Aplogies for the dodgy title.
It, of course, refers to the news that Michael Owen has not been offered a new contract at Manchester United and is now looking for another Premier League club to come along and secure his services for next season.
Last time he found himself in this situation (i.e. before we took him on a free a few years ago) he had some marketing company produce a promotional brochure which was novel but seemed to do the trick as he landed what must have seemed like a dream outcome.
Personally, I always thought that Owen on a free was a fantastic bit of business but the question marks over his fitness (which Owen was eager to repudiate around the time we signed him) were always a concern and they proved to be justified in the end.
In total, Owen made 52 appearances for us and scored 17 goals which is obviously just about one in three – still a fantastic return but when you consider that many of those appearances were never for the full ninety minutes then his goal ratio on a per minute basis would probably have been as good as anyone we have at the club during that time.
Last season he made just four appearances (though he still managed to bang in three goals!) and with squad limits now in place for the Premier League perhaps his place on the list could no longer be justified – especially with Danny Welbeck now of an age where he needs to be listed as a senior player.
Personally, I also started to have concerns about his commitment to football in the last couple of years. He seems to be into his horses more than his football these days and I found it hard to see how he could combine that with the focus and discipline required when playing at a top level club like Manchester United.
Still, I wish Michael all the best from here, wherever he ends up.
Manchester City might have landed the most recent blow but Michael’s late, late winner against them in our 4-3 victory a few seasons ago – at a time when people were still deciding on the wisdom or otherwise of bringing in Owen – still brings a smile to my face.