A Few Reasons Why Owen Chose United Over Hull

Capello has just announced the squad that will face Brazil, and despite calling a few unusual faces like Warnock and Huddlestone, Michael Owen remains to be left out.

Looking back now, Owen’s motive for joining Liverpool’s biggest rival was, and has always been, to gain a spot in the 2010 World Cup squad.  Now that it appears extremely likely that Owen is ranked, in Capello’s mind, after Strikers like Rooney, Crouch, Defoe, Bent, and Agbonlahor, his chances of going to next year’s World Cup as a player is slim.

In hindsight, had Owen joined Hull instead of Manchester United, in my mind, would at least give him more playing time to prove himself.  Instead, he opt for a ‘brand name’ club, which happens to be, once again, Liverpool’s biggest rival.  A high-level comparison between Manchester United and Hull, in my opinion, would be the lack of European football.  Something that Owen has already tasted, in person, as a player at Real Madrid, and also played in various UEFA Cup appearances for Liverpool.  After all, he doesn’t need ‘European’ experiences to better himself at this stage of his career.  Instead, if his objective is to get chosen for the World Cup squad, what he really needs is… ‘playing time.’  (And goals, of course!)  Something (Playing time) that I would guess he will get a whole lot more as a player for Hull, than Manchester United.

But just to play devil’s advocate, I tried to imagine what would Owen say when he was shopping for an employer when he had Hull and United available for him to choose…

• I will get better quality passes/setup from quality midfielders like Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Valencia, Nani, etc…
• I will get less chances to get injured because I know I will not be playing 90 minutes every game… meaning I will have a higher chance to be healthy to service Capello and my Country come next year.
• I will have better coaches to know better to go easy on me during train sessions.  (This one is a long shot.)
• Defenders will be busy marking Rooney, instead of me, which will gives me more chances to score.
• I can mentor some ‘wonderkid’ strikers at United so that they will mention my name when they become the next C. Ronaldo.  (I totally made this one up with my imagination.)
• United offers me the Number 7 shirt, while Hull’s offer is Number 79 (the year he was born… like he cared!) (Yes, I made that up too!)
• I do not want to help another team to relegation.  I put in a lot of work to get injured, just to help Newcastle to get relegated!  (If you can do this to United, Liverpool’s fan will forgive you on all your stupid decisions you have ever made, and reference you as a Legend with likes of Fowler, Dalglish, etc.)
• And most importantly, I will get better Physios at United.

For a full line-up of Capello’s squad for the upcoming friendly against Brazil, please click here .