The Wigan Athletic chairman has saluted Fergie for doing what he tried to do - sign the former England ace.
Whelan remains a huge fan of Owen who, without fanfare, reported for pre-season training with the Reds on Monday.
And he said: "A wise old head has been behind the move for Owen and I think it will pay big dividends.
"United's capture of Owen could be a wonderfully shrewd move on Fergie's part. He knows the player and he realises Owen can still deliver.
"I also feel Owen is still capable of popping up and scoring vital goals. I'm fully expecting to see him used as an impact player at United.
"For 30 minutes of any game, whether it be the Premiership or in Europe, he could have a devastating effect.
"He's got bags of experience and the lad is still a threat. I've always admired Owen and I tried to sign him at Wigan a couple of years ago when it was first mooted he wanted to come back to the Premiership from his time in Spain.
"His move to United last week came out of the blue but Fergie can obviously see something and there's clearly a part for Owen to play in the grand master plan.
"The United squad is extremely strong and they can afford to have Owen in it. He's a player who's always scored goals and United have always had these impact players who've popped up with big goals in big games and gone on and helped the club to success.
"I say hats off to Fergie because he's looked at the big picture and realised what Owen can do.
"And a move to United will certainly not do Owen's chances of gaining an England recall any harm.
"Owen will be in the spotlight but he is a man who has always had the knack of winning games and, if you need someone to come on and get you a goal, he's still the man you would want."
Do you agree? Have your say.
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If Owen can score around 12 or more goals then he should be considered a great coup by SAF. I personally predict him scoring around 15 goals this season (If fit) & if he is the same crocked figure then around 10 goals which isnt too bad either for a free striker with a lower wge than Berba who failed to score more than 15.
can you just imagine Owen's first EPL medal could come at the end of the season while wearing the colurs of Manutd. Who knows, maybe Stevie Me might get so jealous he will come next season (on a free transfer) to United, so that he can also say he won the EPL as a player...because we all know he aint winning it at Liverpool
I really hope this signing works out, id say if he gets anywhere in the region of 15 goals this could be another fergie masterstroke
When you consider that Spurs want and paid €20m for Darren Bent and that Sir Alex has brought in a big-game player who has cost nothing, then you have to say that this could be a major master stroke. Yet it's a gamble but isn't it also a bigger gamble when you spend £30m plus on a player who could end up breaking his leg in pre-season? I say fairplay to Sir Alex for taking the gamble and if it does pay off, then I will love to hear what the critics will have to say.
i could see owen scoring 20 plus goals easily as long as he stays fit which i know he will...one thing people need to realize is that he is at a better club with better players now, and i mean liverfool, real madrid and newcastle all put together here. and he's got people that he knows from his international days playing here as well who will help him settle easily...watch rooney set him up to score his first goal against birmingham on the opening day...oh and he's gonna bag some in pre-season as well to kick things off....we've saved money on tevez and got Owen in who in my eyes is a lot better than tevez in all fields apart from running around like a headless chiken...which in fairness who needs a striker like that?? i predict owen being a HIT, we offfering him a better deal and an extention to his contract before christmas, watch this space!!!
He will do nothing. We need to move forward as a club and that means (dare I say it) a new manager and new direction. SAF and Gill out!
DublinDevil, DUBLIN
I agree, and whats more Owen is proven in the Prem so wont buckle under the pace or power that comes with it. If we can keep him fit I see him scoring 15 at least and I would rather have him than Berba anyday.
SAF also appears to buying wingers to provide the balls into the box, if we can get a defensive holding midfielder to replace Hargreaves who looks like a gonna, or at least wont be consistently fit, we will be in the points!
"Owen who, without fanfare, reported for pre-season training with the Reds on Monday." - Unlike the big girls blouse who has just signed for Real Madrid.
Whenever I watched Owen play off Beckham for England I used to think he was wasted on Liverpool. It's not the same United now, but he's got one chance to get back on track and I for one hope he proves his detractors wrong. Owen hasn't come for money or self gratification he's come to play football and 'IF' he gets what he came for then fair play to him.
Mushhhty ,
7/07/2009 at 13:20
Crikey mate if this is how you feel after winning the Premiership, Egg Cup and World club thingy, plus final of Champions League and FA Cup semis, then I'm surprised your not on Valium.
Cheer up mate, Fergie will look after us....again!
only time will tell..but i believe owen like most players play on confidence after 4 years in the gordie circus he will realise this chance he has been given is based on the player who was once rated as one of the best goal poachers in world football..lets hope he gets a good pre season under his belt and the experience of working with worldclass players and coaches again will get the best out of him no doubting owen is a player worthy of wearing our jersey just hope the hunger still there..he still has a chance to make the engish world cup squad no reason cant be one of capellos main strikers just think like many other people in the game including cappello questioned his desire to become the player he was no better manager in the world in SAF to get full poteintal from a player..
omo, ksa,
Berba was with us for a half season so we might as well cut him a break. This year we should have a more structured play. And this Musshhty, what does SAF need to win, a free one-way trip to the moon for him.
Come on Michael ! score em goals !
mushhty come on mate name the man you would choose to replace sir alex if you know as much as you make out you shouldnt have trouble answering that ! Good luck to Foster i hope he does us proud and gets the bit of luck he needs .
when the ball's in the goal, its not shearer or cole,its..michael owen!!! everybody sing with me...!! when the ball's.....
This is getting boring, now. We all know that Whelan, Rush, Blackmore, Souness, etc., thinks Fergie has pulled off a masterstroke. I do, too, but let's leave it at that.
Whelan, Rush, Blackmore, Souness...Whelan, Rush Blackmore, Souness...what one thinks is what they all think so it's all repitition.
DublinDevil, DUBLIN
7/07/2009 at 12:54
Why don´t you said that we paid 30m for Berbatov.
I can't see anything bad in this situation. If Owen stays fit it's a great option to have, if he doesn't we haven't lost anything. With a fit Wes Brown and Owen Hargreaves plus Michael Owen, I think we only need two more players to win the league again. I'd like Young or Lennon, because English players grow up with United as the ultimate club, players from Spain/Portugal don't! and we need a good attacking goal scoring midfield player, don't know who that is?! I have faith in the gaffer tho, 11 premier league titles and 3 European cup finals have earned him some respect. In Fergie we trust.
Mushty is merely stating an opinion and in some ways he may have a point. I'm extremely grateful for what Fergie has done/won for the clube- He has been absolutely fantastic. However, I still view last season as a bit of a failure- the way we played was a step backwards. The Euro final illustrated our shortcomings as a team. Somehow I don't believe that Owen, Valencia, Orbeton and possibly Huntelaar is going to challenge madrid or barca in Europe. I think that we need a worldclass holding midfielder more than anything other than lesser teams and carrick just can't hack it. It's a shame that fergie has destroyed nani's confidence by constantly playing that rubbish- Park.
By the way Raju, we had Berba for a full season, not half a season!!
Its not the first time eyebrows have been raised at one of SAF's signings. Why cant people just accept that he knows what he is doing? Poeple moaned when we got Teddy, my Dad said Cantona would never play well in a United shirt (shows you how wrong he was), Smith is another that got his fair share of doubters and no doubt some moaned when we gor Rooney from Everton. I think its a great deal and I truly think the doubters will be eating their words come end of season.
Now we've got Owen we might as well go for Gerrard!
RED army i only asked mussshhtyy for his opinion on his replacement for sir alex. Last season might not have seen us play the best football wehave ever seen at ot but a let down or faliure no way mate did you see what we won ? or what we came closer than any other team to winning ?. When sir alex goes i hope we dont return to the days of finishing 11th in the league or struggling to break in the top four because mussshtty and his bitter mate dan wilmslow will be gone with him. We dont have a given right to anything so enjoy what we have if we dont win or challenge for honours for 3-4 years come back and ask is fergies time up till then in my eyes nobody has the right to quiestion the man, if you choose to then be honest enough to name who you think would be better thats my point on the subject.