Showing posts with label Michael Owen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Owen. Show all posts
Time means nothing at Manchester United
What's the difference between an Owen goal and an own goal?
An Owen goal is the one scored by striker Michael Owen in the sixth minute of injury time to give Manchester United a 4-3 victory at its Old Trafford home over rival Manchester City in a dramatic and controversial English Premier League game.
An own goal is the one allowed by referee Martin Atkinson, who ignored the minimum four minutes of injury time that had been signaled by his assistant and allowed play to continue for more than 5 1/2 minutes or, as one commentator put it, until Manchester United won.
Manchester City Coach Mark Hughes, a former United player, said his team had been "robbed."
Manchester United Coach Alex Ferguson rubbed salt in the wound by saying, "We have a neighbor and sometimes neighbors are noisy, but what can you do?"
British bookmakers claimed to have lost a million or more on Owen's last-gasp game-winner. As one said, somewhat ruefully: "We can only suppose that time passes more slowly at Old Trafford than anywhere else in the universe."
Owen goal is Ferguson answer to noisy neighbors
LONDON — With Cristiano Ronaldo scoring freely for Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez embarrassing Manchester United's goalkeeper, the soccer world must have wondered whether Alex Ferguson had blundered by letting the two stars leave Old Trafford.But when Michael Owen scored the winner in the sixth minute of injury time in a 4-3 home victory over neighbor Manchester City on Sunday, Ferguson had his answer ready.
No matter that he had sold the Portuguese star who contributed 66 goals to United's three Premier League titles. He had even sold Ronaldo to Real Madrid, one of the club's biggest rivals in the Champions League.
Who cares that he let Argentina striker Tevez go to the ambitious and super-wealthy team from the other side of Manchester? Tevez dispossessed goalkeeper Ben Foster to set up City's first goal but Fergie needn't have worried.
At the end of the game, the 67-year-old Scot was dancing a jig of delight after a victory which was typical of United and pure Ferguson.
Although his team lost the lead three times in a thriller, a striker he signed for nothing struck the winner against a City side on which $194 million had been lavished during the offseason.
While Ferguson hugged his players, Owen's goal had City manager Mark Hughes fuming at the amount of time the referee had added on.
It was as if the winner was destined to come from Owen, someone who had lost his way after injuries and transfers, was repeatedly ignored by England coach Fabio Capello and was considered a major gamble by Ferguson.
The fact that he scored such a dramatic late winner against City justified that gamble as far as the United fans were concerned. The goal represented yet another victory for the United manager who has led the club to 11 Premier League titles in 17 years and 25 trophies in his 23 years at Old Trafford.
Ferguson has made plenty of mistakes, such as expensive signings who failed to deliver and selling stars who did little at Old Trafford but did well elsewhere. He famously fell out with the likes of David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gordon Strachan and Jaap Stam who all left the club sooner than they expected.
But he has a knack of getting under the skin of his rivals and Hughes, who played under Ferguson from 1988-95, follows a long line of managers who have been outthought by the cunning Scot.
At the start of the season, when City was stockpiling stars and spending the huge wealth of its Abu Dhabi owner, Ferguson took some of the pressure off his own team by saying his neighbor was getting most of the attention.
He effectively put more pressure on City by building the level of expectation at a club which has not won the league title since 1968.
Before Sunday's game, Ferguson accused City of being cocky and arrogant in flaunting its capture of Tevez and, after the victory, he was crowing that his side had beaten its "noisy neighbor".
"There has been a lot of expectation on Manchester City and with the spending they have done they have to win something," Ferguson said. "Sometimes you have a noisy neighbor and have to live with it.
"You can't do anything about them if they keep on making noise but what we can do, as we showed today, is you can get on with your life, put your television on and turn it up a bit louder."
As far as Man City is concerned, United has been its noisy neighbor for around 40 years and, with Ferguson in charge, shows no sign of turning down the volume.
"As far as the players are concerned, they showed their playing power," Ferguson said. "And that's the best answer of all."
Owen: Derby goal proves my United credentials
Michael Owen believes he proved his dedication to Manchester United with his dramatic last-gasp winner against Manchester City at Old Trafford.
Owen spent eight years playing for United's bitter rivals Liverpool but Sir Alex Ferguson signed him this summer - and the 29-year-old scored his second goal for the club to seal a 4-3 win deep in stoppage-time against City.
Owen spent eight years playing for United's bitter rivals Liverpool but Sir Alex Ferguson signed him this summer - and the 29-year-old scored his second goal for the club to seal a 4-3 win deep in stoppage-time against City.
When asked if that would confirm hero status with United fans, Owen told Sky Sports: "Yes, if there was any doubt before then maybe. It was always going to create noise when I joined but even if the fans didn't take to me you're never going to pass up an opportunity to play for team like this."
City equalised three times before Owen struck.
Wayne Rooney opened the scoring before Gareth Barry took advantage of Ben Foster's error. Darren Fletcher scored two headers, with Craig Bellamy levelling twice for the visitors.
"We dominated and the lads played well for a lot of the game," Owen added. "There were individual mistakes but over the years before I was here the defence has been fantastic."
Fletcher added: "It was an unbelievable match, we showed great character to come back. The goals were mistakes but we look at the positives - we showed character to the end."
Alex Ferguson salutes GOal-Hero Michael Owen
Alex Ferguson saluted Michael Owen after the Manchester United striker's stoppage-time goal gave the champions a sensational 4-3 win over Manchester City in one of the most dramatic derbies of all time.Owen has spent most of his time at United on the substitutes bench since joining from Newcastle in the close-season while he strives to reach peak form and fitness.
But the former Liverpool star made himself a hero forever at Old Trafford on Sunday when he came on to break City hearts with a fine finish in the sixth minute of stoppage time to cap a clash Ferguson claimed was the arguably the best derby of all time.
United had led three times through Wayne Rooney and two Darren Fletcher headers, but City hit back through Gareth Barry and two goals from Craig Bellamy, with the Wales striker's second coming in the 90th minute.
"To be fair we noticed in the last two weeks Michael's adjusted to training and has been sharper," Ferguson told Sky Sports.
"Even when he came on against Besiktas, he showed that sharpness.
"We were saying that we were going to have to get him on and get him game time because he's been doing very well.
"I felt the game would be in their box. There was no doubt about that in the last 20 minutes we sensed that and there is no one better than Michael Owen when that happens."
Ferguson has seen more than his fair share of classic matches in his 23-year reign at United but the Scot admitted none had surpassed this encounter.
"What can you say? We've given three goals to them," he said.
"It could have been an embarrassment, 6-0 or 7-0, if we defended our proper way.
"We could have won by a big score but by making mistakes, which was the essence of the game, we probably were in the best derby game of all time," he said.
"What do you choose? Win the best derby game of all time or win 6-0? I'd probably pick 6-0."
Rio Ferdinand made an error for Bellamy's second goal and Ferguson admitted the England defender will be relieved after Owen's winner.
Manchester United's Michael Owen will prove a valuable asset, says Nemanja Vidic
Owen, who impressed as a second-half substitute in United's 1-0 Champions League victor against Besiktas in Istanbul on Tuesday, has been told by manager Sir Alex Ferguson that he must wait patiently for the chance to play regular first-team football following his free transfer arrival from Newcastle in July.
Ferguson is keen to forge a partnership between Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, leaving Owen as the odd-man out at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old has scored just one competitive goal so far for United, a record which is placed in perspective with Owen having started just one game this season. But despite his slow start to life at United, Serbian defender Vidic insists that his close-hand experience of Owen in training has convinced him that the former Liverpool forward is approaching his best form.
Vidic said: "As a defender, I can say with some certainty that it is really tough to mark Michael Owen. He's dangerous from all positions, so you always need to be focused and on your toes.
"I'm sure our fans will soon realise that as well and see the best of him. I am pleased to be on his team.
"Michael has proven his quality through the years so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be successful. He can help us a lot, so we are all very happy to have him in our team. He is an important signing for the club.
"Manchester United has always had fantastic forwards and certainly we have such a situation in the current team as well. No matter who plays, I'm sure we will be lethal in front of goal."
Ecuadorean winger Antonio Valencia, a £17m summer signing from Wigan, earned praise from Ferguson following his Champions League debut for United in Istanbul.
And Vidic is backing Valencia to be a success in his own right, despite the pressure of having to fill the right-side role vacated by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Vidic said: "Players like Valencia and Owen will make our team better this season. They are very good players who will help us improve. No one at Old Trafford expects Luis to take on Ronaldo's role in the team but he has many qualities of his own.
"I believe he will become an important member of our team over the coming season."
Michael Owen told to be patient as Manchester United take no risks
In May 2005 Liverpool lifted the European Cup here, nine months after Owen had left them to join Real Madrid to challenge for the Champions League.
Four years on and Owen finds himself in Istanbul on Champions League duty with Manchester United with the reality beginning to dawn that he might just have to face up to the prospect of missing the boat again when Fabio Capello selects his England squad for the World Cup next summer.
Owen's surprise free transfer to Old Trafford two months ago has yet to result in the 29 year-old rediscovering the form he displayed in his prime.
So far, he has started just one competitive fixture and delivered one meaningful goal, a clinical finish after being introduced as a substitute in the 5-0 victory at Wigan last month. It has not been enough to catch the England manager's attention.
With United facing Besiktas in their Champions League Group B opener this evening, a game sandwiched between testing Premier League encounters with Tottenham and Manchester City, it would appear the perfect fixture for Sir Alex Ferguson to hand Owen some much-needed time on the pitch. But the United manager admits that Owen is unlikely to start tonight having made it clear to the forward that moulding a partnership of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov is his priority.
Ferguson said: "Michael Owen has not been involved and I have explained that to him. The season has not really started and, because of the international fixtures, we are not really playing Saturday/Wednesday at the moment. So Owen doesn't come in to the equation because we are trying to get a blend of Berbatov and Rooney.
"He will play plenty of games, but just maybe not in the early stage of the season. Will he start tonight? No, I wouldn't think so, but we may change formation a wee bit.
"You have to respect this competition and we can't afford to not qualify. This is the first game, so we have to pick the right team.
"We can't take chances and we won't take chances. We have to go to Germany for the last game [against Wolfsburg], so we have to make sure we are in a good position. We won't be taking any chances."
With Rooney and Berbatov displaying signs of a fruitful partnership, Owen could be forced to push his claims from the bench for greater involvement with club and country.
Rooney's performances this season have emphasised his status as United's No 1 forward, however.
Five goals in five league games tell only half the story of his success so far in filling the void left by the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.
The 23 year-old memorably scored a debut hat-trick for United against Turkish club Fenerbahce in September 2004, with Besiktas goalkeeper Rustu Recber on the receiving end that night, and Ferguson insists that Rooney is capable of becoming a prolific goalscorer at Old Trafford.
"Wayne is always wanting to score goals and you get this with players who are developing," Ferguson said. "He just needs consistency. He goes in bunches of sixes and sevens, goes quiet for a few weeks and then comes back again.
"We just need that consistency from him. Ruud van Nistelrooy was like that. Andy Cole, also.
"Van Nistelrooy once went nine games in a row and scored one goal – just one goal – in each. If we can get that kind of consistency from Wayne, it will make a difference to him and us.
"We need players to get us over 20 goals and Wayne has started the campaign well. He has five league goals and that's terrific.
"Berbatov will score. He will get us 15-20, I am sure of that. Owen will also get us 15-20."
Paul Scholes is set to play tonight but United's hopes of having him available for the Manchester derby on Sunday have been dashed after they were informed they could not appeal against the midfielder's one-match ban as a result of his dismissal for two yellow cards at Spurs.
Korean midfielder Ji-sung Park has agreed a three-year contract extension at Old Trafford until June 2012.
Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Michael Owen after the striker opened his Manchester United account during the 5-0 drubbing of Wigan.
On a day that saw Wayne Rooney break through the 100-goal mark for United thanks to a brace, Owen entered the fray in the 72nd minute and 13 minutes later beat goalkeeper Chris Kirkland with a cool finish to make it 4-0. It was a clever strike by the former Newcastle striker, who arrived in the summer.After a week that had seen Ferguson give his public backing for Owen and Dimitar Berbatov - who also scored at the DW Stadium - the wily Scot admitted that he was not that surprised by Owen's strike.
"That is what he needed, he needed a goal," said the Old Trafford boss.
"It is what he is made of. All his career has been about goals.
"He is one the best finishers this country has ever had. Today can only help him.
"I was so pleased for him and Dimitar Berbatov. If the strikers keep doing that it gives us a big chance."
Nani sewed things up with a blistering free-kick in stoppage time and Ferguson was pleased with the way his players reacted to their midweek humbling at Turf Moor, especially in the second half.
He added: "You have got to react to defeat and it is always a challenge. But we got a really good response today.
"When you are making chances and dont take them it is a worry. We made six chances in the first half and did not take any.
"But the important thing is to have the patience to keep playing and keep believing and we did that."
Rooney and Owen get five-star Manchester United back on track
LONDON — Manchester United made amends for their humbling by Burnley as Wayne Rooney's double and Michael Owen's first goal for the Premier League champions inspired a 5-0 win at Wigan on Saturday.
Sir Alex Ferguson reacted to Wednesday's shock 1-0 loss at promoted Burnley by making seven changes and the United manager was rewarded with a superb second half display.
It took the revamped United line-up a while to find their rhythm but, after a goalless first half, Rooney struck in the 56th minute when he met a cross from former Wigan winger Antonio Valenica with a perfect header.
That was Rooney's 100th goal for United and it opened the floodgates.
Dimitar Berbatov put United in complete control in the 58th minute. The Bulgarian finished a flowing move by chipping over Chris Kirkland and shooting into an empty net.
Rooney ended any doubts about the result in the 65th minute when his shot deflected off Mario Melchiot and flashed past the wrong-footed Kirkland.
Owen, signed from Newcastle in the close-season, came off the bench to score for the first time since January with a sublime clipped finish.
Nani, who set up Owen's goal, got on the scoresheet himself in the 90th minute.
"You have to react to a defeat, that's always the challenge," Ferguson said. "We got a reaction, I thought our performance was really good.
"It's great for Wayne to get 100 goals. He's only a young lad and there are players who have been here longer who have got nowhere near that total.
"I'm pleased for Michael as well. He needed a goal, but he's one of the best finishers our country has had."
Arsenal maintained their impressive start to the season with a 4-1 victory over struggling Portsmouth at the Emirates Stadium that sent them top of the table.
The Gunners had confounded critics who wrote off their title hopes by thrashing Everton 6-1 last weekend, then winning at Celtic in the Champions League in midweek.
Wenger still made four changes to the side that beat Celtic, but it proved a successful move as French midfielder Abou Diaby, brought into the team for his 100th Arsenal appearance, opened the scoring in the 18th minute from Eduardo's pass.
Diaby converted Emmanuel Eboue's cross for his second goal three minutes later but Portsmouth reduced the deficit when Younes Kaboul, out-jumping keeper Manuel Almunia, headed home in the 37th minute.
Any hopes of a fightback from Paul Hart's team were ended in the 51st minute through William Gallas's scrambled effort.
Aaron Ramsey confirmed Portsmouth's third successive defeat in the 68th minute with his first league goal for Wenger's team.
"We have had a brilliant start. It should create confidence and momentum," Wenger said.
"We now go into another week which will be another test against Celtic and then Manchester United. It looks to be exciting and interesting."
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor repaid another slice of his 25 million pounds transfer fee as the Togo star's cool finish sealed a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton at Eastlands.
City handed Carlos Tevez his full debut and the former Manchester United forward's cushioned 17th-minute pass picked out Adebayor, who drove in his second goal in two games since joining City from Arsenal.
Trinidad and Tobago forward Kenwyne Jones fired Sunderland to a 2-1 victory over Blackburn.
Sam Allardyce's Rovers, without defender Stephen Warnock as rumours of a move to Aston Villa gathered momentum, took the lead in the 21st minute when French defender Gael Givet smashed a long-range effort past Marton Fulop.
But Sunderland equalised after 32 minutes as Jones took advantage of a slip by Christopher Samba to slot home.
Jones wasn't finished there. In the 53rd minute he met Lee Cattermole's cross with a bullet header to seal the points for Steve Bruce's team.
Hull won for the first time in 13 league matches as Algeria striker Kamel Ghilas's first goal for the club earned a 1-0 victory over Bolton at the KC Stadium.
Ghilas was making his first start for the Tigers after signing from Spanish club Celta Vigo earlier this month.
He marked the occasion in the 61st minute with a blistering volley from Jozy Altidore's pass.
Stoke recovered from their midweek thrashing by Liverpool by grinding out a 0-0 draw at Birmingham.
John O'Shea Backs Michael Owen To Deliver For Manchester United
Manchester United utility man John O'Shea has backed Michael Owen to score plenty of goals for the Premier League Champions.Owen joined United on a free transfer this summer and came on as a second half substitute during yesterday's 1-0 victory at home to Birmingham City, but the 29-year-old striker was guilty of wasting a glorious opportunity to score.
The former Liverpool and Newcastle United striker was denied by Birmingham goalkeeper Joe Hart after being released by Wayne Rooney, but O'Shea, who captained United in the absence of Rio Ferdinand, is sure his new team-mate will be amongst the goals in the very near future.
The Ireland international told The Daily Telegraph, "Michael was unlucky with a couple of chances, but I'm sure he'll get off the mark soon.
"I think he'll be like Wayne Rooney in that he'll get his goals in runs. The sooner the first one comes, the better.
"As for Wayne, I think pre-season was so important for him to get that sharpness he needs. Once he gets that, he's so hard to stop.
"His goal against Birmingham will give him a lot of confidence, and it's only going to benefit us in the games to come."
Top Ten: Risky transfer purchases
Michael Owen: Newcastle to Manchester United. One of the shocks of the summer after the former England striker's management team sent out a 38-page brochure documenting his appeal, to little effect. Injury-prone, out of form and carrying the burden of a high expectation level, United fans were dismayed when Sir Alex Ferguson announced the capture of the former Liverpool poacher on a pay-as-you-play deal. It was not the marquee signing many were expecting to replace the Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo, and there is certainly doubt over whether Owen is still able to cut it at the highest level. On the other hand, he could be good value coming off the bench if he can regain some fitness. Both Fergie and Owen like to gamble, but this is certainly one that could backfire.Barry Ferguson: Rangers to Birmingham. The former Rangers skipper has been viewed as one of the best players in Scotland over the past few years, but did not have the best of times when he made the move to Blackburn in 2003. He lasted only 16 months after suffering injury and loss of form and has also gained a reputation for falling out with his coaches. His much-publicised indiscretions for the national team after a late-night drinking session also put a question mark over his temperament; but at least he's under the wing of former Gers boss Alex McLeish at St Andrews. Birmingham may already have their hands full with the signing of Lee Bowyer, despite his claims he has turned over a new leaf, but Ferguson could also prove to be difficult.
Roque Santa Cruz: Blackburn to Manchester City. A fee of £18m is a lot to pay for a striker who has only had one successful season in England and spent the majority of 2008-09 on the sidelines through injury. When on his game Santa Cruz is an excellent finisher, but during his eight years at Bayern Munich he managed just over 150 appearances and only 31 goals. He only cost Rovers £3.5m in 2007 and although he netted 19 league goals in his first season for the club, he remains a player who still has something to prove. With Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez surely ahead of him in the pecking order, Santa Cruz could soon be labelled an expensive mistake.
Thomas Vermaelen: Ajax to Arsenal. The Dutch league has not provided the English game with the best of recruits in recent years, although the Belgian international will hope to raise the standard. A strong, committed defender who can play at centre-back or on the left side of defence, Vermaelen could be a gamble because he stands at under six feet tall and is likely to be tested in Arsenal's aerially suspect side. The 23-year-old has a footballing education that includes time in the prestigious Ajax academy, but did not make the breakthrough early in his career and has only been playing at the top level since 2006. Arsene Wenger is rarely wrong with his young players, although Philippe Senderos, Igor Stepanovs and Pascal Cygan are examples of his misplaced faith in the defensive department in recent years.
Yuri Zhirkov: CSKA Moscow to Chelsea. The Russian star has impressed at international level, but might find the step-up to the Premier League a difficult one. Aside from where he will play [Ashley Cole will play at left-back and Florent Malouda/Joe Cole in left midfield], Zhirkov has had trouble with the language and has also failed to complete a full pre-season with the club because of work permit issues. The player reportedly cost a fee of around £18m, which seems a lot simply for a backup for the starting XI; but with Roman Abramovich's links to the Moscow club, it's possible they might not have spent anything at all.
Tyrone Mears: Derby County to Burnley. When you have a player who is willing to climb out of a window to escape to a new life in France, it must take a great deal of faith to sign him up. Burnley have taken that risk on 26-year-old defender Mears, who was unhappy with Derby manager Paul Jewell and pulled the stunt in order to fly to Marseille for a trial, where he stayed for the rest of last season. The Clarets picked him up for £500,000, but will be fully aware of the Jamaican international's temperament. Whether they are willing to allow him to put the nickname 'Tye' on the back of his shirt - as he did at Preston - also remains to be seen.
Ross Turnbull: Middlesbrough to Chelsea. Always be wary of a man who says he wants to leave a club to pursue ''regular first-team football'' and then signs for a club like Chelsea, where the hope is remote. The goalkeeper may heed the warning of Steven Sidwell who failed to make an impression at Stamford Bridge, but will also be fairly happy to be paid a good weekly wage to act as backup to Petr Cech and get some experience of the Champions League on his CV. Having spent most of his Boro career on loan at lower division clubs, it is hard to see what persuaded the Blues to sign him up, although he has to be a better option than Hilario.
Ronald Zubar: Marseille to Wolves. It has been quite a fall from grace for the French Under-21 international since he starred for Caen and was linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer of 2006. Several costly mistakes while playing for l'OM have shattered his confidence after he swapped his defensive midfield role for that of centre-back and he opted to move to England to continue his career at Wolves. The player himself has admitted that he's finding the English game "quick" and has the potential to rival fellow countryman Jean Alain Boumsong in the calamity stakes.
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Joey Barton: The biggest risk of all?
Jack Lampe: Harlow Town to West Ham. It's not often that a player jumps straight from Non-League football into the Premier League, but the 17-year-old defender impressed the coaches at Upton Park enough to earn himself a one-year deal after landing a trial. The Hammers are considered to have one of the most productive academy systems in English football, but usually pick up players at a much younger age, allowing them to blossom with help from their own coaching methods. Not likely to push the first-team just yet, Lampe will find the step up tricky, but is only on a short-term contract should he fail to establish himself.
Joey Barton: Newcastle to ??? The combative (for want of another word) midfielder is sure to leave the Magpies this summer as he has burned his bridges with Alan Shearer and pretty much everyone else at the club. With their relegation to the Championship, Barton is keen to return to the top flight with Hull reportedly interested; but any club that takes a punt on the Scouser is sure to have their fingers burnt. Barton does not really come under the tag 'risky', more 'mind blowingly stupid' if he actually does manage to seal a move to another Premier League club. If he doesn't move, Newcastle will have some serious questions to answer.
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