Michael Owen forced to wait on Stoke City future
MICHAEL Owen will be kept waiting until the end of the season before learning his fate at Stoke City.
Manager Tony Pulis wants to see out the current campaign before sitting down to discuss Owen's future at the Britannia Stadium.
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Michael Owen is being made to sweat on his Stoke City future.
The odds appear stacked against the 33-year-old former England striker being offered a second year at Stoke after seeing his first include just half-a-dozen substitute appearances so far in the Premier League.
And Owen's stop-start debut campaign in the Potteries appears to have hit another snag ahead of tomorrow's trip to Fulham (12.45pm) following a thigh injury earlier this week.
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But for now, Pulis, pictured below, is refusing to rule out the possibility of a second deal for the injury-hit striker.
"We will review it at the end of the season with Dean Whitehead and three or four others," said Pulis.
"It will help his cause if he is in the team, of course it will. Michael wants to play. He wants to play every week.
"I haven't got a player in that dressing room that doesn't want to play. There is no-one in there happy to just sit and pick up the money.
"We needed to get Michael games, but over Christmas was difficult because there was so much going on.
"But once we got that out of the way we arranged two or three games, which he was part of."
The Stoke boss denied there was any clause in Owen's contract guaranteeing him a second season if he played a fixed amount of matches.
"No, he doesn't need to play a certain amount of games to win a contract," he added.
"There is nothing like that in his deal. There are no strings attached to his contract."
Owen's latest injury blow came earlier this week just as Pulis was ready to pat him on the back.
"He did well in training on Tuesday," he recalled, "but then in the last couple of minutes he felt a nick in his thigh.
"It's big blow for us and a real disappointment if he can't be involved this weekend.
"He has had a scan and they are looking at him, so we will have to see how he is."
Marc Wilson looks certain to claim at least a place on the bench at Fulham tomorrow after recovering from the broken leg sidelining him since October 27.
"He has taken his time in lots of respects and we have taken our time with him, but he's close now and we are desperate to get him playing again," said Pulis.
American international Brek Shea will have to be more patient, it seems, but could find himself among the substitutes if Pulis chooses to shake them up.
18 Comments
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by Holeinhole
Saturday, February 23 2013, 6:15PM
“Buy Tommy Pope for big money the vale will shell him for two mil ( this season ) of course”
by Holeinhole
Saturday, February 23 2013, 6:12PM
“aka Mr Sick note well over due to hang his boots up and run the race horse stables”
by Davejjohnson
Saturday, February 23 2013, 10:17AM
“Some like to go on about TP's tactics DJ but football is about players. Stoke lost their entertainment factor when Fuller's injuries finally caught up with him. Just as in the past we were entertained by Chamberlain, Stein and Bertie etc. No amount of tactics will bring the entertainment back until we get another. Fingers crossed for Brek Shea.”
by Stars-stripes
Saturday, February 23 2013, 8:23AM
“I'm hurt and shocked that I've reached a red arrow record by pointing out a web site short comings however I'm lifted that ived not achieved that record whilst posting about our best manager for 35 years.
Dj stoke you should read what he posted about us beating Swansea”
by DJ_Stoke
Saturday, February 23 2013, 7:02AM
“NA na na NA NA -- NA NA......... RICARDO FULLER CITY'S NUMBER 10:
http://tinyurl.com/aq8ytrm
thread closed !”
by DJ_Stoke
Saturday, February 23 2013, 6:49AM
“PS love how much Potterstool/Soccerfoot prattles on about respect of player calibre under TP's helm with Owen, yet derided Woodgate to no end on here and wanted Upson playing ahead of him, I take it the glass was foggy in his sky box at the Swindon match then ya.... Bet he knows the stats of that game though oddly enough, eventhough we know he was never even there...”
by DJ_Stoke
Saturday, February 23 2013, 6:31AM
“5 years in the Prem and 2 goals of the season(s) says it all for me! I am in Heaven and always will be thanks to the hard work down Stoke! These are the good THE BEST TIMES fellas !!! If we are the club where winded strikers come to die, so be it !
Could not care less if Tone signed Shearer tomorrow, even the mysterious John Barnes.
Who is that guy anyway?”
by Davejjohnson
Friday, February 22 2013, 9:21PM
“People keep banging on about Owens wages but The Telegraph printed a story this week stating Owen was one of Stokes lowest paid players and almost all of his wages are based on appearances and goals. Would love to be proved wrong but maybe the lad is just past it.”
by mrdoulton
Friday, February 22 2013, 6:20PM
“top striking partnership Owen and tom pope”
by NOONESHOME
Friday, February 22 2013, 5:15PM
“You have to feel sorry for Owen, He is one of the top English strikers of all time, albeit in the later stages of his footbal life. Then comes to Stoke to be sat on the bench, or not even make the bench. They wonder why he keeps getting Groin strains, and thigh strains,well it should be obvious, even to our coaching staff,He does not play enough match football.Owen and Crouchy have been the best partnership for England for a long while, Yet our exalted tactician has never given them a run in the team together, Take a bit of advice Mr Owen, get yourself away from TP, and Stoke as quick as you can,you deserve a lot more respect. or you will end up with blisters on your backside.Stripes, talk about putting your foot in it. Great post.”