The Luckiest Man In Football

In the space of a week Michael Owen has gone from a future involving Hull City, Stoke and possibly Everton, to a nice two-year deal with the Champions of England, recent Champions of Europe, and probably more of the same in the 2009/10 season.

I'm not sure anyone can believe it. I certainly can't. It's reassuring though to see all the tired journalists trotting out the lines comparing the move for Owen to that of Cantona back in the mid-90s. Ferguson's pulled another rabbit out of the hat etc. It would have been interesting to see what the same hacks' reaction would have been had Moyes signed the best Welsh forward to play for England. I'm guessing not quite the same.

For a team like United with money to burn and a great and settled squad, signing Owen is a no-brainer. No transfer fee, a moderate weekly wage (by their standards) and probably laced with appearance and goal incentives. They're not going to have to rely on Owen. He'll spend time on the bench, contribute when needed and provide options and striking cover. For Everton, Owen was always going to be a gamble. We've already got injury-prone forwards and didn't need another. I'm also not sure - never have been - about Owen's attitude within a club. He doesn't come across as a real team player and it is noticeable how little vitriol is emanating from the Liverpool fans; imagine if Fowler or Gerrard moved to Old Trafford and the subsequent reaction. It would be carnage. What I'm saying here is I don't think the Liverpool faithful revere Owen in the same way they do Fowler, Rush et al. Owen is going into a club with a hatful of players far better than him, his status is diminished and he's a squad player for sure.

That said, I still think Moyes was prepared to chance his arm on Owen and now he's got to look elsewhere. All signs point to Jo returning on a year-long loan.