This episode in 2004 was the first building block in my views about Rafa.
Having got rid of him, unsurprisingly the league campaign that year was a major struggle. A year later, he was desperate to return, and gave us as long as he could to sign him. Rafa wouldn't budge though, and the start of the next league campaign set a new record low position by October, and left us 9 points short of the title.
4 years later, Owen tried to return again. After the disgraceful sale of Keane, and with Torres injury problems, forward options were severely limited and quality alternatives with proven ability hard to find. However Rafa had decided that the only forward he was interested in was Torres, and despite our financial problems, wouldn't even take Owen on a free. The league campaign was one embarrassment after another, and despite being top seeds in the European Cup group, that campaign was even worse. I don't like where Owen went to then, like everyone else, but he was a player that needed a club and if we were not prepared to sign him, he had to go and find one. I don't hold it against him, and remember him for the goals and the records he set for us while he was here rather than who he played for after he left.
Owen did not run down his contract. On the brink of signing a new contract, negotiations were stopped, and we got a €10 million fee for him. McManaman did, and when he went to the same club, we got nothing for him whatsoever. After all, he ended up finishing his career in mancland too.
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