I think he may have thought Berba was off and was still a little unsure if Welbeck was going to fully make the step up. No room at all for Owen in that Utd line up now if Welbeck is fit, he's now 5th choice. I actually forgot he was still there until he came on last night.
The more I think about it the more I think Owen is a sensible option for all concerned. He would have 4 months to score a load of goals for us in order to get back into the England set-up for the Euro's. Its his last chance for England so he would bust a gut for us in order to get goals, Bendtner would be an ideal partner for him and with Sess and Larsson supplying the ammunition he would have a good chance of making a name for himself. He is also acustom to living in the NE. He is not going to get 1st team football at Man U and we are desperate for a goal scorer. It would mean in the Summer we can re-assess Campbell and then buy accordingly. We also would not have to worry about missing anyone due to the ACN. The whole situation seems to make sense to me.
Steve Bruce scouted Tomas Pekhart this weekend, according to several sites and papers!! Scoring goals in the bundesliga! Was at Spurs as a teenager but didn't show much there.
Somebody mentioned earlier that Fergie has Owen on a 1 year deal, so where is the sense in loaning him out for half of it and hes right. This Cisse has impressive stats but we need to look at his character after the Gyan/Bent sagas and make sure he wont leave us in the ****. Also this guy is at the ACN so maybe a non-starter till the summer but somehow I think Bruce will very reluctantly touch the African player market in the near future.
The problem, as I see it, with signing someone like this Pappa Cisse fella is the same one we have had with Judas and Asawantmoremoney - they will be using us for their own ends to get a big money move somewhere else in 6 or 12 months. Thats shafted us twice now inside 6 months and maybe its time to be a tad more realistic about our targets and buys in future? We cannot keep recruiting then searching for new strikers every 6 months. Its knacking up the team planning. Better we look a little closer to home for me and maybe towards recruiting a player (s) who have less glitzy backgrounds and maybe from the Championship or lower EPL. I like that lad Scott Sinclair at Swansea and the Brighton lad Mackail-Smith. Both good players and both would jump at the chance to come here and make a real name for themselves. We have 3 6ft plus lads here now and a nippy little striker is what we require IMO. Smith comes from more humble beginnings but can score and at 27 would view a move to Sunderland as his last chance to make it. He wouldnt be looking to **** off after 10 mins either, would knuckle down and work hard. Neither would cost the earth and both would be on comfortable wages. Time for a realistic look at our options for me.
Very difficult one TBH Cest. Personally I think we have to go for the cream every time. I remember Sunderland teams of old when none of our players were sought after by anyone. Why? Cause we were crap. Obviously if we have a player who is on top of his game it will always be hard for us as a club to repel big money advances but we have to try. Like some wise geezer once said. "If you don't by a ticket, you ain't going to win the prize"
Eh? Owen would be a realistic target. In fact just today it is rumoured he would consider leaving Man Utd to get first team football, and given Bruce's relationship with United, and O'Shea and Brown coming, it is not unrealistic in my eyes. He would give us a striker with vast experience, proven finisher and undoubted quality. If we signed him and Bentdner or another young striker to learn from him, it would massivelly benefit all our other strikers who are still young enough to listen and learn.
I can't believe people want a has-been like Owen. As Commachio says, look at his tenure with the unwashed. My shout would be Peter Odemwingie - bags of talent and a proven force to be reckoned with in the EPL
A very good shout but he has just signed a new contract with WBA. He would but he has just done his knee ligaments and is expected to be out for a long time.
