owen
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owen finally arrives in NEWCASTLE!
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Owen agrees four-year deal with Newcastle
Newcastle today pulled off a sensational transfer coup when they finally managed to persuade England striker Michael Owen to keep his World Cup dreams alive on Tyneside.
In a move which dashed the hopes of former club Liverpool of securing the 25-year-old's return, the Magpies completed their club record swoop - believed to be in the region of £17million - for the Real Madrid star to hand manager Graeme Souness a massive boost.
Owen will undergo a medical on Tyneside this afternoon before sealing his switch to St James' Park in a move which represents a coup for Newcastle on a par with their capture of skipper Alan Shearer back in July 1996.
'Bringing Michael to St James' Park will rank alongside the signing of Alan Shearer as my proudest moment at Newcastle United,' chairman Freddy Shepherd told the club's official website.
'Newcastle fans love centre-forwards and Michael is a fantastic goalscorer. He's someone we would love to build the team around and we hope he can help us bring success to the club.'
Owen's decision comes less than 24 hours after he travelled to the north-east to meet Souness, chairman Freddy Shepherd and former international team-mate Shearer to discuss his future following talks with the Anfield club.
It represents a major change of heart from the player, who has always insisted a return to Merseyside was his preferred option despite indicating he would be prepared to join the Magpies on loan for a season.
But Real's need to raise cash to help fund their bid for Sevilla defender Sergio Ramos and Newcastle's insistence on a permanent deal meant that was not an option.
Reports today suggested Owen was returning to Liverpool for further talks amid speculation his former club had finally made a formal approach, although with the Reds unwilling to spend significantly more than the £8million for which they sold him to the Spanish aristocrats last summer, Newcastle had gained the upper hand.
There have even been hints the striker could bide his time at the Bernabeu Stadium until the January window with the latest transfer deadline looming tomorrow night.
Owen's future has been the subject of intense speculation for months, and that grew on Sunday when he did not even make the bench for his side's opening La Liga fixture in Cadiz.
Newcastle's latest coup is reminiscent of their £15million capture of Shearer back in July 1996, and a similar return on their investment this time around would be welcome with Souness' side having collected just one point from their first four Barclays Premiership games this season without scoring a single goal.
For Owen too, the move will give him regular first-team football as the World Cup finals approach, and that will be of immense comfort to England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. -
haha, such a loser, he wants to reurn to Anfield but Liv not willing to spend >£8m therfore he got no choice n become a magpie, he did tis to secure his plc in england 1st team.
He shldn't hav left Liv in the 1st plc..........
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Graeme Souness finally deserves some luck in the transfer market.
With this current team, if he still can't bring Newcastle to the UEFA cup at the very least, he deserves to be sacked. -
he still got to be sacked. he is just not popular with the geordies. AND ME
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Emre , Luque, Parker and finally Owen are quality...they should be competing for CL. Steven Taylor is an upcoming star. Watch him fly.
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Not to mention disgruntling 'England stars' Dyer, Bowyer and JenasOriginally posted by hydemisfit:Emre , Luque, Parker and finally Owen are quality...they should be competing for CL. Steven Taylor is an upcoming star. Watch him fly.
Promising talents but problematic. -
its nice 2 c tat theres stil newcastle fans around.....
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the geordie fans is still quite strong.
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i think even with owen and shearer, newcastle at best can oni finish just above relegation zone.
the manager and the team as a whole just cannot make it.
Its becoming like Leeds United a few years ago.
Ultimately newcastle is doom unless the manager goes asap
or a miracle(s) happen -
Remains to be seen.
Wasted,so many good players. -
they have a team that can challenge a CL spot. minus the horrendous defending + a bit of luck and multiply a bit of attack i dont see them hanging around the bottom half. but still, souness HAD TO GO
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Hi newcastle fans out there, who you think is your all time newcastle fav player?
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I like david ginola..Originally posted by ruudboy:Hi newcastle fans out there, who you think is your all time newcastle fav player? -
Yeah Ginola is good, flamboyant frenchman, I like Solano
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can name ur fav newcastle 11?
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I can name my dream newcastle lineup without the back 4 really..I think they might as well play attackers as the defence since its largely anonymous anyway..Originally posted by ruudboy:can name ur fav newcastle 11? -
Alan ShearerOriginally posted by ruudboy:Hi newcastle fans out there, who you think is your all time newcastle fav player? -
haha who are they then>
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I kinda like the team from 97 that nearly won the league under kevin keagan..
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I must agree with you. Keegan also came close the year before.Originally posted by stellazio:I kinda like the team from 97 that nearly won the league under kevin keagan.. -
since u quote fav 11.. i suppose it doesnt matter their age or retired right? shall recall the dead and retired.Originally posted by ruudboy:can name ur fav newcastle 11?
gk: given
def: woodgate, albert (sorry.. cant think for this department)
mid: ginola, dyer, solano, speed, lee
for: shearer, bellamy & ferdinand
so an ultra offensive atk squad.. -
they are like the arsenal now and man utd is the chelsea then.. but newcastle has gone wasted since then too.. sigh.Originally posted by stellazio:I kinda like the team from 97 that nearly won the league under kevin keagan.. -
Faustino Asprilla!!Originally posted by ruudboy:Hi newcastle fans out there, who you think is your all time newcastle fav player? -
Any1 here went for the exhibition match at Kallang stadium when that newcastle team came over to singapore some 7-8 yrs ago?Originally posted by stellazio:I kinda like the team from 97 that nearly won the league under kevin keagan..
It was a real treat for football fans. I still remembered the scoreline is 5-0 to Newcastle, against a S-league selection side. It was a star studded side, Ginola was the star of the night. Shearer just completed his 15million pound move and flew right over to singapore to say hello to the fans at kallang, but didnt play on that night.