Owen Off to United: Blunder or Brilliance from Ferguson?

    With Newcastle relegated on the final day of last year's Premier League, and Michael Owen's monstrous contract having finally run out, the speculation began over where the injury-riddled forward would continue his career. Having rejected an offer of a renewed contract from the club in January, it was always likely he was looking to leave. However with the continual downward spiral of Newcastle United, both on the pitch and off, meant that the debt-devastated club, still up for sale by owner Mike Ashley, are facing a mass exodus of players when they start next season in the Championship. Reports linked Owen with Prem sides Stoke and Hull, amidst reports of his agents having sent out an extensive brochure about the player to many Premier League and foreign sides. So naturally, it was a shock to all when on 3 July it was announced by Manchester United that they had signed Owen on a two year deal. Some pundits, like Martin Tyler and Graeme Souness, praised the move and backed Owen to find his form of old, reminiscent of his time at Liverpool. Many were incredulous, as Owen's injury problems have been well-documented. Although he scored 26 goals in only 71 appearances for the Magpies, the fact remains that from 2005-2009 he only made 71 appearances for a club that competes annually in at least three competitions (Prem,FA Cup,League Cup). His talent during his time at Liverpool and Real Madrid is clearly evident, and he has scored a massive 40 goals for England while recording 89 appearances for his country. However England manager Fabio Capello has been reluctant to pick Owen due to lack of match fitness so far during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

     So what should fans make of Fergie's gamble? Although Owen may not be in his prime, he still has a lot of talent, and is a proven goalscorer both at club and international level. Many predict that he won't start, with stalwart Wayne Rooney and Bulgarian superstar Dimitar Berbatov slated in front of him. But there will be plenty of opportunities for Owen to prove himself during United's rigorous campaign, and due to Berbatov's sometimes shaky form he could find himself starting at some point. After the departure of Carlos Tevez, Ferguson wanted to buy a proven striker so as to give the club three starting-quality front men. As we have seen in the past, Ferguson prefers to splash the cash rather than blood the youngsters, as we've seen clubs like Arsenal (Vela,Bendtner,Walcott), Everton (Rodwell,Gosling), and Aston Villa (Agbonlahor), do. Then again, these clubs are not as rich as United, and haven't had the success United have (debate on a salary cap?thats for another article). Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda, aged 18 and 17 respectively, both showed signs of promise for their futures, but it appears they'll have to wait their turn to show Ferguson what they can do with really meaningful playing time; for now, rare substitute appearances and competitions like the League Cup will have to sustain them. Although it may not work out, it actually is a good move by Ferguson. If Owen doesn't end up doing well, theres not much lost other than some media ridicule. If it does, he has plucked a player from the supposed scrapheap, for free, and added him to an already star-studded squad in search of even more trophies. The coming season will tell us all we need to know.

-Andrew McCarten