Big season for Owen. I feel if he dosen't make much of an impact this season then this could be his last with us. I hope he has a great season, but I feel with the arrival of javier hernandez we wont see much of owen. It would be good to see a partnership of owen and hernandez to see how it works out. Both similar players and I think it could work out in the league and fa cup games if fergie is prepared to try it. Anyways big season for owen, hopefully he dosen't pick up any unwanted injuries.
His contract runs out at the end of the season anyway. If he gets 10-15 goals, he might get a year added on, but I think it's more than likely that he will leave next summer.
I think this is the case. When he signed, he wasn't signed as a long-term option and I didn't really expect him to stay beyond the contract he got. If he does have a really good season, then he may get another year, who knows. But I think the plan will be for Hernandez to have settled by then and maybe even Diouf around the first team.
Owen primed for action Michael Owen has declared himself "fit and ready to go" as his second Reds campaign continues. The striker ruptured his hamstring in last season’s Carling Cup final triumph over Aston Villa, ruling him out of the title run-in and wrecking any chances of a World Cup call-up with England. But now, following a summer of rehabilitation and action in three matches this month, Owen feels good about his 2010/11 prospects. "It’s nice to have played a couple of games,” he told MUTV. “I felt really good in Ireland (friendly vs Airtricity League XI) and not so sharp at Wembley (Community Shield vs Chelsea). "It’s like that when you’re coming back, in some training sessions you feel absolutely great and then in others you feel heavy legged. "I was at Carrington for most of the summer, recovering from the injury. I feel fine, fit and ready to go.” With Michael's return, and the arrival of summer signings Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez and Bebe, Sir Alex Ferguson has a plethora of striking options to choose from. In Wayne Rooney's absence on Sunday, he picked Chicharito alongside Dimitar Berbatov, while Owen came on in the 74th minute as a sub. Waiting for his chance is something the Reds' number seven is getting used to. “It's good for the club,” he said, referring to the competition for places. “Gone are the days when you are selfish about your football. The club employ you to benefit them and do what is best for them so whenever you’re called upon you are ready.” Like many of his team-mates, Owen has been impressed by what he's seen so far of Hernandez on the pitch. "The fans are really excited about the new signings, particularly Javier," he said. "He looks really sharp in training and in games." As for the Mexican adapting to life off the pitch, Owen has empathy - he had an overseas adventure of his own when he left his native north-west England to play in Spain for Real Madrid. “It is difficult to come from another country with different food and different weather, particularly at the turn of the year in England when it’s freezing cold every day. It will be interesting to see how Javier settles in, but so far so good.” http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={F9E570E6-407E-44BC-800F-4A3110258114}&newsid=6651602&page=2
I suspect also that Fergie is thinking of Berbatov playing a diminished role next term - possibly being moved on to make way for the youngsters.
Owen expects United chances Michael Owen expects to be given plenty of chances to impress for Manchester United over the forthcoming months after opening his account for the season with two goals in the Carling Cup at Scunthorpe. The former England striker netted twice in the second half at Glanford Park as the defending champions progressed to the fourth round with a 5-2 win. Prior to last night, Owen had managed only 46 minutes of action since the Community Shield in August, less than Mexican youngster Javier Hernandez, while it was Federico Macheda to whom boss Sir Alex Ferguson turned with United level at 2-2 against Liverpool last weekend. All three started at Scunthorpe in a team that showed 11 changes from the line-up that faced their bitter rivals, and it was Owen who made the biggest impact. Although Ferguson was not at the ground having chosen to watch next week's Champions League opponents Valencia instead, the striker's efforts did not go unnoticed. Assistant manager Mike Phelan, placed in charge for the night, said: "Michael Owen did exceptionally well and showed what a top, top player he is. I thought he contributed to everything and he covered the ground extremely well." Owen's future at Old Trafford has been called into question in recent weeks, with the striker reportedly unhappy at his lack of playing time. The 30-year-old, though, expects that to change now the season is in full swing. He said: "It's been a strange start to the season. We've played weekend-weekend-weekend and then into a double-header international break so the manager's kept a similar team through those three games. "Subsequently there's been a lot of us that haven't played in the first month of the season but now the Champions League's started, the League Cup's started and there's Premier League games all the time so I'd like to think there's going to be plenty of games coming thick and fast. "People make a lot of different situations but there's a lot of us in the same boat that haven't had many minutes. "It's a difficult juggling act for the manager because he's got young kids that he wants to bring through and learn a thing or two, then there's players that have been injured coming back into the action and players that need the games that have been fit, so it's par for the course at Manchester United. "But it's a bit false at the minute because there have been so few games." Owen netted the equaliser in United's 2-1 win over Aston Villa in last season's Carling Cup final but it was a bittersweet occasion as he picked up the hamstring injury that ruled him out for the rest of the campaign. It was the striker's third League Cup triumph after two victories with former club Liverpool, and his chances of a fourth success - and a third in a row for United - were boosted by defeats for Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City last night. Owen added: "I've won it three times, it's been a good competition for me, and obviously Manchester United have won it for the last two years. Looking at the results, there's a lot of big teams that have gone out so it's a satisfying result for us." Another player given a chance yesterday was Portuguese striker Bebe, who made his United debut off the bench with 16 minutes left. The 20-year-old, signed from Vitoria Guimaraes for £7million this summer despite Ferguson never having seen him play, showed a glimpse of his potential with a run and fierce shot. Phelan told MUTV: "The scoreline gave us the opportunity to give Bebe a little look at what Manchester United's all about. I thought he responded very well. "There were fleeting moments of pace and power, and he got a little bit excited now and again. But it's important that players like him get these opportunities." Owen expects United chances - Manchester Evening News
I got the impression last night that by playing Macheda, Owen and Hernandez together, United were giving the three of them an audition to see who deserved to be first on to the League squad sub's bench to back up Rooney and Berbatov. Looks like Owen won on the night.
I didn't get to see the whole game...just extended highlights. Macheda looked the most threatening forward from the clips I saw. Owen took his goal well
He didn't really have a lot of the ball or a lot of service, but his two goals were good. The first was a very well-timed run and great finish, while the second was simply being in the right place at the right time. I do hope he plays more this season, because I do think the reason why he got such a bad injury last season was because of too little game-time. He hardly played from the game of his hat-trick to Wolfsburg to when he started in the League cup, so that was bound to put a big strain on him when he started I feel.
Macheda doesn't seem like he's improved that much so far. Still has a lot to do to work on his game. Very one dimensional at the moment. If he continues in the same vain I can't see him making it here.
Owen was very poor in the first half against scunthorpe, but the second half he really improved and scored two good goals. I hoping to see alot more of him this season, but with an in form berbatov and rooney is unlikely to get dropped I doubt he will get much starts for us. I would like to see owen get a contract renewal when his current one runs out, because he is still a good player and is a good asset to the team. Im quite optimistic about owen this season after seeing him score them two goals last night. I just hope he wont be sitting on the bench to much.
He was being played on the wing ffs. Hes not a winger, never will be. Plus he gets what 1 game very 2 months and is expected to improve? He needs consistent games to really adapt to the first team. The negativity around our young players on this forum is ridiculous. Evans, Rafeal, Gibson, Macheda get so much undeserved stick.
He started up front in the first half alonside owen while hernandez was placed to the wing. Go watch the match again and then come back when you got the facts right As for for starting only a game every other month, thats no ones fault but his own. He should be grasping opportunities when he plays and especially when we're against cannon foddlers like Scunthorpe. He wasted countless opportunities and was caught offside many a time. I'll give him credit for the assist for owens goal, but he hasn't shown anything to convince me he's up to united standards. But hey he's still very young only 19, so will be given a few more years to make an impact but if he remains at the level he is he don't make it here. Thats the truth son. And don't ever put me in the bracket of people who disregard our young players, I've stuck up for evans and gibson in the face of abuse here
I would have called it more of a 433 with Chicha and kiko out wide but thats not really worth arguing over. Props to you for supporting Evans and Gibson and saying that Kiko is still young with a few years to show what he has. Im convicned he has the ability and id love to see him get more of a chance to show it.
