Michael Owen has always been a cringe monster

Harry Harries said:
Is the average person socially inept?
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The average person has quirks/does quirky things which, if were constantly placed under the microscope in the same way that footballers are, often out of context and in a hasty, judgemental, definitive manner, then they could easily be portrayed as socially inept. Owen seems socially competent to me, just a bit dry. He has an ego for sure as do all professional athletes, but I find he's more open (or careless with his words perhaps) than most footballers, which also means he will say things that leave him open for ridicule. In the same way that you or I would be if our everyday
conversations were broadcast to millions of people. For example people mispeak all the time in conversation, get words slightly twisted etc. It's why footballers are trained to give the most inane answers possible in interviews. If you look at most post match interviews for example, those conversations if they occurred in every day life would appear insane or as if the interviewee is socially inept.

Jeppers7 said:
Ive not come across many people in my life, who as an adult would act the way Owen does in that clip with a 13 year old kid. Do I think the producer asked him to really go to town on the kid, belittle him, laugh at him, make him feel small stupid and insignificant?......No I don’t. It makes it a very difficult watch.
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You're being overly sensitive and over analysing it. Belittle him? They are playing a game and he's celebrating in a light hearted manner. When I beat my 8 year old nephew in a game I celebrate. Partly to tease him, which is completely normal and friendly interaction, but also if you really want to psychoanalyse it, it shows respect. In contrast, complacentently destroying my nephew in a game and then acting like it was easy is demeaning, as it implies that I was unchallenged. By celebrating it demonstrates that I had to work hard to win. Do you remember being a kid and playing a game against adults, as sometimes you knew that they were letting you win (certainly by 13 you would have recognised this easily). Its not satisfying is it. The satisfaction comes from learning, improving and eventually beating someone who is trying their hardest.

Unfortunately you have demonstrated my original point exactly, which was that people jump to firm conclusions without the full context. What was the set up for the game they were playing? Was there a prize for the kid winning or a forfeit for Owen losing? Was it just the one game or was it part of a series of challenges? Was the kid insulted in anyway? Do you know what interaction Owen and the kid had before or after the clip? I haven't seen the full show and I doubt most people have. Youve seen a couple minute glimpse of something out of context, got on your high horse, and made your mind up.

I'm wary I've spent far too much time explaining this however it is in the realms of my profession so I'm happy to educate, so one more point. The only insult towards the kid in the clip is Nev's comment. If you want to analyse it, it translates as "you shouldn't be happy to score past this kid Michael, he's 13 so he's obviously incompetent and you can beat him easily, so easily that it should provide you with no satisfaction whatsoever".
 
Jeppers7 said:
How do you think that kid felt whilst that was being filmed, 13 years old? Compare that to how Owen felt ridiculing the poor lad. Thank god Southall was there because it could’ve gotten worse.
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The guy is undoubtedly a tool, but there's nothing wrong with that video. He was clearly on the wind up, and I'm pretty sure the lad hasn't suffered any emotional damage because of it.
 
Trequarista10 said:
The average person has quirks/does quirky things which, if were constantly placed under the microscope in the same way that footballers are, often out of context and in a hasty, judgemental, definitive manner, then they could easily be portrayed as socially inept. Owen seems socially competent to me, just a bit dry. He has an ego for sure as do all professional athletes, but I find he's more open (or careless with his words perhaps) than most footballers, which also means he will say things that leave him open for ridicule. In the same way that you or I would be if our everyday
conversations were broadcast to millions of people. For example people mispeak all the time in conversation, get words slightly twisted etc. It's why footballers are trained to give the most inane answers possible in interviews. If you look at most post match interviews for example, those conversations if they occurred in every day life would appear insane or as if the interviewee is socially inept.



You're being overly sensitive and over analysing it. Belittle him? They are playing a game and he's celebrating in a light hearted manner. When I beat my 8 year old nephew in a game I celebrate. Partly to tease him, which is completely normal and friendly interaction, but also if you really want to psychoanalyse it, it shows respect. In contrast, complacentently destroying my nephew in a game and then acting like it was easy is demeaning, as it implies that I was unchallenged. By celebrating it demonstrates that I had to work hard to win. Do you remember being a kid and playing a game against adults, as sometimes you knew that they were letting you win (certainly by 13 you would have recognised this easily). Its not satisfying is it. The satisfaction comes from learning, improving and eventually beating someone who is trying their hardest.

Unfortunately you have demonstrated my original point exactly, which was that people jump to firm conclusions without the full context. What was the set up for the game they were playing? Was there a prize for the kid winning or a forfeit for Owen losing? Was it just the one game or was it part of a series of challenges? Was the kid insulted in anyway? Do you know what interaction Owen and the kid had before or after the clip? I haven't seen the full show and I doubt most people have. Youve seen a couple minute glimpse of something out of context, got on your high horse, and made your mind up.

I'm wary I've spent far too much time explaining this however it is in the realms of my profession so I'm happy to educate, so one more point. The only insult towards the kid in the clip is Nev's comment. If you want to analyse it, it translates as "you shouldn't be happy to score past this kid Michael, he's 13 so he's obviously incompetent and you can beat him easily, so easily that it should provide you with no satisfaction whatsoever".
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There’s plenty in what you’ve wrote that I agree with, I just don’t recognise any of it in the clip. I don’t need educating on it thanks. It’s also in the realms of my profession.
 
Zen86 said:
The guy is undoubtedly a tool, but there's nothing wrong with that video. He was clearly on the wind up, and I'm pretty sure the lad hasn't suffered any emotional damage because of it.
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Thanks for clearing that up. I feel better now.
 
Zen86 said:
The guy is undoubtedly a tool, but there's nothing wrong with that video. He was clearly on the wind up, and I'm pretty sure the lad hasn't suffered any emotional damage because of it.
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Well I don't know, that video is so old and it's still being brought up! Imagine your claim to fame being bullied by a wet sock like Michael Owen.
 
Trequarista10 said:
The average person has quirks/does quirky things which, if were constantly placed under the microscope in the same way that footballers are, often out of context and in a hasty, judgemental, definitive manner, then they could easily be portrayed as socially inept. Owen seems socially competent to me, just a bit dry. He has an ego for sure as do all professional athletes, but I find he's more open (or careless with his words perhaps) than most footballers, which also means he will say things that leave him open for ridicule. In the same way that you or I would be if our everyday
conversations were broadcast to millions of people. For example people mispeak all the time in conversation, get words slightly twisted etc. It's why footballers are trained to give the most inane answers possible in interviews. If you look at most post match interviews for example, those conversations if they occurred in every day life would appear insane or as if the interviewee is socially inept.



You're being overly sensitive and over analysing it. Belittle him? They are playing a game and he's celebrating in a light hearted manner. When I beat my 8 year old nephew in a game I celebrate. Partly to tease him, which is completely normal and friendly interaction, but also if you really want to psychoanalyse it, it shows respect. In contrast, complacentently destroying my nephew in a game and then acting like it was easy is demeaning, as it implies that I was unchallenged. By celebrating it demonstrates that I had to work hard to win. Do you remember being a kid and playing a game against adults, as sometimes you knew that they were letting you win (certainly by 13 you would have recognised this easily). Its not satisfying is it. The satisfaction comes from learning, improving and eventually beating someone who is trying their hardest.

Unfortunately you have demonstrated my original point exactly, which was that people jump to firm conclusions without the full context. What was the set up for the game they were playing? Was there a prize for the kid winning or a forfeit for Owen losing? Was it just the one game or was it part of a series of challenges? Was the kid insulted in anyway? Do you know what interaction Owen and the kid had before or after the clip? I haven't seen the full show and I doubt most people have. Youve seen a couple minute glimpse of something out of context, got on your high horse, and made your mind up.

I'm wary I've spent far too much time explaining this however it is in the realms of my profession so I'm happy to educate, so one more point. The only insult towards the kid in the clip is Nev's comment. If you want to analyse it, it translates as "you shouldn't be happy to score past this kid Michael, he's 13 so he's obviously incompetent and you can beat him easily, so easily that it should provide you with no satisfaction whatsoever".
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He's not going to shag you mate.
 
Judas said:
Well I don't know, that video is so old and it's still being brought up! Imagine your claim to fame being bullied by a wet sock like Michael Owen.
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And I'm sure his mates have taken the p*** plenty for it, such is life.
 
Well this thread is just full of people who hate Michael Owen.

jmaggio said:
Only partly joking, he could very well be on the spectrum. A friend of mine was his gardener for a while and apparently he had a habit of derailing normal conversation to obtrusively talk about his horses.
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So as a doctor, based on a conversation with a gardener, you are suggesting on a public forum that another human being, who you have never examined is autistic?
 
I always think people who "hate" Owen must have a serious lack of perspective.

He's about as harmless a character as you'll get. A clean cut, hard working, family guy, who had a superb career, that peaked early and was followed by a lot of injuries.

Wheeling out light hearted clips of laughing at putting a few shots in against a kid is hardly criminal behaviour. It's just quite funny.
I quit enjoyed having him at United and he had more than a few good moments for us.
 
matt10000 said:
Well this thread is just full of people who hate Michael Owen.
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Seeing as this forum exists on the planet Earth it’s not that surprising surely? Does anyone like Michael Owen except for his mum and his wife?

I actually loved him as a player (especially the version before his first major injury) but he’s what we’d call in Sydney a shit bloke.
 
He doesn't give insight into the game, he can barely string a clichè together. He isn't charming or funny. He's too boring to be controversial.

What is the appeal of him for BT?
 
Shane88 said:
He doesn't give insight into the game, he can barely string a clichè together. He isn't charming or funny. He's too boring to be controversial.

What is the appeal of him for BT?
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He used to be good at football. Football punditry is full of dull uncharismatic men who offer nothing but their names. Scholes, Giggs, McManaman, Hargreaves, Redknapp, Danny Murphy. They’re all equally tedious.

It says a lot that I’d avoid these lot like the plague but make an effort to listen to several hours a week of people who have never played the game at any kind of level talk about it.
 
The Athlete, The ambassador, The icon (terrible use of capitalization and punctuation - but goes well with his medical expert's use of exclamation marks).
 
horsechoker said:
Why would any club outside of the UK have gone for him after reading that?
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Hehe, good point.

But let's just conclude that the people behind this brochure were - I dunno, really. The whole thing reads like a parody of some kind.

But we can't ignore the fact that he actually ended up at United AFTER the brochure was circulated.

Doubt very much that Fergie paid any attention to said brochure, though. He probably figured: "Free transfer, good finisher, don't care about helicopters or the fact that the player is "cool"...but he actually is a good finisher, so why not..."
 
Chesterlestreet said:
Hehe, good point.

But let's just conclude that the people behind this brochure were - I dunno, really. The whole thing reads like a parody of some kind.

But we can't ignore the fact that he actually ended up at United AFTER the brochure was circulated.

Doubt very much that Fergie paid any attention to said brochure, though. He probably figured: "Free transfer, good finisher, don't care about helicopters or the fact that the player is "cool"...but he actually is a good finisher, so why not..."
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I'm sure Ferguson looked around the dressing room in 2009 and said "you cats aren't cool enough". He then pointed finger guns and put on some glasses, throwing his leather jacket over his shoulder and riding his motorbike out of Carrington to sign Owen.
 
One of the great empaths is our Mickey.

Off the pitch, though, Michael's suffered some turbulent times recently.

In March, interior designer Mike Flynn - who had worked on Lower Soughton Hall - took a fatal overdose. The soccer ace was embroiled in a civil court case with the designer after Michael discovered "financial discrepancies". He says the trouble started when he discovered he had paid Flynn #276,000 for a security system, when the firm which carried out the work had only received #164,000.

Flynn committed suicide on the day he was due to attend a court hearing.

Michael says: "All I ever wanted was my money back. I just didn't want to be taken for a ride.

"If he had stayed alive and had spoken to me after it all came out, I would have talked to him. When I need to be hard, I can be, but I don't think Mike was a nasty person deep down."

In January, Louise fractured her pelvis in a riding accident in the grounds of the couple's home. Michael - himself no stranger to injury - says he quickly disregarded his initial fear that Louise could be paralysed and focussed his belief on her recovery.


"I wasn't panicking," he remembers. "I reasoned that she wasn't going to die so I never lost my self-control.

"To me, it was a problem that needed to be solved. Though it hurt to see her in such agony, she needed me to think, not break down sobbing."
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Chesterlestreet said:
The Athlete, The ambassador, The icon (terrible use of capitalization and punctuation - but goes well with his medical expert's use of exclamation marks).
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Michael Owen’s medical expert:
images
 
Also worth mentioning that Owen apparently took a massive pay cut when he joined United. He was on close to 100k p/w at Newcastle - earned around a third of that at United. Apparently.
 
renandstimpyfan83 said:
Michael Owen’s medical expert:
images
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Someone (probably on Reddit, not sure) made a comparison between his statements in the Owen brochure and the supposed "testimonies" of random people/patients used on his own website: The excessive use of exclamation marks was similar.
 
Chesterlestreet said:
Someone (probably on Reddit, not sure) made a comparison between his statements in the Owen brochure and the supposed "testimonies" of random people/patients used on his own website: The excessive use of exclamation marks was similar.
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Just found the same thing here: https://www.planetfootball.com/nost...hure-that-got-michael-owen-a-move-to-man-utd/

Saying that, I’ve just been killing time on John Green’s website, and some of his patient testimonials look familiar.

“I first visited John Green with a great deal of fear and trepidation and very low in confidence!” says the very real Steven Patient.

“At the end of my first session, my spirits had been lifted with his unique style of making people feel at ease with any situation!

“From 2005 to 2008 I visited John Green on numerous occasions, where my rehabilitation programme was stepped-up at exactly the right levels for me and was given so much moral support — far and beyond anything you could expect or imagine!”
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:lol:
 
renandstimpyfan83 said:
Seeing as this forum exists on the planet Earth it’s not that surprising surely? Does anyone like Michael Owen except for his mum and his wife?

I actually loved him as a player (especially the version before his first major injury) but he’s what we’d call in Sydney a shit bloke.
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Have you ever met Michael Owen and had a conversation with him?
 
horsechoker said:
Does anyone want to hear about the time I met Michael Owen at the supermarket?
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Michael famously doesn’t know how to make a cup of tea and his mother managed his finances until he was in his mid thirties. I find it hard to believe he does his own shopping to be honest.
 
matt10000 said:
Have you ever met Michael Owen and had a conversation with him?
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renandstimpyfan83 said:
Have you ever met and had a conversation with Nigel Farage?
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No but Nigel Farage speaks out and stands for a controversial political position and so people base their opinions of him on that.

Do you know Michael Owen’s political opinions? O what basis do hoj say that no one likes him except his parents and that he is a shit bloke?

Basically, you, like many others on here, can sit behind a keyboard and say things about him that you wouldn’t dare say in front of his face or his children’s faces.

It makes you very brave calling him a shit bloke just like the othes who have aaid he is autistic etc.

There are many who have said they don’t like his punditry or think ot is boring, that is fine but others like you say things that are personal and are out of order imo

Cue the smart arse response.......
 
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