Michael Owen gets injured; rejoice!

[Guest LucaAltieri]

HTT just likes to swing wildly to the extremes of debates....wont be long till he is declaring that all sharks,the murdering bastards,should be wiped out beyong extinction,eradicating all there DNA and eagles will be his new fave.

 

Hotel California is a top tune. Can't say I blame him.

[Dave]

It's a three year deal with another year if he completes 50% of our games in the final season.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article5367293.ece

 

He rated the odds at “60/40.” Kevin Keegan, the former manager, made repeated requests for Owen’s future to be secured, but Ashley sanctioned only a 12-month offer worth £80,000-a-week in the days that immediately preceded the departure of Kinnear’s predecessor. “I didn’t see any value in that, so I just said to Michael, ‘What if we can tie you up for the rest of your career, more or less, would you be happy with that?’ And he said ‘Yes, I’d be delighted.’ ”

 

Promising stuff. Both in terms of keeping Owen and the change in commitment from the club.

 

Let's just hope it's not more spin.

[Tooj]

It would be a major coup for us to keep Owen, and it would be something that I'd be praising the club for.

[Baggio]

Does Owen still write for the Times?

[cp40]

It would be a major coup for us to keep Owen, and it would be something that I'd be praising the club for.

 

dont hold your breath, he went through all this with liverpool, and then fucked off.

[Tooj]

Does Owen still write for the Times?

 

I don't think so.

[Thespence]

Anyone remember before we played Wimbledon the ground was rocking with chants for Ruud, would be nice if the WHOLE ground got behind a few chants for Owen as he has never been loved at club level as much as his striker partners i.e Fowler, Shearer & Oba if he could feel the love I think it would go a  long way.

[Guest Heneage]

Where we ever in for RVN?

[Dave]

Where we ever in for RVN?

 

[thomas]

Where we ever in for RVN?

Wow.

[Guest Heneage]

Oh you meant Gullit.

[Thespence]

Oh you meant Gullit.

 

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_/ai_n14243689

[Optimistic Nut]

It would be a major coup for us to keep Owen, and it would be something that I'd be praising the club for.

 

dont hold your breath, he went through all this with liverpool, and then f***ed off.

 

Difference is though, Liverpool sold him a year early when it was clear he wasn't going to sign a new deal. We're actually into his last year, and he still hasn't decided either way.

[Guest ObaStar]

its a 3 year deal with an option for a 4th year:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article5367293.ece

[Optimistic Nut]

Michael Owen moves closer to new deal at Newcastle

George Caulkin

 

Having sat down with Michael Owen for lengthy discussions this week, Joe Kinnear has expressed optimism that the England striker will remain at Newcastle United for the remainder of his career. After persuading Mike Ashley, the owner, to fund a new contract worth £18 million over the next four years, the manager has been heartened by the player’s response although, as ever, there are notable contradictions.

 

Kinnear, the Newcastle interim manager, stated yesterday that Owen had informed him he would make a decision on his future “in the next couple of days” which, on the face of it, sounds unlikely. After allowing the 29-year-old to run down his present deal, which expires at the end of the season, Newcastle will not be able to prevent him from negotiating personal terms with other clubs next month.

 

In the circumstances — Newcastle are still up for sale and beset by instability, with Kinnear’s own contract only stretching until the summer — it would be understandable if Owen’s representatives chose to keep their options open, even if most clubs would struggle to match the £90,000-a-week offer. Kinnear said that Ashley has not imposed a deadline for an agreement to be reached.

 

Everton have been pursuing Owen — who earns £115,000 a week on Tyneside — but their highest-paid player commands a weekly wage of only £45,000 and while Manchester City would not balk at the forward’s demands, their transfer policy is not straightforward. In the light of the financial climate, Newcastle have been generous, although the club’s approach to the issue has been incoherent and slow.

 

Owen has started just 46 league matches since his £16 million transfer from Real Madrid in August 2005 and Newcastle’s offer of a three-year deal, with a fourth dependent on him appearing in 50 per cent of matches the previous season, is a reflection of his injury record. According to Kinnear, Owen was “delighted with the length of time”. A week ago, Kinnear was playing down the possibility of Owen staying on Tyneside, but mixed messages are now ingrained at the club. “He \ said he was very happy here but like everyone else, I suppose, he will go back and negotiate with Mike \ and Derek Llambias \ and then they will put it to bed. I’m not going to say he will sign but I think he will.”

 

He rated the odds at “60/40.” Kevin Keegan, the former manager, made repeated requests for Owen’s future to be secured, but Ashley sanctioned only a 12-month offer worth £80,000-a-week in the days that immediately preceded the departure of Kinnear’s predecessor. “I didn’t see any value in that, so I just said to Michael, ‘What if we can tie you up for the rest of your career, more or less, would you be happy with that?’ And he said ‘Yes, I’d be delighted.’ ”

 

Kinnear is adamant that a commitment from Owen would benefit both club and player. “If he signs it will help me in everything else that I’m trying to do,” he said. “That’s the thinking. The more top-class players you have at a club, the more players are prepared to join. It makes it easier.

 

“If he does stay, it can help him get back into England. He will help himself. He is looking sharp, scoring goals. It will not be long before he is in the England side. Fabio \ has said he will come and have a look at him. The problem has been that when they have had a look, he has not been at his best, he has been coming back into the team after being injured and has had disappointing matches.”

 

Kinnear said that Nicky Butt, Shola Ameobi and Steve Harper are all close to signing new contracts, but Newcastle are losing the services of Richard Money, their academy director, after only six months in the job. Money is set to be named as the new manager of Swindon Town.

 

Have to say, I'm getting more confident of him staying as each day passes.

 

[Optimistic Nut]

I just said to Michael, ‘What if we can tie you up for the rest of your career, more or less, would you be happy with that?’ And he said ‘Yes, I’d be delighted.’ ”

 

That sentence really does fill me with confidence.

[Cronky]

Is it unhealthy for him to stay and score a load of goals for the club?

 

I'll bite. The object of the exercise is for the team to win matches, not for one player to score a lot of goals. How valuable Owen's contribution is to the team as a whole has been debated over and over, and I didn't want to get into that again. Personally I think we can thrive without him and the whole pantomime is bad for the club, but I concede I'm in the minority there.

 

Do you think we'd score more goals if we allowed without Owen in the team?

 

With Shola and Martins, we were creating chances and scoring goals, so I'm not worried, no. We'd need another striker to boost the numbers in the squad, but it wouldn't need to be anyone of Owen's standing.

 

Our club has a tendency to drift into this kind of unrealistic hero worship. First it was persuading Shearer to keep playing long after he was knackered. Then it was shelling out stupid money for Owen. Then we had the whole Keegan fiasco. Now we seem to think that getting Owen to sign again would be something stupendous.

 

It's all rubbish. The big four and the England manager don't want him for a reason. We shouldn't be offering Champions League wages to a player who isn't Champions League standard any more.

 

[Dokko]

17% chance now 

[Mowen]

I would be delighted if he re-signed. A real statement of intent, and it would make the club more appealing for other players to join. Aside from the fact he's clearly our best player, obviously.

[Optimistic Nut]

There's obviously been something said in their discussions yesterday that's made Kinnear's opinion change from "not very positive" to "pretty optimistic" about Owen staying.

[Nobody]

I just said to Michael, ‘What if we can tie you up for the rest of your career, more or less, would you be happy with that?’ And he said ‘Yes, I’d be delighted.’ ”

 

That sentence really does fill me with confidence.

It does for me too, but is that Kinnear who said that?

[fredbob]

The more i think about it, the crapper i think the offer actually is - not in terms of salary, but in terms with what it means to Owen. I realise his injury record has been terrible for us, but i put that mainly down to 2 freak accidents, to offer 3 years, with the option of a fourth providing he stays fit to a player of Owen's calibre is oretty insulting if you ask me.

 

If you think about it, the offer kind of leaves him with toomuch insecurity, not only is it essentially a 3 years contract, but he has to prove his fitness in that final year in order to "win" a fourth year, if he doesnt, he's left at 32 with no contract offer andnot much hope of furthering his career but not old enough to retire assuming he's still the class striker he is now. 

 

I think the money will come second in priority agisnt the length.

 

 

[oldtype]

The more i think about it, the crapper i think the offer actually is - not in terms of salary, but in terms with what it means to Owen. I realise his injury record has been terrible for us, but i put that mainly down to 2 freak accidents, to offer 3 years, with the option of a fourth providing he stays fit to a player of Owen's calibre is oretty insulting if you ask me.

 

If you think about it, the offer kind of leaves him with toomuch insecurity, not only is it essentially a 3 years contract, but he has to prove his fitness in that final year in order to "win" a fourth year, if he doesnt, he's left at 32 with no contract offer andnot much hope of furthering his career but not old enough to retire assuming he's still the class striker he is now. 

 

I think the money will come second in priority agisnt the length.

 

 

 

Three years isn't short at all imo.

 

That's just about as long as he can expect to be an effective premiership player

 

Like Kinnear said, they're "tying him up for the rest of his career"

[Guest Heneage]

At the end of the day just because he signs the contract it does not mean he can't ever move. hopefully he understands it.

[fredbob]

The more i think about it, the crapper i think the offer actually is - not in terms of salary, but in terms with what it means to Owen. I realise his injury record has been terrible for us, but i put that mainly down to 2 freak accidents, to offer 3 years, with the option of a fourth providing he stays fit to a player of Owen's calibre is oretty insulting if you ask me.

 

If you think about it, the offer kind of leaves him with toomuch insecurity, not only is it essentially a 3 years contract, but he has to prove his fitness in that final year in order to "win" a fourth year, if he doesnt, he's left at 32 with no contract offer andnot much hope of furthering his career but not old enough to retire assuming he's still the class striker he is now. 

 

I think the money will come second in priority agisnt the length.

 

 

 

Three years isn't short at all imo.

 

That's just about as long as he can expect to be an effective premiership player

 

Like Kinnear said, they're "tying him up for the rest of his career"

 

I think it is to be honest- i think Owen will be looking for 4 with an option of a 5th. He's going to want to be earning as much as possilbe for as long as possilbe, and taking a massive pay cut or retiring at 32 dont strike me as things that Owen would want to do.