Michael Owen - Worth a punt?

Gone to Stoke on a pay as you play contract.

Can't really understand the fit between the club and the player on this one. Also why is Stoke buying everybody - Bruce tried that last season at Sunderland and look where that got him!



Former Manchester United and England striker Michael Owen has signed for Stoke City.

The 32-year-old left Old Trafford in May and is a free agent.

The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle striker has 89 caps and 40 goals for his country, though he has not played internationally since 2008.

He spent three seasons at Manchester United but played in only 52 games, netting 17 times. He made just four appearances for the club last season.

Liverpool had earlier dismissed suggestions they were keen to bring the former England striker back to Anfield. Everton and Sunderland also distanced themselves from reports they had attempted to sign Owen during the summer.

Owen's career has been blighted by injury problems and he has not played a competitive game since November last year because of a thigh problem, which contributed to him starting just one Premier League game in the last two seasons.

However, he has been staying fit for the current season using a personal programme designed by the Manchester United coaches.

He recently admitted to frustration at the limited opportunities given to him during his time working under Sir Alex Ferguson, but denied suggestions that his time playing in the top flight may have passed or that he was considering retiring from the game.

Owen becomes Stoke's seventh signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Jamie Ness, Geoff Cameron, Michael Kightly, Maurice Edu, Charlie Adam and Steven N'Zonzi.

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Stoke have money to burn compared to us so they can afford those kind of salaries. We're on a budget.

Still think Sordell and Ngog will cause problems when they're paired though. If they're paired. BKD is holding the fort as best he can, but I think OC once imagined we'd be putting out a Brazil-esque side by now with Holden and Mavies in midfield, two wingers and those two up front, but it's not happening and the focus is on our back four, not attacking flair.

Owen is too injury prone. Whoever signs him will be lucky if they get 15 games out of him with the state of his hamstrings. If he was a racehorse he would have been shot and sent to the knackers yard by now.

Owen is a lazy bastard. Most professional footballers were back in training about 10th July, give or take. It will be weeks before he is match fit, never mind injured.

I think Owen is just looking for a cushy number to see out his career. He seems more interested in running his stable in North Wales than playing football.

Why do you always do a "worth a punt" thread after a player has signed for someone else?

Just my way of playing about really.

I'm just trying to show these players 'were' available - ok maybe out of our price range or they never would have dreamt of coming to Bolton - but hopefully it does stimulate a bit of a discussion about them.

My way of helping to get people talking on here I guess.

Sluffy wrote:Just my way of playing about really.

I'm just trying to show these players 'were' available - ok maybe out of our price range or they never would have dreamt of coming to Bolton - but hopefully it does stimulate a bit of a discussion about them.

My way of helping to get people talking on here I guess.

Well start bloody doing them before they sign for someone else, that way we might get lucky and fanny Coyle will read them.

Coyle doesn't read the forums.

He clearly thinks he is right with his 4-4-2 with two attacking wingers with Knight in defence for the last 1,533 games (or it feels that many anyway!), so he's hardly going to view places like this to read what us numb skulls think about things.

More's the pity really because he clearly doesn't have a plan B and there's plenty of decent posters on this and other forums that put forward workable solutions that he clearly as never even considered.

(Seems Marc Iles does though - new thread to follow!)

I don't really fathom how Stoke is a better place than Bolton .....notwithstanding they all still in the Prem.

Otherwise you go through Stoke about 70 miles an hour with yer doors locked ....

terenceanne wrote:I don't really fathom how Stoke is a better place than Bolton .....notwithstanding they all still in the Prem.

They are in the Premier League.
They can afford to pay him a lot more money.

What more is there to fathom?

I've heard something this morning that the deal isn't a pay to play deal, that is was stoke offered him apparantly in the first place but because Owen was worried he would be out of pocket he demanded a 1 year contract so he get's paid whatever happens.

Not sure what truth their is behind it.