Michael Owen On His Way to Manchester United
Once Prolific Striker Aims To Revive His Career At League Champions
Jul 3, 2009
World renowned striker Michael Owen will aim to revive his stop start career in the coming Premier League season as he moves to Manchester United from ailing Newcastle United on a free transfer.
Is Owen A Risk?
Many pundits have been flabbergasted by Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to give Michael Owen a chance. He has been notoriously plagued with injuries and last season he only scored ten goals for Newcastle in all competitions.
It could be said that Owen isn't the player he once was. At Liverpool, six years ago, he consistently scored over fifteen goals a season, a very healthy number for any striker. His England career was also thriving and he was scoring plenty on the international scene as well.
However, in mid 2004, Owen moved to Real Madrid for a reported £8 million. This proved to be a costly mistake for Owen as he was mostly used as a substitute, and even though he ended the season with 13 goals, he came under mass criticism from the press, and when Real bought Robinho and Julio Baptista at the end of the season, it seemed Owen's Spanish dream was over - and it was.
Newcastle United managed to secure the scalp of Owen for a massive £16 million. His first season with the club started well, with a hat trick against West Ham in December 2005 being a high point, but after that, he broke his metatarsal bone which put him out for the rest of the season. This proved to be a sign of things to come.
Owen has been plagued with leg related injuries ever since, and he has never justified his £16 million price tag or the £120,000 a week he was being payed. An extra kick in the teeth is that Owen is about to leave Newcastle on a free transfer, meaning they will recoup nothing from their investment.
What Could Owen Do For United?
Owen has a natural ability to score goals, and Sir Alex Ferguson is not the type of manager who buys players he isn't sure whether he will ever use. Owen, if he heads to United will be firmly in the gaffer's plans, and Ferguson must believe that Owen isn't as injury prone as the masses think.
For Owen, this is last chance saloon at the very highest level. If Owen fails to impress and score with the likes of new signing Antonio Valencia and Ryan Giggs supplying him, this will prove that Owen just doesn't have what it takes anymore at this level.
However, if he proves to be a revelation and scores plenty for the league champions, there is a possibility that England boss Fabio Capello could decide to call Owen up again. Since Fab arrived as the England boss, Owen hasn't played for Capello, and for Owen playing for his country is a big ambition, and this will surely have figured in his decision to go to Man United.
Will Owen Be A Success?
Only time will tell whether Owen will do well at Manchester United. For him, it is a matter of staying fit, as he should deliver the goods goal wise when fit. This could prove to be the most shrewd buy of the transfer window for Sir Alex Ferguson, and one of the best buys of the summer for any club.
