Owen: "I tried to come back"

[gkmacca]

I just think, here and now, he's generating way too much vitriol. If it's there then it's there, of course, and if people feel it then they feel it, but I'm content to look to the future. If Owen has no affection for LFC, and he's as cynical as some fans think, then he surely wouldn't have anything to do with the club at all. He's wealthy enough not to need to do anything. He's so under-motivated as a football pundit that BT have to practically frogmarch him from the race course to the football stadium to fulfil his contractual obligations. He's as happy as can be spending his time at his stables. So to commit to be an LFC ambassador is a bit odd if it's not down to a real desire to help the club. And if his input can help to attract just one or two great young talents to the club - and there's no reason to think that some kids won't be affected positively by his influence - then, great.

 

[keniget]

So to commit to be an LFC ambassador is a bit odd if it's not down to a real desire to help the club.

It feels like the way his career panned out and in particular his relationship with Liverpool bothers him and he wants to fix it.

If that is the case, I'm guessing people would respond to honesty a little more than the excuse making he seems to go for.

 

[gkmacca]

As I said, presumably Carragher will highlight whatever the supposed lies are, but I don't find it all so questionable as many others do.

 

[keniget]

As I said, presumably Carragher will highlight whatever the supposed lies are, but I don't find it all so questionable as many others do.

I'm not saying he's lying... it's more the tone he uses when talking about went down. We all know that Owen looked out primarily for no.1 as a footballer and that's fine but just be more straight up and conciliatory about it.

 

[Oncy]

Im no more bitter to him than I am to Torres, Alonso, Mascherano, Suarez et al.

Im a bitter cunt and no mistake. You choose to leave you left ME, so fuck you.

Hamman, Fowler, Agger, Hyppia, Murphy and the likes we chose to let leave so im ok with that, and they keep my affections.
I cant behind ANY player who agitated to leave then saying how much they loved us.
This goes all the way back as far as Keegan for me.

They broke my heart. We cant be friends.

 

[gkmacca]

I'm not saying he's lying... it's more the tone he uses when talking about went down. We all know that Owen looked out primarily for no.1 as a footballer and that's fine but just be more straight up and conciliatory about it.

I'm not sure what that would involve. 'I would have liked to have gone back to LFC but not if it wasn't in my best interests'? Most players would sound worse to fans if they spoke completely candidly about why they signed/didn't re-sign for the club. As for being conciliatory, surely that's just what he's doing?

I just think there's a lack of any willingness among many fans to admit the situations were not as simple as they suggest. Take when Rafa was in charge: the intimation is that Owen only had to push on the door and it would open, which is surely untrue. Rafa did not fancy Owen. He arrived with misgivings about him and was not exactly heartbroken when he left. I'm sure, at that stage, he would have worked to improve the player, should he have stayed, but after that the desire to work with the player declined rapidly. I have real doubts as to how keen Rafa was to get him back when he had the chance - it was more a case of, 'I'll take him if he's really, really cheap,' and, when he wasn't, that was that. The idea that it was solely down to Owen is, I think, a bit disingenuous. He surely knew that Rafa wasn't his biggest fan, and he might not even play him that much, or he might even have frozen him out pretty quickly. If he harboured any anxieties about returning in such circumstances, I wouldn't blame him for that. It's more interesting to me that, in spite of that, he was interested in trying to get back.

 

[gkmacca]

And I don't think these new comments from Owen in any way contradict these earlier ones made by Carragher himself back in 2013:

Jamie Carragher failed to convince Rafa Benitez to bring Michael Owen back to Liverpool FC

• 10:38, 20 MAR 2013
• UPDATED 16:05, 7 MAY 2013
• BY JAMES PEARCE

“Liverpool supporters did not take too kindly to the way he left but I’m a firm believer that time is a healer and I’m sure they would have welcomed him back after his contract at Newcastle had expired”.

“I had heard he was thinking of joining Manchester United but he would have jumped at the opportunity to come back to Liverpool. He would have been happy to be a squad player and was excited at the opportunity to return home.

“The way he left Liverpool had saddened Michael and he wanted the opportunity to redeem himself.

“I sent Rafa Benitez a message explaining what Liverpool could get on a free transfer but Benitez instead went out and bought David Ngog instead'.

 

[Oncy]

Hahaha Rafa was such a cunt

 

[Jack D Rips]

Such a shame the little legend turned out to be a complete bellend and scummer. I remember years ago Dunk on KT posted an April fools jape that he'd signed for United. Everyone laughed or mocked and some stupid dickheads believed him. Sigh. I will say though back in 1998 I loved the guy......🙁 What a fucking massive idiot he is. Some part of me thinks that Bacon Face only signed him on a free to be slap in the face to us....

Actually most of me thinks this to be true.

 

[manwithnoname]

This story is from 2014. Or at least that's when I first read about it.

I believe him. Obviously not all of it, but he did want to come back before he joined United. Whether or not he wanted it enough is another question.

It's also not that surprising that Benitez wasn't interested. He'd already left once under Benitez, and his abilities and quality when he left Newcastle were questionable. I'm still surprised Baconface signed him, and he didn't exactly justify it either; did OK, but never looked anything like the Owen of his Anfield pomp - scored a miserable amount of league goals - so we didn't miss much either way.

Prefer to recall the Owen of 98-2004. After that he wasn't relevant.

 

[gkmacca]

The thing that concerns me now is what the heck he's actually doing as ambassador. The appointment was announced and then...nowt. Did he even go on the US tour? I don't think so. What I'd like him to be doing is working with the scouting team, visiting local places and players targeted by the club, going further afield to help attract young talents, and maybe also doing a spot of one-on-one coaching with the likes of Woodburn. It needs that kind of involvement to make the controversial appointment worth it. If all he's doing is meeting and greeting the next sugar-laden food or soft drink manufacturer Ayre wants to become a 'commercial partner,' then sod it.

 

[manwithnoname]

I just think, here and now, he's generating way too much vitriol. If it's there then it's there, of course, and if people feel it then they feel it, but I'm content to look to the future. If Owen has no affection for LFC, and he's as cynical as some fans think, then he surely wouldn't have anything to do with the club at all. He's wealthy enough not to need to do anything. He's so under-motivated as a football pundit that BT have to practically frogmarch him from the race course to the football stadium to fulfil his contractual obligations. He's as happy as can be spending his time at his stables. So to commit to be an LFC ambassador is a bit odd if it's not down to a real desire to help the club. And if his input can help to attract just one or two great young talents to the club - and there's no reason to think that some kids won't be affected positively by his influence - then, great.

Yeah, way WAY too much vitriol.

As for his coldness and lack of enthusiasm, from what little I've read and seen of him, I'm not sure it's quite that. He seems a bit spergy to me, or at least slightly on the spectrum.

Remember that interview when he claimed to have "only watched 8 films ever"? He's the sort of person who has very narrow interests and emotional range. Not really the curious or self-reflecting type.

He's also said that he was never that excited about playing for England, or making his Liverpool debut, or indeed scoring goals. Being nervous or excited were almost alien to him, wasted emotions, because why be nervous or excited? He'd been the best footballer and striker in every team he'd ever played for, all his life, and it had been easy and expected and this was no different.

That's the sort of person Michael Owen is. I'm probably exaggerating a bit, because it doesn't really explain his close friendship with Carra, but it's a clue.

 

[Grjt2]

He's wealthy enough not to need to do anything. .

I think you make alot of viable points, but I'm led to believe this bit is wrong - Owens current workload and career choices may be very much money driven - the stables suck up catastrophic amount of money, arent as successful as would have been hoped, and allied to some extra-curricular interests may leave Michael very short of disposable cash....

 

[tony]

Actually most of me thinks this to be true.

But the damage had already been done. 3 years 31 appearances and 5 goals, £15mil in wages, if he did sign him to spite us it backfired spectacularly

 

[tomasjj]

He is a gobshite.
He made his bed.

 

[tony]

He was dishonest with the club fans etc saying he would discuss a new contract at the end of the season when he had no intention of doing so and was running it down ( McMoneybags style ) no doubt benefiting from an inflated signing on fee in the process. Fuck him

 

[Oliver Twist]

He's also said that he was never that excited about playing for England, or making his Liverpool debut, or indeed scoring goals. Being nervous or excited were almost alien to him, wasted emotions, because why be nervous or excited? He'd been the best footballer and striker in every team he'd ever played for, all his life, and it had been easy and expected and this was no different.

That'd be true of a lot of professional footballers, so I don't think that fact defines Owen's personality. I think his personality defines that fact.

 

[Modo]

Hahaha Rafa was such a cunt

Same cunt that brought back Robbie.
Take emotions out of the equation and it's quite understandable that he wasn't that interested in signing Owen.
I think Rafa wanted a player who could play upfront alone. Owen was not that type of player.

 

[manwithnoname]

Same cunt that brought back Robbie.
Take emotions out of the equation and it's quite understandable that he wasn't that interested in signing Owen.
I think Rafa wanted a player who could play upfront alone. Owen was not that type of player.

Still doesn't explain why he re-signed God though. Always thought that was quite strange and still do

 

[Modo]

Still doesn't explain why he re-signed God though. Always thought that was quite strange and still do

I'm not totally sure but we needed a 4th striker. Fowler was available for free.
We played with 2 strikers if I remember it correctly. Crouch, Morientes, Cissé weren't that prolific I think.
We needed goals.
Won the FA cup that season but Fowler was cup tied.

 

[tombrown]

Sad case of unrequited love on Owen's part, this, love both for LFC and for himself.

Trying to get my head round unrequited self love, but it keeps spinning in circles 🙂

 

[Judge Jules]

Trying to get my head round unrequited self love, but it keeps spinning in circles 🙂

Ha. Good point, my mistake. The unrequited part was the bit directed at us. 🙂

 

[Leo]

Some club ambassador is Michael.

 

[Judge Jules]

Depends which club one's referring to, apparently.

What a dipstick.

 

[gkmacca]

Some club ambassador is Michael.

Well, again, there's too much confirmation bias in the way that Owen is monitored these days. He's a pundit as well as an ambassador, he's encouraged as a pundit to make his predictions and opinions known, and that's what he's done here. What's he supposed to do, restrict his tweeting activities to excusing Moreno and raving about Mane??

 

[Rosco]

I think you make alot of viable points, but I'm led to believe this bit is wrong - Owens current workload and career choices may be very much money driven - the stables suck up catastrophic amount of money, arent as successful as would have been hoped, and allied to some extra-curricular interests may leave Michael very short of disposable cash....

Gambling ?

I heard from someone working for an Irish bookie that he was shit hot at it.

He opened an account , he only dealt with one person high up in the organisation. He was 350k up after a month. That person used to place his own bet after every bet from Owen and cleaned up.

Maybe he was shit the other 11 months of the year

 

[Windom Earle]

Well, again, there's too much confirmation bias in the way that Owen is monitored these days. He's a pundit as well as an ambassador, he's encouraged as a pundit to make his predictions and opinions known, and that's what he's done here. What's he supposed to do, restrict his tweeting activities to excusing Moreno and raving about Mane??

Exactly. He's allowed an opinion. Besides, he's given himself some wiggle room with "North West" ha (yes, I know!)

I'm sure he's not the only ex-Liverpool player to not tip Liverpool for the title, not to mention more than a few on this board think United may be one of the favourites.

 

[Leo]

Well, again, there's too much confirmation bias in the way that Owen is monitored these days. He's a pundit as well as an ambassador, he's encouraged as a pundit to make his predictions and opinions known, and that's what he's done here. What's he supposed to do, restrict his tweeting activities to excusing Moreno and raving about Mane??

Do what Cares does.
Make embarrassing dad jokes and wind up the bitters.

 

[Judge Jules]

I'd strongly suggest that one thing he as an official club ambassador is not supposed to do is wax lyrical about the Mancs. Tip them for the title if you feel you must, but leave it at that instead of sounding like a fanboy.

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

Still doesn't explain why he re-signed God though. Always thought that was quite strange and still do

He was free, still had something to offer (not loads, but he was decent those 6 months, got a few goals. The full season after, not so much) and I reckon he helped the atmosphere around the place.