Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The New Forums. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Michael Owen joins Newcastle
Topic Started: Aug 30 2005, 05:46 PM (50 Views)
Canucks fan
Numero uno
Admin
http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/news_story.asp?id=135009

NEWCASTLE, England (AP-CP) - England striker Michael Owen joined Newcastle from Real Madrid on Tuesday in a move that will team him up with former England captain Alan Shearer.

Owen, 25, discussed a return to Liverpool, the team he joined as an 11-year-old, before deciding to play for the Magpies. It appears Newcastle's bid was too rich for Liverpool.

Owen opted to leave Madrid because it has a glut of strikers and he wants to play regularly in the buildup to next year's World Cup. He scored 16 goals last season in Spain but failed to win a regular first-team place.

The club did not reveal the transfer fee, but said it exceeded the club record 15 million pounds ($32.2 million Cdn) it paid for Shearer in 1996.

British reports pegged the fee at 17 million pounds ($36.5 million Cdn).





The sale is good business for Madrid, which bought Owen from Liverpool a year ago for eight million pounds ($17.2 million Cdn). Midfielder Antonio Nunez went to Liverpool as part of the deal.

Owen agreed to a four-year deal with Newcastle, although the Liverpool Echo reported on its website that the contract included a 12-million-pound ($25.5 million Cdn) escape clause next summer.

Owen may shed light on his choice of Newcastle at a news conference Wednesday at St. James' Park.

''He's someone who can become a legend with Newcastle United fans,'' manager Graeme Souness was quoted on the Newcastle website. ''In football, the hardest thing to get in your team is someone who puts the ball in the back of the net and Michael is the best at doing that for England.

''I can understand people who liken it to the signing of Alan Shearer as Michael is the current England No. 9. I'd say it's the biggest transfer I've been involved in as a manager of any football club.''

At Madrid last season, Owen was third choice behind Raul Gonzalez and Ronaldo and was pushed further back down the line this summer when the Spanish side brought in Brazilian forwards Julio Baptista and Robinho.

Owen will wear the No. 10 shirt in Newcastle and play alongside Shearer, who was his strike partner at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. Shearer, 35, retired from international soccer after Euro 2000 and was due to finish his career at the end of last season before agreeing to stay on at St. James' Park.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was quick to applaud Owen's move.

''It's a great partnership. Michael Owen will score goals for them and it's great that he can play together with Shearer,'' said Eriksson. ''He's a big target man, good header, and he will give Michael many chances to score. I'm sure about that.''

Eriksson said he gave Owen some advice before the move but wouldn't divulge what it was.

''As long as it makes Michael Owen happy it's good news for England and for me,'' the England coach said. ''Great club, fantastic that he will play regular football, more regularly than he did last season.''

Newcastle (0-3-1) needs a boost. It is next to last in the English Premier League standings after four games and is the only team yet to score. Owen's arrival should help - he scored 158 goals in 297 appearances for Liverpool, his first club. He also has 32 goals for England in 71 appearances.



Souness has struggled to find the right partner for Shearer, trying out Craig Bellamy and Patrick Kluivert before discarding them. He has recently bought Albert Luque from Deportivo de La Coruna but the Spaniard is likely to be a backup to the Shearer-Owen partnership or else play in a support role.

Two rounds of World Cup qualifying games means there is a break in the Premier League schedule until Sept. 10, so Newcastle won't be able to introduce him to the media as a Magpies player until late next week.

Ironically, the Newcastle team is currently training in Spain during the international break.

Owen scored more goals against Newcastle than any other team, but never played under current Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who sold him shortly after taking over.

Benitez opted to buy Peter Crouch, a fledgling English striker, during the off-season. He already has forwards Djibril Cisse, Fernando Morientes and Florent Sinama Pongolle and elected to sell striker Milan Baros to Aston Villa recently.

The Reds manager has said his priority was buying a central defender and winger.

While Newcastle has endured a long drought, it is one of the biggest clubs in England and has a fanatical following known as the Toon Army. Its stadium, St. James' Park, is the second biggest in the league, with more than 52,000 seats.

Madrid's director of soccer, Arrigo Sacchi, said he was sad to see Owen leave but understood his reasons.

''He's now a player for the English club. We're saying this with disappointment because we have lost a great professional, a first-class player and a person who is always positive,'' Sacchi said.

''Real Madrid has always been happy with him and we thank him for what he has done here. We wish him all the luck in the future. He asked to leave because this is World Cup year and here he wasn't always going to play. We didn't want to loan him out and only when a big offer arrived did we accept his transfer.''

Madrid may use the proceeds from the sale to fund a bid for Sevilla's 19-year-old right back Sergio Ramos, Spanish media reported in recent days.

At Newcastle, Owen joins new signings Scott Parker, Emre and Albert Luque.





I still don't think he'll make Newcastle a good team.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Shaheer
www.s4.invisionfree.com/sbs
funny though because Newcastle hasn't got 1 win and now they're signing everyone.

Jenas hasn't done anything on the team and they lost 2-0. But seeing Owen could make the team better.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Henniej

Banned
Although I hate Man Utd,I think he shouldv joined rooney there
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Sports · Next Topic »
Add Reply