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Enough is Enough, It's Time to Welcome Michael Owen Home - by Chris Smith

The thing I’ve enjoyed most about Jamie Carragher’s podcast is the incredible forthrightness of the interviews. The shared context, friendship and experiences with his guests provides an incredible platform for honest conversations – far exceeding the cookie cutter Q&As we hear in the vast majority of interviews conducted by actual journalists. 
 
Carra’s standing, and aversion to sugar-coating anything, enables him to frame questions in a way that would be downright insulting coming from a reporter. It’s what made the recent episode with Michael Owen such a startlingly brutal and uncomfortable listen. 
 
If you came out of that interview still unwilling to bury the hatchet with Michael Owen and finally welcome him home, then I’d advise you to contact someone with a stethoscope.
 
Michael’s story, as told on The Greatest Game, sounded like the clichéd sports movie, charting the incredible highs, then the depths of despair. It was set-up for the final act – the inevitable, uplifting redemption, but in Owen’s case, there is no feel-good ending. If the Robbie Fowler story could draw comparisons to Rocky, Owen’s could be likened to the end of Raging Bull.
 
Put it this way: Michael Owen, who scored 158 goals for his club and thrice tried to get back home after his initial departure, now feels intimidated when he walks into Anfield. “Any Liverpool fan has the power to break my heart,” he said. Jesus, I don’t know about any of you, but hearing that just about broke mine. 
 
It’s not right. Owen brought as much joy to the old stadium as any individual in the last quarter century; that much is indisputable. Yet, as Carragher brutally pointed out, Owen gets no love, his career and contributions are glossed over. Or, to use Carragher’s word “dismissed”. 
 
I’ll be honest with you. Michael was my guy. At the time I’d have argued “Michael over Robbie” with anyone. My best mate and I still joke about it to this day (how lucky were we to have those two to playfully argue over by the way?). 
 
I’d never really resented him for leaving, but it did break my heart. I never hated him for signing for Newcastle because I was privy to information he desperately wanted to come home and was distraught to be going there. I wasn’t among those screaming “where were you in Istanbul?” in his face, because what was the point?
 
It wasn’t even as if I felt signing for United was unforgivable given his predicament. For me, a fissure tore into a gaping crevasse the day he scored the winner in that Manchester derby (as unreal a finish as it was). I hadn’t seen him celebrate quite so exuberantly in a decade. I hadn’t seen that joy since he was a teenager and, as he raced behind the Stretford End goal, hadn’t seen him run that fast either. How could he be that happy doing that, there, for them? At the time when we were in the utter depths of the Gillet and Hicks era, with Rafa’s tenure coming to an end, it was an absolute sickener. 
 
For many, it confirmed what they had felt all along. It was the first time I believed it too – that Michael Owen cared only about Michael Owen. It didn’t matter which shirt he was wearing. On that day he was happy for himself, not for Man United. And now, in the context of his interview with Carragher, it’s a little bit easier to see why.
 
Many will still feel like Owen got what was coming, that he made his own bed and thus doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as other Liverpool greats. That’s fine. But there’s also a staggering hypocrisy here that’s bothered me for decades. It seems you can be terrible, as a man and a footballer, but as long as you’re pushed out of the door, rather than leave on your own terms, you’re welcomed back to Liverpool with open arms.
 
The ovations afforded to a returning David James down the years, for example. Here’s someone that made an absolute mockery of us, his manager and the entire club, quantifiably costing us a title during his time on his PlayStation, or modelling, or whatever else he was doing while flailing around between the sticks. James and Owen both broke my heart. Michael for leaving us when he did, James for being abjectly terrible at his job and causing us to lose football matches.  
 
One of the two feels intimidated walking into Anfield for fear of abuse, the other would probably get a standing ovation if he turned out for one of those Liverpool Legends games.
 
More recently, the reverse is somehow true. It seems a player can force his way out in the most egregious manner and still be remembered fondly. His recent roasting at Anfield aside, the esteem in which Luis Suarez is held absolutely staggers me. Carra mentioned this too. Some of my best mates have him in all-time Liverpool five-a-side teams. I can’t scream this loud enough, but to Hell with Luis Suarez. 
 
This bloke went on strike to force a move to Arsenal (to Arsenal), bit opponents and racially abused others. Our reputation is yet to fully recover from our association with that ‘loveable little scamp,’ as evidenced by the recent, long overdue apology to Evra and the coverage it received. I feel ashamed for supporting him at the time. 
 
Between Owen and Suarez, which is the club annually falling over itself to wish a happy birthday? Here’s a clue: It’s not the one who ran himself into utter physical degradation before his mid-20s, while wearing the red shirt. Nor is it the one who won a Ballon D’Or in the same year he helped us to a cup treble. 
 
Owen’s contribution to the modern history of Liverpool far eclipses Suarez’s season or so of giving a damn. Even Stan Collymore enjoys a higher standing than Michael Owen among some Liverpool fans on social media. Seriously.

 

 

 

Even the aversion to Fernando Torres has faded these days. Everyone seems alright with him again with the club often commemorating his contribution more and more often. I promised myself I’d never love another footballer again after he went to Chelsea; then Klopp’s lads came along and now I’m besotted with the lot of them, but that’s beside the point.
 
Speaking of Chelsea, remember when Steven Gerrard tried to force a move there? If Gerrard’s explanation for how that situation came to pass (Papa Rafa didn’t show him enough love, etc.) is understood then why can’t Michael’s reasons for heading to Real Madrid, when all along his plan was to just “do a Rushie” and come back after a year? The answer’s rhetorical, if we’re honest with ourselves. 
 
After developing an Alan Shearer-like reputation for bland, guarded interviews during his playing career, Michael has been an open book since his retirement. Especially regarding his injuries and his self-professed rapid decline. We’ve had a window into Owen the person. Maybe that’s what has me warming to him again? The fact that, away from his horses, his millions and his media career, he’s a guy with insecurities, with regrets, with fears and apprehension. It’s a great leveller. 
 
I don’t know how the current impasse changes. Maybe it starts with the club affording him the same respect it does to other, less deserving folks, through its constant content output? If they can get off Suarez’s lap for five minutes that is. For all their talk about the “LFC family” they aren’t half choosy about who is treated as such. 
 
People shouldn’t need reminding just how good Michael Owen was, but if that’s what needs to happen, it should. There’s no reason for this continued antipathy or, perhaps even worse, utter apathy. 
 
That might be the hardest thing about this for Owen. Right now, he doesn’t matter. He’s not loved, nor particularly hated. Just irrelevant. Some will say that’s his punishment. After listening to his side of the story, I’d counter by saying, “for what exactly?”
 
Carragher brutally pointed out that, while he finished his career with a guard of honour and a Kop mosaic, Michael went out coming off the bench for Tony Pulis’ Stoke. Wasn’t that punishment enough? 
 
Enough is enough. It’s time to recognise Michael Owen’s contribution for what it was. On the stat sheets, to the numbers on that increasingly-active “Wall of Champions” and in our mind’s eye. 
 
“One-nil down, two-one up, Michael Owen won the cup.” Remember that? 
 
Like many others, the story isn’t straight forward. There are complications. But Michael Owen is unquestionably a Liverpool great and deserves to be spoken of as such. It’s time to end the story in the right way. 

 

Chris Smith

@ByChrisSmith

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Loved him when he was here. One of our greatest goal scorers. 

 

Lied about his contract and ran it down. 

 

Joined that shower of cunts and to this day refers to them as "we"

 

That brochure. Jesus. 

 

No need for anyone to abuse him but fuck him. He had his glory days with us and I'll always cherish his goals but he's done nothing to endear himself to us since. We owe him nothing. 

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36 minutes ago, aws said:

Can't agree with this Chris. I'm not going over the kangaroo court stuff again nor entering into a racism argument again but I do think it's culturally imperialistic for English speakers to set down rules for what or what isn't acceptable in other cultures and languages. Context is everything and surprisingly enough other cultures have different contexts. Suarez is a bit of a twat though. Not as big a twat as Evra mind. 

 

Other than than that I enjoyed the article and I agree it's time to bury hatchets and treat him with the respect shown to our other greats. He made his decisions and most of them were wrong but he's paid for that. 

 

I just wish he'd stop referring to the Mancs as "we". Football is tribal and while it is possible to have respect for other tribes you can only belong in one. 

Thanks for a good answer. This thread is about Owen. No need to turn it into a futile new Suarez/racism debate. Those of us who acutally read the stuff coming from FA back then, we all pretty much know the truth behind that story.

 

Owen then? He looked after himself and his own career. That's fair enough isn't it? It's football. I don't bear a grudge, neither do I love him. I thank him for the memories and what he did for us while he was here. No need for a hate campaign.

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

I liked winning the CL in 2005. 

You just know Owen was gutted that night. He would have celebrated but inside he would have wanted us to lose I think. Not because he doesn’t ‘support’ us but because it is always about ‘brand Owen’ 

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6 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

You just know Owen was gutted that night. He would have celebrated but inside he would have wanted us to lose I think. Not because he doesn’t ‘support’ us but because it is always about ‘brand Owen’ 

I care about Owen as much as I care about Suarez and McManaman.

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Brilliant interview from Carra, that. Probably one of the best hours I've spent listening to a podcast. 

 

I thought Owen came off quite genuine in terms of being regretful of how things turned out with Liverpool, but there's still some issues that were slightly glossed over, which is understandable given this could easily have become a 3 hour pod otherwise.

 

For instance, Carra let him off the hook a bit with Owen running his contract down at Liverpool. He pressed him a little bit when Owen placed the blame on his agent being on a long-term sabbatical as the reason why the contract never got signed. But I just don't buy Owen's version of events on this. I think he wanted to position himself so that, if a Madrid or whoever came sniffing around, that he'd available below market value in order to sweeten the deal and get his move. 

 

I don't have any problem with him leaving. At the time, the club had dropped away a little bit and were facing another rebuilding job under a new manager. My issue is that the club got completely fucked on this. In 2004 he was probably worth 25 million given what the likes of Cisse, Drogba and Rooney were moving for at the same time. Whether Madrid would have wanted him at that price is doubtful given they had Ronaldo, Raul and Morientes already, and I think Owen and his agent knew that he'd only get his move if he was under his true market value, which he was given he only had 12 months left on his deal. 

 

In fairness Parry and Moores were also thick enough to let him and his agent fuck about for 18 months. They deserve a lot of the blame for what happened. Fast forward to today, can you imagine John Henry or Mike Gordon being taken advantage of like Parry and Moores were? Players only leave Liverpool now on our terms or if we don't really give a fuck such as Can, Moreno and Sturridge. 

 

All this being said, I would have loved to have resigned him in 2005 and even in 2009 given he was free and happy to play a sub's role. I can't get my head around why Rafa didn't resign him given we didn't have great options off the bench in that period. 

 

One more thing; on the pod Owen made out like he had to make his choice between United, Everton or Hull. Given the enormity of what he was about to do to his legacy at Liverpool, I'm surprised he didn't want to take his time and think about things, maybe reach out to some other clubs again, prior to signing for United. He has quotes from 2009 whereby he states that he signed immediately basically without even blinking:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/jul/03/michael-owen-manchester-united-transfer

 

I believe him when he says that Liverpool is his club, but I just cannot for the life of me imagine Gerrard, Fowler, Carra etc behaving the same if faced with the same situation. 

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I listened to the podcast the other night and couldn’t help feel for him, but the whole way through I also thought “you made your choices” as he said himself.

 

i sang “where were you in Istanbul” as loudly as anyone on the kop that day, and seeing him in a united shirt made me sad, but I didn’t hate him for it. I felt no emotion towards him by then.

 

i feel for the lad because his career dwindled away from an early age.

 

but I don’t buy his “I only ever wanted to do a Rushie” line. I think that’s bollocks.

 

if he’d forced his way into that team and had success there I doubt he’d have ever looked back.

 

it didn’t work out for him, so I feel for him when he says his family was unhappy - cause who doesn’t want their family to be happy - but it’s only because it didn’t work that he wanted to come back.

 

after that, he didn’t get to come back here and he couldn’t do anything about it. I don’t doubt he wishes he could’ve, but that’s on him. Not me. Not us.

 

he got a choice of hull, Everton or the mancs and so chose the best option for him. Fine. That’s on him. Not me. Not us.

 

he isn’t loved by us. Well so be it. 
 

he could’ve been, if he’d stayed. He didn’t. 
 

I’ll never boo him. I’ll never give him abuse. If he was stood in front of me now I might shake his hand. But I’ll never really give a fuck about him because he chose to leave and that’s on him.
 

Not me.

 

Not us.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Bob Spunkmouse said:

but I don’t buy his “I only ever wanted to do a Rushie” line. I think that’s bollocks.

 

if he’d forced his way into that team and had success there I doubt he’d have ever looked back.

 

100% agree. That's embarrassing revisionism from Owen, that. 

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1 hour ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

I care about Owen as much as I care about Suarez and McManaman.

Macca left and won 2 European Cups, scoring in a final. You can't blame him for wanting to capitalise on his talent at a time when our club was all over the place. His commentary can grate but I don't get the ill feeling towards McManaman at all. 

 

Suarez was a cunt but he was our cunt. The Arsenal stuff pissed me off but what allegiance did he have to us? Plus he was working under a twat of a manager and probably had a complete twat of an agent in his ear. 

 

Owen knew full fucking well what he was doing going to Man Utd and referring to them as "we".... fuck off and wank your horses off. Thanks for the memories in Red but thats all they are now. 

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Regarding the 'wanted to do a Rushy' I don't think he's lying but equally he's not being entirely truthful either.

 

I have no doubt he had it in his head that if it didn't work out he'd just come back the way Rushy did (he even said this to Parry when he left) but I don't think he went there expecting to fail and come back after a year. 

 

We were a fallback option, not part of a calculated plan.

 

Unfortunately for him circumstances would keep conspiring against him every time he tried to get back here.

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28 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Macca left and won 2 European Cups, scoring in a final. You can't blame him for wanting to capitalise on his talent at a time when our club was all over the place. His commentary can grate but I don't get the ill feeling towards McManaman at all. 

 

Suarez was a cunt but he was our cunt. The Arsenal stuff pissed me off but what allegiance did he have to us? Plus he was working under a twat of a manager and probably had a complete twat of an agent in his ear. 

 

Owen knew full fucking well what he was doing going to Man Utd and referring to them as "we".... fuck off and wank your horses off. Thanks for the memories in Red but thats all they are now. 

I knew McManaman, I never liked McManaman. He was worth £12m when he left, a big sum then, we got nowt.

 

Suarez can fuck off because of Barcelona last year the snivelling shithouse, we were his ex club, he could have shown some restraint, our cunt or not.

 

Owen got his by missing out on the CL. Then the Manc thing finished him for me. And a few others.

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21 minutes ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

I knew McManaman, I never liked McManaman. He was worth £12m when he left, a big sum then, we got nowt.

 

Suarez can fuck off because of Barcelona last year the snivelling shithouse, we were his ex club, he could have shown some restraint, our cunt or not.

 

Owen got his by missing out on the CL. Then the Manc thing finished him for me. And a few others.

 

As far as I can remember with McManaman, it was us who tried shopping him to Barcelona the previous year. That's when he got the fuck'ems. I'm no lover of him these days, but let's at least get the facts straight. 

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1 minute ago, Chris said:

 

As far as I can remember with McManaman, it was us who tried shopping him to Barcelona the previous year. That's when he got the fuck'ems. I'm no lover of him these days, but let's at least get the facts straight. 

We tried to sell him because he was running his contract down, and he did. Fact.

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6 hours ago, Chris said:

 

Nah, it's time people for their heads out of the sand on that front. He did it. He was found guilty of doing it. Evra didn't handle it greatly, but as a society we've kinda moved past people telling minorities who feel they've been abused that the particular word, or the expression "my little black friend" isn't racist or wasn't meant in a certain context. 

 

How some people can continue to support him is beyond me. 

Does Dave U agree with you because he has spent so much time and has written so many articles stating the opposite ?

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Just now, Arnaud said:

Does Dave U agree with you because he has spent so much time and has written so many articles stating the opposite ?

 

Nah, Dave and I diverge massively on this. 

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I was just thinking something along the same lines as Dave: He probably hoped his time at Real Madrid would have gone on longer but wanted the door to remain open at Liverpool.

 

I genuinely think he would never have gone to Man Utd if his relationship with our fans wasn't so bad but he fucked up there - he should have been thinking long term. He just grew further and further away from the fans but when I listen to him now on panels, etc, he doesn't sound like a single minded footballer anymore but a genuine fan, like any of us.

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4 minutes ago, Chris said:

 

Nah, Dave and I diverge massively on this. 

Evra is French, a French cunt. How do you say pléonasme in Scouser ? 

 

Back to the issue, Owen sounds too artificial. 

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"Wanting to do a Rushy" ???

 

Rushy reluctantly left for a world record fee, Owen deliberately ran his deal down and his fee down before fucking sprinting to Madrid.

 

That traitor isn't worthy of being spoken of in the same breath as The Great Ian Rush.

 

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1 hour ago, Bjornebye said:

Macca left and won 2 European Cups, scoring in a final. You can't blame him for wanting to capitalise on his talent at a time when our club was all over the place. His commentary can grate but I don't get the ill feeling towards McManaman at all. 

This, plus McManaman utterly threw himself into life at Madrid.

He was one their stars before they went into Galactico mode; when the club changed he reinvented himself; when he didn’t make the World Cup squad in 2002 you had some of the world’s best players making incredulous statements about it to the media; when he started getting squeezed out of the side he buckled down and fought for his place rather than immediately quit.

Above all, McManaman left Anfield for something new and completely embraced that something new. Fair do’s, it’s just a shame that we didn’t get the cash we might have wanted for him - although Fowler’s (first) autobiography makes the case that the club messed him about - I don’t think that Owen was ever in any doubt that the club wanted him to stay and they spent a lot of time and effort trying to make that happen. 

I can’t hate Owen for failing to embrace or succeed in Spain, but there’s a large chunk of schadenfreude after he thought he was bigger than Liverpool only to find that leaving was the beginning of the end of his career. 

 

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6 hours ago, Chris said:

 

Nice one, Andrew. Miss you dude.

Traitor. You chose to fuckoff to bigger and better things. You left us high and dry. It's all about brand Chris Smith. 

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56 minutes ago, rb14 said:

Traitor. You chose to fuckoff to bigger and better things. You left us high and dry. It's all about brand Chris Smith. 

 

Dave was cold to me. If I'd had some Rog' warmth it might have been a different story. Ergo, I blame you.

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2 hours ago, rb14 said:

Traitor. You chose to fuckoff to bigger and better things. You left us high and dry. It's all about brand Chris Smith. 

Billy Big Bollocks thought he was too good for us. 

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