Season 2009/10 was going to be a nervous one for Liverpool fans anyway, what with Manchester United looking to sneak beyond them with regards to titles won but things just got tougher for the Liverpool reds. One of their favorite sons has signed a contract for Manchester United and in the irony of ironies, he could be the man who fires Manchester United to the proud position of having won the most top flight domestic titles in England. To those on the outside, Michael Owen wearing the red soccer kit of Manchester United will not be too different from Michael Owen wearing the red soccer jersey from Liverpool but for fans of both clubs, it is a defining moment of a season that is yet to kick-off.
Owen has struggled at Newcastle United, never really looking comfortable in the black and white striped kit of the Magpies but as a club, Newcastle have been on a downward spiral for a number of years. This has culminated in their relegation and although some fans hoped that their big name players would stay and help them bounce back to the Premier League, more have been happy to get the underachievers off the wage bill. Having lost his place in the England squad and with a world cup year ahead, there is no way that Michael Owen could afford to play Championship football for a season but it seemed as though his top flight options were not going to be too attractive. As much as the sight of Michael Owen in the Newcastle soccer kit was strange, if the player was seen playing the Hull City soccer uniform, it would have been the death-knell for his career. That’s why the shock move to Manchester United may just be thing to revitalise the player and perhaps get him on the plane to South Africa.
Its clear that Owen would probably have preferred a return to Anfield and have the chance to play in front of the Kop again but Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has never been an admirer of the player. He had the chance to buy him before which was declined and even though Liverpool’s league hopes last season disintegrated because of a lack of a poacher, Benitez still believes he is better off without him. This left Owen looking for another club and in England, they don’t come any bigger than Manchester United which is why Owen could hardly turn down the lure of Old Trafford.
Its not as if United need to improve their global branding but considering they have new home and away soccer uniforms to sell this season, bringing in another world famous player like Michael Owen will do them no harm. They may have lost Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be playing in the all white soccer uniform of Real Madrid next season, and Owen is no Ronaldo but it gives the club another star striker who can grab goals when they need them most. Do not expect Michael Owen to be playing week in and week out for United but you can expect him to come off the bench in tight matches and he may prove to be the deciding factor in a league campaign that is destined to be tight.
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