Michael to Manchester

Newspaper reports suggest Michael Owen, formerly of Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United and England, is on the verge of joining English champions Manchester United. Yes, you read that correctly; the injury prone, past it, not good enough to beat out Carlton Cole in the England squad, couldn’t score a single goal in Newcastle’s run in to save keep them up, no goals since January…Michael Owen.

But here’s why Owen could actually help United:

Before his injuring his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the 2006 World Cup, Owen scored 165 goals in 308 games for English clubs, as well as 16 in 43 largely from the bench for Real Madrid. He was European footballer of the year in 2001, the top scorer in the league in 1998 and 1999 and one of the most feared forwards in the world.

Long time ago. Long, long time ago.

Is he as quick as the precocious youngster that burst on the scene in 1997 with a well taken goal at Wimbledon (remember that - I do) and went on to star in the 1998 World cup when he scored that goal in that game which also featured that David Beckham moment? No. Does he appear to have the same nose for goal that saw him score a hat-trick against the Germans in Munich and scored 40 goals in 89 games for England? No. Does the brochure that ‘sells’ his accomplishments to prospective clubs by his management group WMG reek of confidence? Not entirely. But he might not finished quite yet.

Sam Allardyce commented that he didn’t want Michael Owen, his former charge at Newcastle, because he felt he needed ‘a striker that's going to be available for 30 games next season.’ Its hard to doubt the Blackburn managers eye for talent but in the case of Owen, his only experience of the player first hand was during an injury prone (one of many recently) spell at the start of the 2007/8 season when the whole team were struggling (again, a recent theme).

Should United or indeed anybody sign him, it will only be after a thorough medical. Most players take upwards of two years to recover from the kind of ACL injury he suffered against Sweden in 2006 and there have been further complications along the way that have clearly damaged his fitness and his confidence. The sooner the former Kop hero can sign with a new club, the better his chances of completing a full pre-season and strengthening his body to play regularly.

The benefit of signing for Manchester United rather than the likes of Stoke or Hull, who have also expressed an interest, is not simply fiscal for a man used to hauling in over £100,000 a week. More importantly, Owen would have the advantage of one of the best medical teams in the game, a manager with a history of taking chances on maverick or oft-injured players that others wouldn’t (stand up Mr. Cantona and Mr. Larsson), and the chance to be part of a rotation of forwards that wont rely on him being the saviour.

For United, he could appear 30-40 times during the season - Owen has played 31 games in each if the last two seasons and more games in the league last year than Carlos Tevez, Fernando Torres, Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Didier Drogba. With the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo, the defection of Tevez and the likely sale of Fraizer Campbell, Man Utd are in need of depth at the striking position with only young players like Macheda and Welbeck to back up Rooney and Berbatov. Michael Owen could build up his conditioning and confidence in a team that create a hatfull of chances and would only need to be part of the attack, not the focal point. He also provides a variation to anybody else currently on staff and has linked well with Wayne Rooney in the past.

It should also be remembered that Owen, playing for a desperate team and never fully fit - one would hope he can be again - scored more goals a game (8/28) and had a higher shots on target percentage (48.5%) in the league than Tevez (and Drogba and Heskey and Santa Cruz and Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch).

He can’t be the star he once he was, but for the Red Devils, he wouldn’t need to be. Will he replace a departing member of the squad? Not really but nor will recent signee Antonio Valencia. But can he effective? Can Owen still score goals in the Premiership? Yes.

What is clear is that Manchester would be a fantastic place to land for Michael and if there is one place that would give him the best chance of success, then he might be on the verge of finding it.