Michael Owen (now retired)

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Don't see any problem with Shearer considering a move anyway. He was actually a good servant and loved the club, unlike the little fuckwit.

[Mattoon]

It happened again

 

[D. Yimentov]

Upon learning how much money Zlatan was set to earn at his new club, co-commentator and renowned haemorrhoid, squeaky Mick piped up, "I think I played in the wrong era."

 

Absolute turd of a person. I've never liked an ex-toon player less.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I won’t have a bad word said against Shearer and especially not take anything the likes of Owen and in the past Bellamy say seriously. Shearer’s time at Newcastle towards the end, however, raised a few question marks relating to player power, but I dismiss such talk as nothing out of the ordinary which leads me to a big issue I have where a big percentage of fans are concerned and that is how so many fans especially Newcastle fans seem to be naive, ignorant or totally unrealistic when it comes to the myriad dynamics that exist in the world of the players and the managers within the structure of a football club.

 

A reality check is needed badly with some fans. Take the issue of player power for example and using Shearer, Captain, record signing, Geordie hero, fans favourite, number 9 goal scorer, the chairman’s most valuable asset and one day golden boy to mange the club for him.

 

A player like that is almost bigger than the manager, the team, the club even and any player of that standing is a powerful figure and that can be a dangerous thing if that player decides to use his status as a powerful figure for all kinds of things, from refusing to play in a different position, be rested, subbed off, dropped or benched. Such a player could use their power to demand no-one else gets paid more than him, no-one gets signs to take his place in the team or challenge his place or for some other purposes.

 

Has Shearer used his power to his advantage to get a better contract and get a bigger pay cheque? Of course. Has Shearer used his power to influence signings, even managerial appointments? Of course. Has he used his power to influence the managers decision or not to rest, sub, drop or get rid of him? Of course. But has he used his power to hold the club at ransom, a manager? As he used his power to get a manager the sack? To get a player dropped, sold or prevented from getting into the team?

 

I very much doubt it and that’s because someone like Shearer is a rare commodity in football in that whatever player power of his he used to suit what’s best for him, he also used his power to influence to suit what’s best for his club too. And for Shearer that was him, he was what was best for Newcastle and although some might think well he would do wouldn’t he and some would argue differently, especially towards the end of his career, fans need to realise and accept when someone like Shearer uses his power it’s not some simple example of a player abusing his power or or him putting himself above the club or anything else and even if that was the case, right or wrong, we can’t or shouldn’t hold players and managers to some kind of higher standard we may subscribe to because it’s wrong to expect and demand everyone puts what’s best for the club first. But fans do hold players and managers to that and get upset when they don’t or don’t always or as much as fans want them to. Reality check, the only loyal people in the game who have the best interests of their club at heart first and last and always are the fans and those who think players and managers should too even just a tiny bit are deluded, because that’s not who it works and the dynamics allow.

 

If they did, Shearer would have played for nowt, Rafa would have stayed and Sir Bobby would have resigned from Barcelona without even saying good bye and hitchhiked his way back to here.

 

Where we have been fortunate is we’ve had managers and players who wanted what’s best for the club as much as or even more than what was best for them. Kevin Keegan walking away from a multi million pound a year job he could have just turned up to work on match days only and played golf all day all week and no-one would have raised doubts about him not having the club’s best interests at heart. Sir Bobby genuinely would have worked for nowt or that covered his expenses, the job his civic duty as a Geordie he once said which if he was to choose as his final job in football, Newcastle would be the one regardless of division. The job was a civic role trusted to him by the city and people, a job his father if qualified enough to carry out would have left his family for to do or as a boy, would have given anything to pull on the shirt. Rafa wanted what’s best for the club too and not just what was best for him. That’s why he come first, stayed to bring the club back up and fought so hard to get the owner to do what’s best for the club too.

 

Ultimately though, what was best for Newcastle wasn’t what was best for Rafa, but he at least wanted what was best and used his power to influence what he could as Shearer did. Fans need to understand, when someone like Shearer uses his power to try and influence things like making it difficult for the manager to leave him out, put him on the bench or drop him, it’s not because he thinks he’s the almighty and powerful or because he’s thinking of only himself.

 

It’s different. First of all, he’s someone who wants to play every game and every minute and we should all be happy when a player gets upset with the manager when not selected or subs him. As long as they do so in private and I can’t ever remember Shearer kicking off publicly with a manager or ever berating someone in the media or showing any public descent. Secondly Shearer trains hard, does things right and no-matter his level of ability, in his own mind he will think he’s good enough to be starting and will be confident enough he’ll be able to do a good job. Thirdly, someone like Shearer isn’t going to take too kindly to being dropped, benched or someone take his place. He’s had to fight his way to the top and at Newcastle no-one has given more to the cause than he has and no-one will have his commitment, passion, desire and will to win for his club more and even if he’s older, slower, the club do not have anyone better to lead, to play centre-forward, to put chances away, to fight back, to score goals.

 

Fans might look at Kluivert and Bellamy as a better option, but again, we can’t expect someone like Shearer to think the same and with every right. Why would he just accept being dropped for Kluivert who doesn’t train hard, cares, puts all effort in over Shearer?

 

The reason why I truly believe Shearer didn’t just want the best best for the club, but wanted what was best for the club even if that meant not what was best for him, is time and time again he pushed himself as the best man for the job and he was. But if anyone else come in who was going to be better for the job, he would have not been happy not playing and would have banged on the door of the manager demanding answers, but he would accept it for what is best for the club and that’s why he wanted Rooney to sign so badly and later Owen because ultimately he just wanted what was best for the club, if that’s not him, he would have stepped aside. He wasn’t going to do that for a Kluivert or a Bellamy or someone like James Beattie. A Rooney or an Owen yes.

 

Players our loyalty to Shearer would go out the window for to have up front together with Shearer out of the team which ironically, when it comes to players and managers, what’s best for them doesn’t matter, only what’s best for us and our club and that’s the way it should be, but we have to accept that’s the same for players and managers.

 

Anyone who questions Shearer however can fuck off. He’s the last of a kind who playing for Newcastle meant more to him than anyone else. Colback may be a Geordie and grew up wanting to play for Newcastle like Shearer, but Newcastle never meant everything or nothing to him like it did Shearer nor to those today coming through and it never will. Shearer played as if it did, fort hard for 10 years none stop as if it did and give what was best for the club what no-one else did or could as if it did, himself. 206 goals. No-one will beat that and no-one will ever bring the kind of huge, positive, influential presence to the club, city, fans and region that Shearer did as a player. He took on a role almost of a civic duty way and above just being a player.

 

Owen man, he’s not fit to lick shit off Shearer’s boots as a player or person.

[Raconteur]

Michael Bridges did a podcast with the Australian rights holder and savaged Owen - accompanying story (and link to the podcast)

 

https://sport.optus.com.au/articles/os267/very-selfish-lad-bridges-reveals-how-shearer-owen-feud-began

 

EDIT: Text in case it's members only, spoilered because it's longer than a HTT special

 

 

'Very selfish lad': Bridges reveals how Shearer-Owen feud began

 

What on earth is going on between Michael Owen and Alan Shearer? Former Newcastle United striker Michael Bridges explains the background to the feud on Optus Sport's GegenPod.

 

The football world has been captivated this week as England legends Alan Shearer and Michael Owen have gone head-to-head in a very public Twitter spat.

 

Newcastle icon Shearer called out his former teammate after a snippet of his book emerged where Owen had written candidly and callously about his time at St James’ Park – suggesting the Magpies weren’t a big club and that he regretted ever joining them.

 

Speaking on Optus Sport’s Gegenpod, ex-Newcastle striker Michael Bridges slammed Owen over the controversial passage, which he said was typical of the ‘selfish’ former striker.

 

"I know Alan well, play golf with him, we always take the mickey out of each other, been in the dressing room with him, and I roomed with Michael Owen many years ago for the England setup at the junior level," Bridges said.

 

“What I will say about the two of them: I put Alan Shearer on a pedestal, he’s a great man, he means well by what he does. Michael was a very selfish lad. And this typifies what he’s all about, he’s hurt a lot of people and he’s going to hurt a lot more."

 

Bridges went on to reveal the origins of the feud.

 

Owen arrived at Newcastle from Real Madrid back in 2005 and played 71 matches over four seasons at the club.

 

In his final season, Shearer was installed as temporary manager as the Magpies were relegated to the Championship – sewing the seeds of this fracas.

 

“Both [shearer and Owen] had the same agent, a guy called Tony Stevens. Many years ago, they were very good friends; obviously as time escalated they played together at St James’ Park,” Bridges said.

 

"Where it stems from, is when Alan got the job, he kind of held Michael Owen accountable for part of the relegation."

 

"And it comes from a guy called Paul Ferris, who was the physio at the time at St James' Park - he actually did a book and he also blames Michael Owen.

 

“He said for a man that has played only 58 Premier League games for Newcastle - scored 26 goals, taken $22 million in wages out of the football club - to say that he didn’t want to be there, didn’t enjoy it ... Ferris said in the last six months of his contract we couldn’t even get him to play in games because he was more worried about the next deal that was coming.

 

“So, his heart wasn’t in it.

 

"Alan has held him accountable in the past, Alan has never spoken about it and it’s going to be coming out in the book and he’s really upset a lot of Newcastle fans.

 

"I think he’s disrespected the club massively and the area."

 

Bridges suggests that Shearer and Owen aren’t the only two high profile football personalities drawn into the spat.

 

“Sam Allardyce has also come out and said Michael would fly and get helicopters from Newcastle airport into Liverpool ... as he didn’t like the area anyway. And it’s been a massive slant.

 

“There’s going to be more.

 

"Alan Shearer has had a nibble publicly, and who’s the winner here? The winner is Michael Owen. His book is going to sell now, he’s got interest and there’s going to be a few more players dragged into it. "And David Beckham (who Owen also takes a crack at for getting sent off at the 1998 World Cup against Argentina) is one of them that’s just come up as well!”

 

Owen scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for England, on top of a stellar club career, but admitted last year on television that he was a frustrated figure due to injuries in the latter part of his career - including his time at Newcastle - where the qualities that made him flourish when he was younger, were no longer as potent.

 

Bridges added: “You know the difference between these two players and a lot of other players; your Alan Shearers, your Teddy Sheringhams, your Paul Scholes, your Ryan Giggs? They were able to evolve through all kinds of eras of football and didn’t just rely on one thing.

 

“Michael was a goal scorer, and Michael had pace. As soon as his hamstrings went, he couldn’t adapt his game to play a different style of football because he didn’t have the technical ability and the footballing brain. A lot of players know that in the England setup. He went to Real Madrid as well. Famously, nobody wanted Michael in the team at five-a-side because he didn’t have that technical ability.

 

“Raul, the captain of Spain, you’ve got a goal scorer there and you’ve got the England No. 9, and they’re kind of thinking this guy can’t play. But put him on an 11-a-side pitch and the kid was unstoppable, there’s no denying that, but he could not adapt his game. And that’s the big thing where Shearer has kind of gone, just pipe down young man.”

 

 

My favourite: Famously, nobody wanted Michael in the team at five-a-side because he didn’t have that technical ability. Raul, the captain of Spain, you’ve got a goal scorer there and you’ve got the England No. 9, and they’re kind of thinking this guy can’t play. But put him on an 11-a-side pitch and the kid was unstoppable, there’s no denying that, but he could not adapt his game. And that’s the big thing where Shearer has kind of gone, just pipe down young man

[Zero]

Thanks HTT. I don’t need to type lol

[D. Yimentov]

He never had the best touch but, in fairness to him, he was very intelligent with his tiny bursts of movement. He'd mastered the art of timing his runs for headers. 

 

He came to Newcastle to replace Bellamy though, and I knew as soon as I saw him play that we'd downgraded. Love or loathe the neckless Welshman, he worked his bollocks off on the pitch. He'd close people down, run the lines, take people on, verbally abuse their defenders, verbally abuse our defenders. Squeaky Mick did none of that.

 

When you realise how many pros think he's a knacker, it's amazing no one decked him.

[D. Yimentov]

Souness - good bloke, great former player, good pundit, absolutely s*** manager!

 

He's an absolute helmet of a bloke and a shit pundit. 

[TRon]

I won’t have a bad word said against Shearer and especially not take anything the likes of Owen and in the past Bellamy say seriously. Shearer’s time at Newcastle towards the end, however, raised a few question marks relating to player power, but I dismiss such talk as nothing out of the ordinary which leads me to a big issue I have where a big percentage of fans are concerned and that is how so many fans especially Newcastle fans seem to be naive, ignorant or totally unrealistic when it comes to the myriad dynamics that exist in the world of the players and the managers within the structure of a football club.

 

A reality check is needed badly with some fans. Take the issue of player power for example and using Shearer, Captain, record signing, Geordie hero, fans favourite, number 9 goal scorer, the chairman’s most valuable asset and one day golden boy to mange the club for him.

 

A player like that is almost bigger than the manager, the team, the club even and any player of that standing is a powerful figure and that can be a dangerous thing if that player decides to use his status as a powerful figure for all kinds of things, from refusing to play in a different position, be rested, subbed off, dropped or benched. Such a player could use their power to demand no-one else gets paid more than him, no-one gets signs to take his place in the team or challenge his place or for some other purposes.

 

Has Shearer used his power to his advantage to get a better contract and get a bigger pay cheque? Of course. Has Shearer used his power to influence signings, even managerial appointments? Of course. Has he used his power to influence the managers decision or not to rest, sub, drop or get rid of him? Of course. But has he used his power to hold the club at ransom, a manager? As he used his power to get a manager the sack? To get a player dropped, sold or prevented from getting into the team?

 

I very much doubt it and that’s because someone like Shearer is a rare commodity in football in that whatever player power of his he used to suit what’s best for him, he also used his power to influence to suit what’s best for his club too. And for Shearer that was him, he was what was best for Newcastle and although some might think well he would do wouldn’t he and some would argue differently, especially towards the end of his career, fans need to realise and accept when someone like Shearer uses his power it’s not some simple example of a player abusing his power or or him putting himself above the club or anything else and even if that was the case, right or wrong, we can’t or shouldn’t hold players and managers to some kind of higher standard we may subscribe to because it’s wrong to expect and demand everyone puts what’s best for the club first. But fans do hold players and managers to that and get upset when they don’t or don’t always or as much as fans want them to. Reality check, the only loyal people in the game who have the best interests of their club at heart first and last and always are the fans and those who think players and managers should too even just a tiny bit are deluded, because that’s not who it works and the dynamics allow.

 

If they did, Shearer would have played for nowt, Rafa would have stayed and Sir Bobby would have resigned from Barcelona without even saying good bye and hitchhiked his way back to here.

 

Where we have been fortunate is we’ve had managers and players who wanted what’s best for the club as much as or even more than what was best for them. Kevin Keegan walking away from a multi million pound a year job he could have just turned up to work on match days only and played golf all day all week and no-one would have raised doubts about him not having the club’s best interests at heart. Sir Bobby genuinely would have worked for nowt or that covered his expenses, the job his civic duty as a Geordie he once said which if he was to choose as his final job in football, Newcastle would be the one regardless of division. The job was a civic role trusted to him by the city and people, a job his father if qualified enough to carry out would have left his family for to do or as a boy, would have given anything to pull on the shirt. Rafa wanted what’s best for the club too and not just what was best for him. That’s why he come first, stayed to bring the club back up and fought so hard to get the owner to do what’s best for the club too.

 

Ultimately though, what was best for Newcastle wasn’t what was best for Rafa, but he at least wanted what was best and used his power to influence what he could as Shearer did. Fans need to understand, when someone like Shearer uses his power to try and influence things like making it difficult for the manager to leave him out, put him on the bench or drop him, it’s not because he thinks he’s the almighty and powerful or because he’s thinking of only himself.

 

It’s different. First of all, he’s someone who wants to play every game and every minute and we should all be happy when a player gets upset with the manager when not selected or subs him. As long as they do so in private and I can’t ever remember Shearer kicking off publicly with a manager or ever berating someone in the media or showing any public descent. Secondly Shearer trains hard, does things right and no-matter his level of ability, in his own mind he will think he’s good enough to be starting and will be confident enough he’ll be able to do a good job. Thirdly, someone like Shearer isn’t going to take too kindly to being dropped, benched or someone take his place. He’s had to fight his way to the top and at Newcastle no-one has given more to the cause than he has and no-one will have his commitment, passion, desire and will to win for his club more and even if he’s older, slower, the club do not have anyone better to lead, to play centre-forward, to put chances away, to fight back, to score goals.

 

Fans might look at Kluivert and Bellamy as a better option, but again, we can’t expect someone like Shearer to think the same and with every right. Why would he just accept being dropped for Kluivert who doesn’t train hard, cares, puts all effort in over Shearer?

 

The reason why I truly believe Shearer didn’t just want the best best for the club, but wanted what was best for the club even if that meant not what was best for him, is time and time again he pushed himself as the best man for the job and he was. But if anyone else come in who was going to be better for the job, he would have not been happy not playing and would have banged on the door of the manager demanding answers, but he would accept it for what is best for the club and that’s why he wanted Rooney to sign so badly and later Owen because ultimately he just wanted what was best for the club, if that’s not him, he would have stepped aside. He wasn’t going to do that for a Kluivert or a Bellamy or someone like James Beattie. A Rooney or an Owen yes.

 

Players our loyalty to Shearer would go out the window for to have up front together with Shearer out of the team which ironically, when it comes to players and managers, what’s best for them doesn’t matter, only what’s best for us and our club and that’s the way it should be, but we have to accept that’s the same for players and managers.

 

Anyone who questions Shearer however can fuck off. He’s the last of a kind who playing for Newcastle meant more to him than anyone else. Colback may be a Geordie and grew up wanting to play for Newcastle like Shearer, but Newcastle never meant everything or nothing to him like it did Shearer nor to those today coming through and it never will. Shearer played as if it did, fort hard for 10 years none stop as if it did and give what was best for the club what no-one else did or could as if it did, himself. 206 goals. No-one will beat that and no-one will ever bring the kind of huge, positive, influential presence to the club, city, fans and region that Shearer did as a player. He took on a role almost of a civic duty way and above just being a player.

 

Owen man, he’s not fit to lick shit off Shearer’s boots as a player or person.

 

I disagree, and I think we've had this disagreement before. No one could ever call Shearer's professionalism into account, he was a great pro by all accounts, but I think him having too much clout at the club was counter-productive in some ways. A player should play and managers should manage. Even Freddie Shepherd was more of a fanboy than a chairman when it came to Shearer. Only Robson really got the best out of Shearer as a player, and that was because he saw him as a player, not some shining exemplar who everyone else had to fall in line with. When Shearer's mates got the job as manager, ironically that was when he was least effective.

 

That's nothing to do with his spat with Owen though. No one could ever doubt Shearer's commitment to Newcastle, whereas Owen was the worst kind of mercenary. If he just didn't care it would be bad enough, but he acted like we had twisted his arm to come here, the little shit.

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

There was a point when Shearer was maybe getting too important to the club, but it was a very short time and very late in his career.

[Guest]

There was a point when Shearer was maybe getting too important to the club, but it was a very short time and very late in his career.

 

Fuck it, in the end I’m pleased he did. Him breaking the record is the one proud thing we’ve got to hold on to for 15 years.

[Thomson Mouse]

 

Wonder who the mutual mate was, if it was a footballer

 

Neil Farrington replies to Owen in that tweet and links to a post on here

 

[Begbie]

At the time it was a good move for Michael Owen, and a bad move for Newcastle.

[Interpolic]

 

Wonder who the mutual mate was, if it was a footballer

 

Neil Farrington replies to Owen in that tweet and links to a post on here

 

 

 

Neil Farrington voting Kaka

[TRC]

A Kaka post that aged well

[ToonArmy1892]

Anyone seen the photoshop pic of the toon fan punching horse, they've put Owen's head on the horse. 

 

[Yorkie]

 

Wonder who the mutual mate was, if it was a footballer

 

Neil Farrington replies to Owen in that tweet and links to a post on here

 

 

 

Neil Farrington voting Kaka

 

mint.

[Kanj]

Kaka getting notoriety   Michael Owen will be seething.

[Kanj]

Michael Owen is worse than modern day footballers. He's arguably one of the worst in recent memory IMO. He's an over inflated self worth, bigger than anyone who's helped him in the past, too big for the press, and that video of him being a fucking dick to that lad of a goalie sums it all up for me.

 

I was through the fucking moon when we signed him, I thought - Big Al and Michael Owen, passing the mantle off - but no way. Got that so wrong. I hope his book fails, because seriously, feel like the only thing people will want to read is about his decline what a piece of shit.

[Conjo]

He made a brochure about himself already that was too long for anyone to bother reading it. Why does he think a book will do better?

[Strawberry]

He played for some big clubs according to him yet he write about us a lot. he contradict himself.

[TRon]

He played for some big clubs according to him yet he write about us a lot. he contradict himself.

 

I'm sure he'd prefer to write about Liverpool, but they never really forgave him for turning his back on them. Eventually signing for Man U probably did him no favours either. He really is a backstabbing little toerag with no friends.

[Guest]

The irony that he ended up here because Rafa wasn’t convinced on him enough to offer anymore than around £10-12m.

[Guest]

What odds on MOTD after we play Liverpool, Lineker intros the highlights with something like, ‘next up is Alan Shearer’s former club, as they travel to the club he was desperate to join’.

[samptime29]

What odds on MOTD after we play Liverpool, Lineker intros the highlights with something like, ‘next up is Alan Shearer’s former club, as they travel to the club he was desperate to join’.

 

7/2