BENITEZ CONSIDERED OWEN MOVE
Posted 12/07/09 12:47
raf999 is mad.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed he considered signing Michael Owen this summer, but came to the conclusion that he would not command a regular first-team place.
The 29-year-old spent eight successful seasons at Anfield at the start of his career, scoring 158 goals in all competitions.
However that has not stopped the striker joining the Reds' fiercest rivals Manchester United on a free transfer from Newcastle this summer.
Benitez told The People: "We had contact with different people and were analysing the situation.
"But if you want to play Torres and Gerrard there is not always a lot of space for other players.
"When I brought back Robbie Fowler it was a different situation. We were looking for someone who could understand his role clearly and he was a good finisher.
"But we have a World Cup coming up and all the top players want to play. In his position it would be hard for Owen to play every week at Liverpool."
The Spaniard is also confident he already has enough squad depth at his disposal to cope with any injuries to his preferred front pairing.
"We are confident in (Dirk) Kuyt, (Ryan) Babel, (David) Ngog and (Andriy) Voronin for next season. We have players with quality," he added.
"People say I might need another striker but I remember signing Robbie Keane and everyone was saying good things.
"Then after I sold Robbie people were saying I was short of strikers but we scored more goals than anyone in the Premier League."
, I would like to see Babel go too.. his ball control not what you would expect from an LFC player, his running at times is "like lost one, don't know where to go, don't know when or how to pass the ball", and his talk talk talk somehow not realising that there is a certain Torres and Gerrard in the team way before him setting the standard...
let us sign heinze. 
