Turncoat Owen at it again

So, Michael Owen is on the verge of sealing a shock switch to Old Trafford and as a Liverpool fan, I have to admit that I’m bitterly disappointed in him.

The potential move brings up this issue of player loyalty or rather the lack of it in today’s football world. In Italy, France and in lesser cases Spain, it’s fairly common for players of Owen’s stature to switch allegiances between the country’s top clubs. But in England, with the exception of serial-mover Nicolas Anelka, it’s a rare occasion.

Owen will become the first player since Paul Ince to play for both Manchester United and Liverpool and for both players the feat was done via a spell abroad sandwiched in between. Ince, who had an indifferent experience with Inter Milan, left Old Trafford on bad terms with Alex Ferguson and was all too willing to return to the Premier League with rivals Liverpool.

Having spent 8 seasons at Anfield, the club that nurtured his talent as a youngster, Owen first turned his back on Liverpool in the summer of 2004 when he forced a move to Real Madrid.

Rafael Benitez had barely sat down at his new desk at the club before his star striker came pushing for a move. The Spaniard was powerless to stop Owen leaving and the fans were left devastated at the departure.

Some were bitter, others wished him well and didn’t blame him for leaving a club whose future was up in the air. As it happens, Owen failed to light up the Bernabeu, missed out on Champions League glory and subsequently ended up at the doomed Newcastle United after just once season in Spain.

Now, with his contract at relegated Newcastle expired, Owen was expected to decide on offers from the likes of Hull and Stoke but late this week it emerged at Premier League champions Manchester United were shock contenders.

Owen is reportedly only a medical away from completing the remarkable turnaround, but it is likely to start a hate campaign led by Liverpool fans aggrieved at Owen’s lack of loyalty and respect for his former club.

Alas, I can see the logic in the move, it makes sense for both player and club, but even Liverpudlians would prefer to see him in an Everton shirt. Owen’s loyalty to his parent club has to be questioned. Look at Carlos Tevez, a model professional who is a great example to younger players in today’s game.

Tevez spent just two years at Man Utd and will no longer play for the club after rejecting a new deal after some shabby treatment. However, the Argentine immediately refuted interest from Liverpool saying he would not play for the club out of respect for Manchester United fans.

That was after two years, Owen spent eight years at Anfield, winning many cups while always being first choice striker, something which Tevez rarely was at United. Respect must go out to Tevez for his loyalty, but should Owen betray his former Liverpool fans for a second time, then he will permanently lose a lot of Anfield hearts.

Owen on the brink of quitting Newcastle United

Michael Owen is on the verge of quitting Newcastle United at the end of the season as the club continues to be scarred by the prospect of relegation from the Premier League.

Owen is arguably the most high profile player contracted to Newcastle and despite Alan Shearer dismissing the speculation it could well be the case that Owen will start to look for a move elsewhere in order to save his football career and chances of playing for England.

Owen is not a player carrying an ego, everyone on the game, professionals and pundits alike, would admit that Owen is one of the most decent individuals around and his apparent decision is just a case of him doing something he has to do.

It should not attract him negative press or a bad reception from Newcastle fans. All he is doing is trying to adapt to the situation Newcastle find themselves in and if they do go down then a bid of a high amount will have to be taken to help Newcastle cope with the financial impact Championship football would have.

Speaking today, Shearer said: “Michael is a big name player and sometimes you attract headlines. I’m 100% sure he will be playing in the Premier League. Whether that is here or anywhere else, that’s for a discussion at the end of the season.”

Although Mark Viduka and Joey Barton have already publicly promised their commitment to the club you really would not blame Owen from trying to get a move. The days where he was tearing apart defences and ripping into the heart of the Argentina national side now seem long dead.

The point is that Owen still has it in him to play at the highest level and if Newcastle do manage to stay up then there is no doubt that he will stay at the Toon and try to help them consolidate to make sure the current situation never happens again.

He needs to be playing in the top flight and he needs to be playing at a club that has big ambitions both domestically and on the European scene. Many would have seen Owen as an England regular for years to come but injury and circumstance has seen him lose his place that he must be itching to get back.

If he has to leave Newcastle then he is not being selfish and leaving the club high and dry. He is just making the most logical decision at his disposal and you can’t really blame him for not wanting to stay at a club that would mean him simply take another step backwards in his career.

He still has it in him to score over 20 Premier League goals each season but we have just been kept from seeing it for such a long time that his career is starting to suffer. However, while he is wearing the black and white shirt of Newcastle it is pretty obvious that he will sweat blood for the team, but how much longer he is there for is unknown.