£108,000 a week Owen says goodbye

Words by Kevin Doocey on Jun 23, 2009

Owen - Never a success at Newcastle

We all remember the day he signed. First he said he only wanted a loan deal and then changed his mind. He opted to join Newcastle United from Real Madrid for a staggering fee of £17m. Most Newcastle fans were delighted as this was a major coup for the Toon. Owen got a heroes welcome when he was showcased in St.James’ Park and knew he had a lot to do, to repay the grateful support. Unfortunately, injuries upon injuries hampered his career at Newcastle and he only managed a few games alongside Alan Shearer the great.

This time round Shearer is manager, or was , and Owen played under Shearer. There is no doubt Owen is a class finisher and a talented player but anyone who suffered the injuries Michael did wouldn’t heal completely. It seemed Owen had lost that yard of pace and inevitably., that was what Michael Owen stand out. His ability to shave defenders and finish precisely was why Newcastle United paid more than they did for Alan Shearer, for Owen.

Owen suffered injuries at Spurs on New Years Day, World Cup 2006 in the opening game and constant groin strains throughout the rest of his Newcastle days. Most people think Owen was a flop and a complete waste of money, but I always think back to Newcastle v Sunderland, St.James’ Park when Kevin Keegan was in charge. A brilliant header and a second from the penalty spot was enough to ensure bragging rights for Newcastle for the next season. Michael has a good goal to appearance ratio but no team will excuse the fact of him being prone to injuries.

So it’s official he’s leaving and departing from the wage books. All £108,000 or maybe it was more , will be saved a week and that is a good saving. Owen admitted that he would’ve signed a new contract with Newcastle should’ve Keegan stayed on but it wasn’t to be. The commercial aspect of Owen’s tenure would’ve earned the magpies some cash and the fact we got compensation from the FA over his injury whilst on duty for his country, but besides that, as all the Sunday newspapers will tell you, he was a complete flop.

Was he?

Comments appreaciated 🙂