smithdown

4-4-3? I like it.

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Play him in Crouch's shirt.

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Petrol for Saudi Heroin for Iran

Being in the wrong thread at the wrong time and having nothing of value to add but chipping in anyway: Allardicio:

But if we get Owen it WILL be for less than others are prepared to pay for him. Rafa will table his bid and has a limit. If the price goes beyond that limit which it almost certainly will then its Michael's reaction that will dictate things. The 12m discussed for the likes of Defoe is the maximum it will go to in his case, I'd expect, although I think thats far too high for him. Bent shouldn't cost a fraction of that 12m IMO. So yes, Owen is the preferred option - I can't even contemplate Bellamy in a Red shirt, fwiw (maybe the rumours are a smokescreen or veiled threat to Owen that he's not the only option so don't get too clever with us now). The 'Anfield Red' in his heart had better start showing as the agents are taking the phone calls otherwise as we will most certainly NOT be the highest bidder, as we weren't last summer. If he was artful enough to get the clauses relating to us in his contract that were rumoured all season then fine, he'll have signed before the WC begins. If a bidding war begins then we'll know he isn't coming and thats not down to Parry or Rafa or Shepherd or the agents or the Ingerlund team or the papers or his missus or Koppites shouting to put him off his game in a crucual home game - its all up to Michael what happens next. He should be looking forward to his first hat-trick in a Liverpool shirt and thinking about the reaction he'll get off The Kop on that sunny afternoon.

Good question - sorry for stepping in Will - but Newcastle supporters should target their disappointment at their board if such a thing happened. If there IS the clause about him getting out of there then it shows what a stupid bit of business it was on their part in the first place. In the same way, if we splashed all our tranfer funds on Owen (ie paid substantially more than 12m for him in an auction) and then he broke his foot playing for us then we'd be the ones looking like amateurs, but at least we'd have a more secure long term deal with the lad for it all to come good. The Newcastle deal last year was almost on a par with Spurs giving Poyet a four year contract at the age of 33 or whatever it was. They gambled on having one big season out of him and hoping to persuade him to stay afterwards. So far it looks like they've lost the bet.

Obviously there is some negativity, witness the Newcastle game at Anfield. But don't think there's no negativity towards him at OT or Highbury either - he's not respected as a Henry or Keane type at either club, ie universally accepted as a 'great' - where he is called a diving little Welsh barstad and an overrated speed merchant respectively, and as you say he could just as easily turn out for either of them depending on how things go this summer. But its hard for many people to get caught up in the idea that HE dreams of pulling on a Red shirt again. Of all the top four clubs he could go to he will be welcomed by Liverpool fans (incuding me, should Rafa deem it to be a worthwhile transfer) with a genuine appreciation of his talents and a belief that he will have something to prove after so long out of the limelight. I'm just concerned that many of us will begin to believe the spin while a prolonged transfer auction goes on and criticism will be levelled at the club if it doesn't come off. He's got what he wanted before and could do so again. If he WANTS to join Rafa he has it in his power to make it happen - and I'm not having it anymore that its his agents who are in control, if that was the case previously then he should be having strong words as the season ends. If he goes to chelsea and says he has no choice as Newcastle will ony sell to the highest bidder then we can wash our hands of him and just remember his goals. He'll get more than his fair share of stick at games in a CFC, MUFC or AFC shirt, but its hardly on a par with "feck off whiteside" abuse, lets be fair. Its this idea that it might be down to LFC being unambitious or the supporters being critical of his previous transfers that might stand in the way of his possible signing that gets me narked. There's no doubt we will be in for him (again). We can't and won't match bids from other clubs, thats obvious also. If he is in a Red shirt again I'll be made up, really, as he'll have chosen to come back when other offers were available to him. If he CHOOSES not to come then we all know where we stand, no? Thats why I say in the previous post, its up to Michael Owen what happens next, not us.

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It made its first appearance as a nasty gash when we played Genoa away in 92 (?). He was doing a spot of punditry but nobody including the interviewer took the slightest bit of notice of what he said, just stared at this big slice in his forehead. KYFWS!

Heh! Some journo will have to remind him of those quotes sooner or later. Maybe Wenger didnt see em when they appeared last summer?

'ckinell Floyd with just that one post with a picture of that flag you've got me grinning that I am out of the country, and specifically the south for this WC. Cheers mate, that might be the only one I have to see this summer! Is right :dynamite: I hate to say it but he could be good value this lad. I give it six weeks.

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I don't think calling him injury-prone is fair. He's got a broken foot after all. There is a huge element of him wanting his cakey and eating it though and all in Michael's world seems to see him as an innocent pawn in someone else's wicked game, but I think we all know the lad is far shrewder than that. He sat out his contract with the knowledge that his price was dropping by the week and then found that he wasn't treated as quite the hot property that he'd been promised he would be once at Madrid. But then thats Real all over and he'd have been star striker at any other club he'd joined. He gambled and he lost (not financially of course bt in terms of minutes on the park and his worldwide reputation). Thats probably why the WC is all he has thought about since. Thats where he made his name internationally and he expects or hopes to do the same. He expected a season of fitness training and tuning up at Newcastle - hardly fair on their fans either but then Shepherd and Souness were only after headlines and a quick fix for them too. For him or anyone connected with him to cry bitter tears about his treatment at Anfield is embarrassing though - he was their most dangerous player, it was a big tense game, everyone genuinely expected him to make his mark on the game with a goal don' forget, and all anyone ever does is abuse the oppo's main threat. The songs just came easier that day cos of what he'd done. However, the key question for me is: does Rafa still rate him - and his attitude to The Reds? If he wants him back here and is prepared to pay 10m plus then its the manager's judgement I'll back, not a sentimental feeling for Michael in the same way as when Robbie signed and we all turned into big soft kids for a day or two. Michael is a big game player and puts them in the back of the net. If Rafa likes his attitude then thats that but I can't see him paying substantially more than he sold him for as a matter of principle. Lets not be too surprised if Owen has a great WC and grins his way through an auction for his services. If Rafa joins the bidding at 10m plus then he's not quite the fella I think he is. If Owen comes back to us then the deal will most likely have to be done, and I mean done and not just talked about, beforehand. Time for Michael to p*ss or get off the pot.

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The way I heard it was just as Benitez said, they thought it'd look nice and a bit more continental.

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Simulation from red mist. Straight red for you both, Benitez!!! Looked like it, maybe even no yellows from some refs. Just seemed the ref felt he had to do something cos there was some wading in.