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

[Chris 526]

23 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

She lives in the UK now, has done for 45 years. But in the first year or two, when she was relatively young, yes, possibly. She wouldn't have known why it wouldn't be appropriate. It would have been no different to her referring to the colour of someone's hair. 

 

It's worth noting that, and this obviously is only generally speaking, South Americans, and people from Spain, and probably most of Southern Europe, are considerably more direct when speaking. My point is that it isn't just colour of skin that isn't deemed taboo/rude/much worse to refer to. It's obviously considerably less serious, but nevertheless deemed quite rude in the UK and other parts of Northern Europe, to refer to someone's weight. Yet, calling someone fat, or skinny, is perfectly normal in South American or Spain. In fact, these are often nicknames. People will refer to their partner as gordo/gordito. 

 

A friend of my girlfriend's is actually known as Negro. Simply because he's a very dark skinned caucasian.

 

For me, Suarez was guilty of ignorance. Something that a not inconsiderable number of Brits abroad could be accused of. In the "heat of battle" the chances of this ignorance being displayed almost certainly increases. I wouldn't have had a problem with him being punished. Raising awareness of what is and isn't acceptable culturally here, whilst taking into account what is and isn't acceptable in his own culture, would have been a good thing. But seeing the fucking Daily Mail and that rag, two consistently, institutionally, hatefully, racist publications labelling him a racist was absurd and disgraceful.

 

For me, racism is about power. It's for this reason that I find a panel of white, British, middle aged, rich men, that have almost certainly benefited historically from slavery, determining whether or not a young Uruguayan footballer said something racist, quite galling.

 

 

You make your points really well and convincingly. I guess what it comes down to is whether you believe his only crime is ignorance. I struggle with that given his career-long habit of using every possible despicable means of gaining an advantage on an opponent and have that as my frame of reference. Not a part of me thinks he's above that kind of malice. 

 

[RobbieOR 1,511]

On 11/02/2020 at 00:08, RedKnight said:

We're great and about to win the league. I've got no room in my heart to hate Michael Owen.

 

This is where I stand on this. 

[Remmie 5,634]

I'm a sentimental mug and would be no good making decisions about former players. I still have love for Owen, Torres, Suarez and Coutinho and wanted them back. For some reason I've almost forgotten Mascherano played for us, all I really remember is the song.

[JustTosh 337]

34 minutes ago, Chris said:

 

You make your points really well and convincingly. I guess what it comes down to is whether you believe his only crime is ignorance. I struggle with that given his career-long habit of using every possible despicable means of gaining an advantage on an opponent and have that as my frame of reference. Not a part of me thinks he's above that kind of malice. 

 

If you want to judge the Evra/Sarez incident and take as evidence  "..his career-long habit of using ....etc " I guess that's up to you.

 

You could, if you wanted to, read the FA verdict, although it's proably pointless as you've already made upp ypur mind.

 

There are several posteres on here who actually did read the kangaroo stuff from FA. To us you look mostly like a prejudiced tit. A pity as you views regarding Owen are sound.

[Chris 526]

1 minute ago, JustTosh said:

If you want to judge the Evra/Sarez incident and take as evidence  "..his career-long habit of using ....etc " I guess that's up to you.

 

You could, if you wanted to, read the FA verdict, although it's proably pointless as you've already made upp ypur mind.

 

There are several posteres on here who actually did read the kangaroo stuff from FA. To us you look mostly like a prejudiced tit. A pity as you views regarding Owen are sound.

 

Did read it. Backed him to the hilt at the time. Have realised I was wrong to since.

[Jennings 3,278]

His own analogy was that he went off to have an affair.

 

And it wasn't just the FACT that he did it, it was the WAY he did it.

 

 

BTW - I don't hate him. I just don't hold him in the esteem that I hold Carra et al.

 

 

[Remmie 5,634]

29 minutes ago, Chris said:

 

Did read it. Backed him to the hilt at the time. Have realised I was wrong to since.

I also backed him to the hilt and felt his explanation about the word Negrito did explain things, believed him 100% until he bit Chiellini was it in the world cup and came out with some bollocks about his teeth falling on him. It's not now that I believe Evra or Suarez, but his version of events certainly can't be trusted any more.

[kemskem 149]

24 minutes ago, Jennings said:

His own analogy was that he went off to have an affair.

 

And it wasn't just the FACT that he did it, it was the WAY he did it.

 

 

BTW - I don't hate him. I just don't hold him in the esteem that I hold Carra et al.

 

 

Yeah, I don't expect people to love him but not treating him with the same respect afforded to other great players who have played for us just seems a bit small time to me. And I'm disappointed with whoever it was at the club who decided to make an exception and blank him on his birthday.

[johnsusername 2,240]

The official LFC Twitter wishing Suarez a happy birthday was absolutely fucking cringe worthy. 

 

Got no problems with Owen personally. He was a great player for us and helped win us trophies. Don't really care that he played for Man Utd. I do think he's got a bit of a strange personality though - probably cos he's from the wrong side of the river. 

 

[deiseach 3,105]

20 minutes ago, johnsusername said:

The official LFC Twitter wishing Suarez a happy birthday was absolutely fucking cringe worthy. 

 

Got no problems with Owen personally. He was a great player for us and helped win us trophies. Don't really care that he played for Man Utd. I do think he's got a bit of a strange personality though - probably cos he's from the wrong side of the river. 

 

"The little Welsh twat" as a lad I used to work with always called him. And this was from a Liverpool season ticket holder when Owen was scoring goals for fun!

[VERBAL DIARRHEA 8,021]

On 10/02/2020 at 20:44, deiseach said:

Don't worry, queen. We all knew already.

 

 

 

[Karl_b 1,565]

5 hours ago, The Guest said:

Why does he need to apply it to his own life?  Owen was a multi millionaire and made a decision to join a football club who’s fans sing about the deaths of “his” teams fans along with all the other shite they get up to every week.  This is not like working for Tesco and then leaving to work for Sainsbury’s and shouldn’t be treated as such.  I can’t believe people come out with this shite.  This is not some mercenary or foreign player who doesn’t understand this.  He literally grew up at the club and witnessed it himself.  He can go there if he wants but don’t expect people to treat you like Gerrard, Carra or God.

 

He’s not remorseful about going there either.  He’s remorseful about fucking up his legend status by going to Real Madrid and failing whilst we won the European Cup on the greatest night in the clubs history.

 

After making all these decisions which he was completely entitled to make he now wants everyone to love him as well because he wants back in to the boys club at Anfield.  Well he can fuck off.  

 

Well for one it might give some sort of perspective and empathy towards his situation.

 

I'm not 100% on Owen's side here, but I can't understand the vitriol being thrown at people who think that perhaps he deserves some understanding and sympathy. 

[No2 941]

10 minutes ago, Karl_b said:

I'm not 100% on Owen's side here, but I can't understand the vitriol being thrown at people who think that perhaps he deserves some understanding and sympathy. 

He can have that, what he can't have is what he wants and what he will never have because his own actions.

[JustTosh 337]

6 hours ago, The Guest said:

Why does he need to apply it to his own life?  Owen was a multi millionaire and made a decision to join a football club who’s fans sing about the deaths of “his” teams fans along with all the other shite they get up to every week.

Sums it up really.

 

He refers to them as "us". He can't do that and be "one of us", if that made any sense.

 

[Arnaud 645]

11 hours ago, Karl_b said:

Apply Owen's situation to your own life. Would you turn down a job on more money, with better prospects in the right area of the country where your family would be happy for a crappy one, just because that company had a rivalry with one you used to work for? We might not like it and we might expect every single footballer to think with their hearts but that's completely unrealistic. 

 

I don't hate Owen. He left in poor circumstances and he made poor choices subsequently but he seems genuinely remorseful and was responsible for some of my best memories of supporting the club.

 

I also echo the point about his punditry, he seems like an intelligent fella with good insight and he should show it more.

I see what you mean but these people earn so much money you cannot compare to real people like us.

I really feel he’s trying to impose his truth. He fucked up totally, he made the wrong choices like 3 or 4 times on a row, his carrer peaked at 21 in 2011. That’s sad but he’s the only one to blame. Pretending to be as big a red as Carr’s is funny, so ridiculous to be true.

 

The only red in fifty years to join the mancs. Sad. Miserable. Pitoyable. 

 

 

[Marcas 54]

All of the Carra pods were brill (loved Merson’s), but this one was...odd. I can’t forget the sight of him in a Utd shirt, or the fact he fucked off to Real (Question: would we have won number 5 had he stuck with us? Who knows). But at the end of the day he was fucking brilliant for us and the numbers on the wall of Champions would fairly different but for him. So yeah, odd feelings on this one. I can’t say I hate any ex players....except that cunt Diouf of course, I’d have that fucker on the back of the truck in a heartbeat! 

[polymerpunkah 1,030]

Did Carragher ask him if he considered re-signing with Newcastle? Given that they'd just been relegated, and he'd taken them for 23 million pounds while scoring 30 goals for them over 4 seasons?

 

An unrealistic expectation, perhaps, but no more unrealistic than expecting Liverpool supporters to welcome him back with open arms after he signed with fucking United.

[TheHowieLama 10,887]

To answer the OP -- no it isn't.

[elBooth 66]

Seen Dave mention the podcast in his weekly roundup and thought I'd give it a listen and then the OP posted this a day or so later so definitely thought i'd give it a go.  At the end of it all he couldn't give a straight answer to why he didn't sign a new contract before 2004 (Sabbatical bollocks) and then couldn't give a straight answer to why he didn't just say no to Newcastle (despite saying he knew Real wanted to sign Ramos with the cash). 

 

Think i'll stay well away from the Suarez racism debate though.

[Bjornebye 25,740]

How can I listen to this fucking thing then? 

[Captain Turdseye 12,093]

Just now, Bjornebye said:

How can I listen to this fucking thing then? 

You’ve got Spotify, haven’t you? Just search for Jamie Carragher on there. 

[Tony Moanero 14,287]

I’ve not listened to this and have no intention of doing so. However, from what I’ve read, it would seem that Owen just repeated the stuff he said in his interview for Simon Hughes’ book, Ring Of Fire.

 

I was disappointed when he left in 2004, but didn’t really begrudge him, as a professional footballer, wanting to test himself at Real Madrid. I wanted us to resign him in 2005 and was disappointed when it didn’t happened. I was past caring by the time he signed for Manchester United. The 2001 cup

final was fantastic.

[Anubis 17,475]

Trying to equate Owen with Suarez is nonsense. Suarez never came up through the ranks and he was never considered one of us in the way that Owen was.

 

As an aside, he isn’t a racist (I’ll leave AoT to reiterate all the nonsense and stupidity by the club that allowed Evra off the hook) and I didn’t recall him going on strike to get a move to Arsenal. He made no secret of wanting to move but as a punishment he was made to train by himself, and once the business end started he was fucking phenomenal in the effort he put in which nearly propelled us to the league. He is a bit bitey though, I’ll give you that.

 

Owen on the other hand did come up through the system, was considered one of us, but never courted the adoration he seems now to want, clearly preferring England. I could understand him going to Newcastle given we wouldn’t cough up the money, but United?

 

That said I’ve mellowed towards him these days so I’m not that arsed one way or the other. He’s just there.

[Bjornebye 25,740]

1 hour ago, Captain Turdseye said:

You’ve got Spotify, haven’t you? Just search for Jamie Carragher on there. 

Nice one 

[Leyton388 1,313]

About as welcome as a fart in a lift.