Rush: Owen will find scoring touch

July 06, 2009

Michael Owen

FORMER Liverpool striker Ian Rush has backed Michael Owen to be a goalscoring success at United.

Owen completed a surprise switch to Old Trafford just two days after he became a free agent when his contract at Newcastle expired.

Injuries have ruined recent seasons for Owen and the England striker made just 71 league appearances for the Magpies since his move from Real Madrid in 2005.

However, Rush believes the move gives Owen the chance to return to form in front of goal after scoring just 30 times in all competitions in the north-east.

Rush said: "It's a chance for Michael to get back and score some goals. He'll get chances for United and will score goals."

The Wales forward has no doubts Owen can prove his class with the Premier League champions.

Strong

He added: "People have knocked Michael Owen all his career.

"People said he was finished years ago but he's a fantastic player who comes back stronger and better.

"The talk won't worry him, I know the way he is and he doesn't have to prove anything."

Rush, who scored more than 220 goals for Liverpool in two spells, would have liked to see Owen back at Anfield.

"I'd like to have seen him at Liverpool but they haven't lost their best strikers. Manager Rafael Benitez will be happy with what he's got."

Meanwhile ex-Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear has backed Sir Alex Ferguson to get the best out of Owen.

Kinnear rarely had a fit Owen at his disposal but said: "He's up there with the best of them and Alex will know that."

How many goals do you think Owen will score next season? Have your say.

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stevi, france (06/07/2009 at 09:07)

I think this will prove another master stroke for the master Owen will get us 20 goals this season and improve Rooney & Berbatov's goal tally......

Paul Jena (06/07/2009 at 09:21)

For his sake, I hope he will prove to be worth whatever he got. United has been known to pay for nothing, the Berbaflop case in point...............

paul leigh (06/07/2009 at 09:38)

It remains to be seen what will happen but I really don't see a down side to this. If the rest of the world (especially City fans) think he's flunk, then what have we got to lose?

He who laughs last, laughs loudest

Gilly, Belgium (06/07/2009 at 09:40)

Good luck Michael , long may u score Manchester United goals !

roger of norway (06/07/2009 at 10:04)

Agree stevi, france. Owen will be a brilliant addition and I'm willing to bet my cat that Owen, Berbatov and Rooney (and Wellbeck/Macheda) will score more goals AMONGST THEM than Ronaldo/Tevez/Rooney/Berbatov (Wellbeck/Macheda) did last season.

Is It Me? (06/07/2009 at 10:21)

Why are the Scouse upset? Michael was born in Chester,roughly equidistant from Liverpool and Manchester. He is not a born and bred dipper!If free of injury ,I think he will get us a lot of goals because he will be playing with good players,unlike Newcastle! Theoretically,he is at the peak of his career at the age of 29. Remember Teddy?

stevi, france (06/07/2009 at 10:29)

what I also think is great is it will give Wellbeck & Macheda more opportunities to improve & get experience, see if they really are up to the mark.

dog hardy, manchester (06/07/2009 at 10:46)

Roger bury your cat now,save on cat food.Owen certainly can,t lose anyway,if he,s injured then he,s on £20,000 plus a week sick pay[who wouldn,t mind that]; if he scores, which after all is his job he,ll get big bucks.Can,t lose there either strikers have it made compared to defenders and goalkeepers 1 or 2 mistakes and supporters are crying for replacements strikers can miss loads of sitters and 1 bounce and lucky deflection and wow!thats what goalscorers do.Anyway i shall squirm if an ex Anfield hero scores for UTD AND WILL be reluctantly happy but getting Owen has certainly caused controvery for next season

Andy Cooper (06/07/2009 at 14:17)

Ian Rush; a man whose intellectual stature and acute footballing insights make Clayton Blackmore sound like Jeremy Paxman, a man who played not only for the Dippers but also for Leeds. So, tell me again, just exactly why should we take any notice of this drivel? Can't quite get my head round all this 'Michael Owen will be a great signing ' stuff....he remains what he was before, a crock and a has-been. If we are now setting our sights this low, it can only be a matter of time before Ralph Milne and Ashley Grimes come out of retirement. If Fergie can turn this around, he should replace St Jude as the patron saint of lost causes.

Aneesh , Canada (06/07/2009 at 16:28)

personally i'm not really sure what the big deal is with this signing (either positive or negative).

i wouldn't classify it as a masterstroke and i dont think it's meant to be. i think its an astute move by fergie, bringing in a striker who's got something to prove, who's got premiership experience, and who's really really inexpensive (given the free transfer and pay-as-you-play wages) right now. he probably wont light it up at OT (i'm not saying that he can't or won't, im just saying its not probable), but as 3rd choice striker, 10-15 prem goals would be an unmitigated success.

when fit, i'd say owen is just an all round better 3rd choice striker for us than tevez. similar pace now, owen's got better touch and likes to spend more time in the box than outside it. that is something we need. also like somebody else stated, it gives guys like macheda and wellbeck more playing time if fergie feels they're up to it.

dog hardy, manchester (06/07/2009 at 19:03)

Funny thing strikers who spend all there time in the box and let the idiots do the work are almost from a bygone age and like Berbatov are classed as lazy idle gets.Whats the point in all these new wingers lumping the ball into the middle when 3 strikers[Berbatov,Rooney and Owen]can,thead a ball with force on target,wev,e just lost one of the worlds best at the dying art of attacking heading,get Dennis Law back as heading coach

radcliffe lad (07/07/2009 at 01:17)

Good move by SAF. Great player, good attitude and will fit in well. Still not 30 years old and very experienced and none of that silly transfer money which has gone beyoind the limits of sanity!
Just hope he stays fit.

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