Poor Owen, never accepted, never loved

[6TimesaRed]

Receiving pressure to leave his ambassador role at LFC from some Liverpool fans.. Can he ever be forgiven for joing Man Utd?

He has felt the need to say his piece on the matter

 

[737Max]

Receiving pressure to leave his ambassador role at LFC from some Liverpool fans.. Can he ever be forgiven for joing Man Utd?

He has felt the need to say his piece on the matter

See the cunt was thanking Benzema for joining Real Madrid in 2009 as it's meant he could join Utd as they were also targeting him. Knob

 

[gkmacca]

He was loved by many in his first couple of years or so. He was great during those times, and, for a young kid, his attitude towards fans was first class - he'd never complain but spend ages writing to fans and sending them shirts etc. He put to shame many older pros.

Then he got big for England, and I never bought into the resentment about that. He got asked lots of times about England by London-based hacks who couldn't care less about LFC but wanted copy for their endless Engerlund guff. So no wonder he was quoted so much about England. It was hardly a scandalous offence. Carra was off getting pissed in his newly built home bar at the time - what a guy!

He was very badly advised to let his contract run down, and how he acted afterwards was PR-savvy but - to me anyway - almost inexplicable, knowing how he'd been before.

These days I don't really give him a thought, but I don't think he deserves all the crap he gets. He won us a cup, at least, and some great memories. To me, he either deserves indifference or a bit of warmth. And there's no need for him to do stuff now for LFC, but he does it, quietly and responsibly, so some of the flak is really a bit sad.

 

[manwithnoname]

It's quite weird actually 'hating' Michael Owen

He's a bit lacking in charisma and wit, and he's certainly said and done things that have been woefully ill-advised, but he's still a Liverpool fan, and was a wonderful player for us.

It's not even the horrific decision to join Man Utd that has made him so unpopular. He was roundly booed when he came to Anfield as a Newcastle player, which again I found strange.

I don't know. It may not be a popular opinion but I think he's unfairly castigated

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

He left us in the shit on the eve of a new season just as a new manager was coming in.

He can get fucked

 

[manwithnoname]

He left us in the shit on the eve of a new season just as a new manager was coming in.

He can get fucked

He had his payback many times over:

Missed winning the CL, and then when he was shipped out of Madrid, didn't get the move back to Liverpool that he wanted, and ended up at fucking Newcastle

That's tough karma

 

[darkstarexodus]

It's quite weird actually 'hating' Michael Owen

He's a bit lacking in charisma and wit, and he's certainly said and done things that have been woefully ill-advised, but he's still a Liverpool fan, and was a wonderful player for us.

It's not even the horrific decision to join Man Utd that has made him so unpopular. He was roundly booed when he came to Anfield as a Newcastle player, which again I found strange.

I don't know. It may not be a popular opinion but I think he's unfairly castigated

Agree with this. I think he'd get less flack if he just pretended he never went to United and didn't mention it ever again. I don't begrudge him for doing it - as he said, he didn't have the option to come back - but the less said about it the better for all.

 

[gkmacca]

Can will leave in much the same way, having won us nothing and played a far less significant role, but will only elicit a transient shrug among many fans. Owen could now spend his time working for the mancs or the barcodes. He chooses to spend it, a little of it, working for LFC. IMHO, either turn a blind eye or appreciate it.

 

[manwithnoname]

Agree with this. I think he'd get less flack if he just pretended he never went to United and didn't mention it ever again. I don't begrudge him for doing it - as he said, he didn't have the option to come back - but the less said about it the better for all.

He was never as wildly popular as, say, Fowler. Too boring and robotic and 'media-trained'. And not as Scouse.

Even when he was playing for us he seemed to be viewed with a bit of suspicion, maybe because he became England's golden boy, and we don't like sharing.

But he's mates with Carra and Gerrard, so he can't be all bad

And for those four or five years at his best? What a fucking player he was

 

[manwithnoname]

Can will leave in much the same way, having won us nothing and played a far less significant role, but will only elicit a transient shrug among many fans. Owen could now spend his time working for the mancs or the barcodes. He chooses to spend it, a little of it, working for LFC. IMHO, either turn a blind eye or appreciate it.

Yeah. He doesn't need the money

 

[Jack D Rips]

He was loved by many in his first couple of years or so. He was great during those times, and, for a young kid, his attitude towards fans was first class - he'd never complain but spend ages writing to fans and sending them shirts etc. He put to shame many older pros.

Then he got big for England, and I never bought into the resentment about that. He got asked lots of times about England by London-based hacks who couldn't care less about LFC but wanted copy for their endless Engerlund guff. So no wonder he was quoted so much about England. It was hardly a scandalous offence. Carra was off getting pissed in his newly built home bar at the time - what a guy!

He was very badly advised to let his contract run down, and how he acted afterwards was PR-savvy but - to me anyway - almost inexplicable, knowing how he'd been before.

These days I don't really give him a thought, but I don't think he deserves all the crap he gets. He won us a cup, at least, and some great memories. To me, he either deserves indifference or a bit of warmth. And there's no need for him to do stuff now for LFC, but he does it, quietly and responsibly, so some of the flak is really a bit sad.

This is a genuine question Macca. What stuff does he do for us now?

 

[Woland]

Turns my stomach, the little manc cunt.

 

[moron]

I say leave him alone. We should not say these things against anyone wishing to represent our club. I mean come one guys !!! - ok he played for the Mancs and so be it but he was pretty much a finished force by then. Also his best England days were when he was with us and if anything it also helped raise our profile a bit more when the PL was going truly global. I mean he was the European footballer of the year when he was playing for us !!! - was that the first time one of our players was recognised properly for us since Keegan played ? These days to get awards like that you need to be playing for Barca or Real.

 

[doctor_mac]

I say leave him alone. We should not say these things against anyone wishing to represent our club. I mean come one guys !!! - ok he played for the Mancs and so be it but he was pretty much a finished force by then. Also his best England days were when he was with us and if anything it also helped raise our profile a bit more when the PL was going truly global. I mean he was the European footballer of the year when he was playing for us !!! - was that the first time one of our players was recognised properly for us since Keegan played ? These days to get awards like that you need to be playing for Barca or Real.

You're talking about his individual accolades rather than as a Liverpool striker. Which is part of the issue. I think all Liverpool fans suspect he had decided he was too good for us. Maybe he was, but that was good enough reason for most, including myself, to think fuck ye.

That being said, I've moved on.

 

[localny]

It's an odd universe, we would have played differently, had he stayed and honestly may not have won the CL. I'm fine. Lost him and won #5. A good trade if you ask me - thanks for the service. BUT he did screw us on the price.

 

[davud graham]

The excuse he gave when joining Newcastle of not wanting to put his England place in jeopardy by taking a chance on remaining on the bench at Real Madrid with an upcoming world cup the following summer was laughable. There was no way that Owen wouldn't have been picked for England and the higher wages available at Newcastle might just have been more of a determining factor.
As far as I'm concerned he left for an reduced fee as he had run his contract down to such an extent that the club couldn't afford to lose him for nothing which he knew full well, he also wasn't prepared to give the new manager a chance (like Danny Murphy) , he could have dug his heels in at Real Madrid and tried to force a move back to Liverpool but he didn't and then he signed for United knowing that he would get dogs abuse from Liverpool fans for doing so.
Now he may be doing ambassadorial things for Liverpool but surely the reason for that is none of the other clubs he played for would want him to do similar for them. He's not a Real Madrid , Newcastle or Man Utd legend but he is for us so he continues to make his living off the back of playing for us so fuck him.
And his Commentary is shite.

 

[Judge Jules]

He burned his bridges with me not so much for going to the Mancs (his Liverpool days were long gone by then) but for the interviews he gave afterwards, talking more than once about the great clubs he'd played for and somehow managing to leave LFC off the list. I don't buy the excuse sometimes made for him that he couldn't big LFC up as a ManUre player - Ince managed to be respectful about Manure when he gave similar interviews after coming to us.

All that said, remaining bilious about him now is a waste of time AFAIC and, if he is helping the club, he deserves some credit for that.

 

[mark1975]

He was loved by many in his first couple of years or so. He was great during those times, and, for a young kid, his attitude towards fans was first class - he'd never complain but spend ages writing to fans and sending them shirts etc. He put to shame many older pros.

Then he got big for England, and I never bought into the resentment about that. He got asked lots of times about England by London-based hacks who couldn't care less about LFC but wanted copy for their endless Engerlund guff. So no wonder he was quoted so much about England. It was hardly a scandalous offence. Carra was off getting pissed in his newly built home bar at the time - what a guy!

He was very badly advised to let his contract run down, and how he acted afterwards was PR-savvy but - to me anyway - almost inexplicable, knowing how he'd been before.

These days I don't really give him a thought, but I don't think he deserves all the crap he gets. He won us a cup, at least, and some great memories. To me, he either deserves indifference or a bit of warmth. And there's no need for him to do stuff now for LFC, but he does it, quietly and responsibly, so some of the flak is really a bit sad.

People really need to let it go now. I always think about this "great fans" reputation we have, so this stuff irritates me, why people feel the need to go onto social media and abuse players/ex-players is beyond me. That abuse Lovren got was ridiculous and a disgrace from adults over a football game.

 

[Glen C]

He's a thundercunt who kept saying for 18 months he would sign a new contract and then fucked off. Even after that ive pretty much ignored him, but there was no need to make that comment about being happy to get his move to the mancs.

 

[rurikbird]

I think he is the least deserving Ballon d'Or winner in the last 20 years – he was an efficient scorer at his peak, but never close to being the world's best player. He wouldn't even make my top-5 of pure strikers/finishers from that era.

 

[davud graham]

I agree about the senseless abuse on social media but only idiots do that anyway. It Owen is someone who gets you so riled up that you have to go on twitter to give him shit then you must have a very low tolerance indeed as he's so bland and boring that he's the punditry equivalent of night nurse.
The appropriate time to give him stick was when he was on the pitch playing for the opposition and I remember fondly his face when the Kop sang 'Where were you in Istanbul?' to him when he returned with Newcastle. His little face dropped and he went on to have a completely unremarkable game.

 

[mark1975]

I think he is the least deserving Ballon d'Or winner in the last 20 years – he was an efficient scorer at his peak, but never close to being the world's best player. He wouldn't even make my top-5 of pure strikers/finishers from that era.

He was a great finisher. There was this stupid myth that his game was solely about pace, but when he was sharp and at his best, he could score all sorts of goals.

That goal he scored off the crossbar against Newcastle is one of the best goals I've seen - standing still on the byline and manages to bury it in the roof of the net. Dalglish was their manager then and joking said afterwards he had no right to score a goal that was so good, much to the irritation of the Geordies.

But anyway, he was a sublime finisher, people used to compare his finishing to Fowler's, who was almost un-human with his instincts infront of goal, but Owen was a great goalscorer in his own right.

 

[blert boy]

You're either one of us or you're not, he choose not to be, so fuck the little rat

 

[gkmacca]

This is a genuine question Macca. What stuff does he do for us now?

Lots of flying around the world doing sessions for, or encouraging investment in, the club's foreign academies (e.g. Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, all over Asia) and hosting some LFC school projects in places like India and Japan, plus joining the team that schmoozes potential new commercial partners (such as Western Union and their shirt sponsorship), lots of LFC Foundation events and official launches of the club kit (I think the most recent was in Hong Kong and China). So nothing really exciting, but I think it shows he's not in it for some kind of ego trip, and in a small and (as far as UK fans are concerned) discreet way he's bringing in more funds for the club.

 

[Silver Sean]

He was fucking amazing for us. A true phenomenon. What a goalscorer. Shame his time with us and the goals he scored are so forgotten. And he blotted his reputation with the Manc thing. But I've never worried about a player running down his contract. In most sports it's perfectly acceptable.
If you can't enjoy these then heaven help you.

 

[keniget]

I hated him for leaving (in the way that he did) at the time but looking back I understand it a little more.

Every time we have star players, they're completely overburdened with the responsibility of making the team achieve something.

 

[Silver Sean]

He scored 23 goals for us when he was 17. Just think about that for a mo.

 

[Rosco]

He was a great finisher. There was this stupid myth that his game was solely about pace, but when he was sharp and at his best, he could score all sorts of goals.

If that was true his career wouldn't have nosedived when he lost his pace. Later in his career he expressed his desire to turn himself into more of a 10 - but he never had the ability on the ball, the passing etc to be anything other than a finisher.

Did he ever score from outside the box ?

He was just an excellent finisher in one on one scenarios created via his pace and intelligence.

It looks to me that he never developed any sort of all round game because his pace and finishing in the box was enough for him to excel with. When the pace diminished he didn't have much to work with, unlike say Fowler who still managed a very decent period with us later in his career

 

[LarryHagman]

I agree with most of your posts Ross but Owen was a grade-A player. He was world class. I can't bring myself to hate the lad. He made some terrible decisions career-wise and he suffered from some debilitating injuries. Otherwise, he was up there.
Personally, the time in his career when he broke through and cemented himself as a force coincides with (one of) my fave time(s) of watching us. He was tremendous. I don't think comparisons with Ronaldo (the real one) are far-fetched.
But, personality-wise , he might be a bell end, who knows? Who isn't?

 

[manwithnoname]

If that was true his career wouldn't have nosedived when he lost his pace. Later in his career he expressed his desire to turn himself into more of a 10 - but he never had the ability on the ball, the passing etc to be anything other than a finisher.

Did he ever score from outside the box ?

He was just an excellent finisher in one on one scenarios created via his pace and intelligence.

It looks to me that he never developed any sort of all round game because his pace and finishing in the box was enough for him to excel with. When the pace diminished he didn't have much to work with, unlike say Fowler who still managed a very decent period with us later in his career

There's no argument that Robbie Fowler was a more gifted finisher, but that's hardly a fair comparison, he was a more gifted finisher than everyone.

And "just" an excellent finisher? Really? Is that an insult or at least a slight on his ability? From the age 18-24 he was one of the best strikers in the world; he was scoring 20+ goals a season consistently, bar one when he was injured, and won trophies and well-deserved acclaim. Scoring goals isn't easy, and he was brilliant at it, which is why he's one of our all-time top scorers and sits deservedly alongside the likes of Rush, Fowler and Dalglish as one of our best strikers ever.

As for his latter career, yeah, injuries and Newcastle ruined him, and there's no denying he was reliant on his amazing pace and lightning acceleration, but so what? It's not like Fowler's latter-day Liverpool career was actually "very decent".

It wasn't. It was actually terrible and it was a waste of time re-signing him.