owen and his advisers are in no rush to sign a new contract after months of waiting for Ashley to open negotiations.

 

Kinnear has also opened talks with Nicky Butt and Shola Ameobi and is confident they will sign again before their deals run out at the end of the season.

 

During a club visit to a Newcastle children’s ward yesterday, former Manchester United midfielder Butt indicated he is ready to take up the option of an additional year on his current contract.

 

He said: ‘My feelings are that I would like to stay at the club until the end of my career now and hopefully we can sort that out, the sooner the better really. As soon as the contract is OK for me and the club, I am happy to sign.’

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1095859/I-wont-sign-Owen-cash-quit-Newcastle-free.html?ITO=1490

 

 

I don't think Owen is the sort to go broadcasting his plans like that tbh.

[Zero]

While 90k sounds like what we should offer as a reasonable deal, it is pretty obvious that Owen can get a 120k+ deal from other clubs due to free transfer.

[oldtype]

While 90k sounds like what we should offer as a reasonable deal, it is pretty obvious that Owen can get a 120k+ deal from other clubs due to free transfer.

 

Actually, it's not. Clubs don't just go offering 120k for 4 years to a 29 year old just because it's a "free transfer."

 

He's not getting better terms at any team not named Manchester City. So it's up to him whether he'd rather have the money here or UEFA cup glory with another club.

 

Personally? I think Owen knows this is the best deal he's going to get from anywhere. What's the point going to Spurs/Everton/Villa for significantly less money?

 

Unless Villa gets into the CL this year and offers him a contract, or Man City fails in their bids for Villa, Drogba, Zlatan, Henry, and Eto'o and needs to go for plan F, I think he's going to sign.

[Kaizero]

I wish I didn't have a conscience, otherwise it'd be dead funny to RickRoll this thread.

[ShearMagic]

In the last six months of his contract a player is entitled to speak to clubs outwith the jurisdiction of his club's national association about a Player Contract and may, in this way, enter a "pre-nuptial" agreement with a new club. When his contract expires a player is free to speak to any club.

 

Where did this come from?

 

My understanding is the same, however I'm trying to make a point on another forum and I'd like to know where it came from.

 

Cheers.

[Karjala]

Gonna go to Man City i reckon.

 

None of the top 4 will pay £90k a week for a (often injured) sub, while Everton, Villa, Spurs etc wont be able to afford him.

 

Man City will bid for every striker in the world who is rated at more than £20m, be rejected by all,and bring in Owen.

[Lenny]

Michael Owen is looking for a lucrative free transfer in the summer and has told his Newcastle team-mates he is hoping for Liverpool, Manchester City or Everton to make him an offer he cannot refuse.

 

He may well want to leave but the very first line of that article makes the whole article sound utterly fucking pathetic.

[BlueStar]

Michael Owen is looking for a lucrative free transfer in the summer and has told his Newcastle team-mates he is hoping for Liverpool, Manchester City or Everton to make him an offer he cannot refuse.

 

While it's quite probable he's thinking that, why on earth would he tell his teammates that and then why would his teammates go and tell the media?  At a guess, they've just pulled that out of their arse.

[UV]

It's a pity we didn't go for the cheaper Anelka who has played over twice as many games and scored twice as many goals in the time Owen has played 56 games and scored 25 goals.

 

You forgot been at 3 times as many clubs.

 

I like how Owen gets constant stick over his apparent lack of loyalty, yet we should have bought an (unavailable at the time) player who's been at 9 clubs in 14 years. What are the odds he'd be still here scoring the goals to get us a brilliant 1 point above the relegation zone if we had somehow managed to get Fenerbahce to sell him after 6 months.

[madras]

While 90k sounds like what we should offer as a reasonable deal, it is pretty obvious that Owen can get a 120k+ deal from other clubs due to free transfer.

think about it. we are basically in the same position as those other clubs regarding getting him to sign. we don't have to pay a transfer fee etc.

[madras]

off we go again. brilliant.

 

not particularly.

 

These things are caused by people who can't bring themselves to admit the truth.

 

 

very true. the truth being we had dropped from top 4 to lower mid table and going backwards.

[NG32]

I think, if its true, 90k a week is a bloody good offer.

[relámpago blanco]

I think, if its true, 90k a week is a bloody good offer.

Aye, he'lll sign it's just the media don't want him to for some reason so they are making up crap again.  If he doesn't sign for 90k per week for 4 years bearing in mind his injury problems, he needs to be sectioned.  He could wait until the summer do his cruciate be out for 12 months and end up playing for Tranmere.

[Benwell Lad]

While 90k sounds like what we should offer as a reasonable deal, it is pretty obvious that Owen can get a 120k+ deal from other clubs due to free transfer.

think about it. we are basically in the same position as those other clubs regarding getting him to sign. we don't have to pay a transfer fee etc.

 

............... and replacing him would cost a minimum of £10M if a fee is involved.

[TRon]

I think, if its true, 90k a week is a bloody good offer.

Aye, he'lll sign it's just the media don't want him to for some reason so they are making up crap again.  If he doesn't sign for 90k per week for 4 years bearing in mind his injury problems, he needs to be sectioned.  He could wait until the summer do his cruciate be out for 12 months and end up playing for Tranmere.

 

I don't think it's the media, it's always seemed pretty clear that Owen is waiting to see if he can get a move to a more successful club, not necessarily for the money. If by some miracle we should hit a vein of form this season and qualify for Europe, I think Owen would happily sign for us unless one of the big 4 come in.

[UV]

I'll happily put my neck on the line and say he was a trophy signing. Im from the school of building a good team then dotting it with stars, not vica versa, like Keegan and SBR.

 

So you'd say it was a bad idea to spend the majority of your budget on a star player in a depleted defence behind a weak midfield?

[relámpago blanco]

I think, if its true, 90k a week is a bloody good offer.

Aye, he'lll sign it's just the media don't want him to for some reason so they are making up crap again.  If he doesn't sign for 90k per week for 4 years bearing in mind his injury problems, he needs to be sectioned.  He could wait until the summer do his cruciate be out for 12 months and end up playing for Tranmere.

 

I don't think it's the media, it's always seemed pretty clear that Owen is waiting to see if he can get a move to a more successful club, not necessarily for the money. If by some miracle we should hit a vein of form this season and qualify for Europe, I think Owen would happily sign for us unless one of the big 4 come in.

Yeah but a bigger club won't unless he plays the rest of the season.  Anyway how many clubs nowadays play with poachers.  I can't think of any in the top 4 , Villa don't have any and Owen's too cheap for Man City

[UV]

off we go again. brilliant.

 

not particularly.

 

These things are caused by people who can't bring themselves to admit the truth.

 

 

very true. the truth being we had dropped from top 4 to lower mid table and going backwards.

 

14th to 7th is backwards?

[Dave]

Do we really have to have the same old fucking arguments about the previous board in this thread? It's about Owen's new contract, nothing else.

[TRon]

I think, if its true, 90k a week is a bloody good offer.

Aye, he'lll sign it's just the media don't want him to for some reason so they are making up crap again.  If he doesn't sign for 90k per week for 4 years bearing in mind his injury problems, he needs to be sectioned.  He could wait until the summer do his cruciate be out for 12 months and end up playing for Tranmere.

 

I don't think it's the media, it's always seemed pretty clear that Owen is waiting to see if he can get a move to a more successful club, not necessarily for the money. If by some miracle we should hit a vein of form this season and qualify for Europe, I think Owen would happily sign for us unless one of the big 4 come in.

Yeah but a bigger club won't unless he plays the rest of the season.  Anyway how many clubs nowadays play with poachers.  I can't think of any in the top 4 , Villa don't have any and Owen's too cheap for Man City

 

All very true, but Owen will expect to remain fit for the rest of the season (all players do) and he will wait until the summer IMO before he commits to a new deal if he can't see anything better on the table.