A gamble? Don't bet on it

I have to admit I was as shocked as the rest of you when Michael Owen signed for Manchester United. I certainly didn't see that one coming.

Like everyone else, I imagined the little striker was heading for somewhere like Aston Villa or maybe Everton, a club just outside the top four.

However, unlike the vast majority of the people I have spoken to over the past couple of days, I don't think this is a gamble by United in any shape or form.

True, Owen has had enough injury problems to fill two or three careers, and his last four years have been disastrous in terms of staying fit, but he is a natural and proven goalscorer. Throughout his career he has scored at the rate of a goal every other game and you don't hit the back of the net 40 times for your country unless you have a fair amount of talent.

When you add to that the fact that Owen was available on a free transfer and that his wage demands are probably less than half what Carlos Tevez was looking for, the deal becomes much less of a gamble.

In fact, I would go so far as to describe it as a bargain.

Other, less generous people have suggested the move makes United a laughing stock. Having missed out on Ribery and Benzema, Sir Alex has been forced to scrap around for other club's leftovers.

But that is simply ludicrous. Owen was a world-class player up to a couple of years ago. He has had a bad spell, fair enough, but you can't write off someone with his talent and experience at the ripe old age of 29.

Sir Alex has a history of making controversial and unexpected signings, and this, especially considering Owen's Liverpool background, must rank up there as one of his most daring.

But if anyone can get Owen back on track, then Sir Alex is the man. The Scot has long been an admirer of the former Real Madrid player and he believes playing for a top club will restore the striker to his former glory.

"Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish," Ferguson said. And that is certainly true.

I believe all those people who have laughed off this transfer as a bit of joke and the others who have shaken their heads in bewilderment will be changing their tune come the end of the season. Then, I believe, it will be hailed as yet another masterstroke by a manager who has an entire collection of them to his name.

Ultimately, if United want to rebuild Owen into the 20-goal-a-season player he once was, they only have to do three things: keep him fit, keep him motivated and give him the ball.

I am reminded of another of Sir Alex's signings that raised a whole bunch of eyebrows - a certain Eric Cantona. I think it is fair to say that that move worked out, erm, rather well.

As I have mentioned before, this is the possibly the most crucial season in Owen's life. He has to prove himself to the doubters, one of which is probably himself. And he needs a special season under his belt if he is to make it to the next World Cup.

Sir Alex is nothing if not shrewd. By making this signing he has, in my opinion, got the right player at the right time for the right price.

Handy Andy

Today's Wimbledon final promises to be a classic.

In one corner you have Roger Federer, who is taking part in his seventh consecutive final and looking for his sixth victory, a quite remarkable record.

In the other is Andy Roddick, conqueror of Andy Murray in the semis and a player whose immense potential has never been totally fulfilled.

The beauty of today's match is that it sees both players in a rich vein of form.

Federer has only dropped one set on his ruthless march to the final, while Roddick has added several new facets to his game in recent months, making him a more complete all-round player.

The Swiss star will definitely start the match as clear favourite. He has a love affair going on with Wimbledon that shows no sign of letting up. He is now widely regarded as the best player in the history of the game and a large slice of that reputation is down to his phenomenal record in the London tournament.

Roddick, however, will relish the role of underdog. He goes into the match safe in the knowledge that there are no real expectations on him to win, a position that served him well in the semi.

Who am I backing? Well, instinctively you would have to go with Federer. All the indicators point towards him getting his hands on the famous trophy, and possibly shedding a tear or two as well.

But I am going with Roddick.

I have a feeling it may just be the time when his potential is finally realised and he steps out of the shadows and into the limelight.

It's only a hunch, but if he can repeat the form of Friday's clash with Murray he may just be able to call a halt to Federer's incredible Wimbledon run.

A striking issue

It's starting to look like Manchester City's Mark Hughes has some sort of bizarre fetish for strikers.

Despite the fact that the team's major shortcomings last season were in defence and midfield, he has remained obsessed with building up the world's largest collection of attacking players.

By my calculations they have Jo, Bellamy, Benjani, Evans, Robinho, Boijnov, Caicedo and Santa Cruz on their books already.

You would have thought that eight would be enough, but no, the club is still chasing Samuel Eto'o like an obsessed stalker, and the link with Tevez just won't go away.

It could, of course, be a classic case of over-compensation. Having been rejected by Kaka in January, Hughes may have decided to opt for quantity over quality. If he can't have the best striker in the world, he will have all the rest instead.

But my worry for the club is that their real issues are going unaddressed. Gareth Barry has been purchased and, although he will help, he is not a total solution to the problem of their weak midfield. They need at least one more quality acquisition in that area.

And their defence has remained untouched. Yes, they made a bid to sign John Terry from Chelsea but they might as well have tried to sign the Queen. Terry was never going to leave Stamford Bridge, not even for silly money.

That particular move by City was similar to the Kaka one back in January, more of a way of flexing their financial muscle than a serious attempt to sign a player they thought they may get.

The whole thing - the obsession with strikers and the bids for players they are not likely to get - makes me wonder just how much control Hughes actually has over his transfer plans.

I have the feeling the club's new owners are dabbling in team affairs, tinkering with their new toy. Signing strikers is always a crowd pleaser, while bidding for unavailable stars is a good publicity stunt.

Hughes is a good young manager and he must surely be aware that failing to strengthen the weak areas will have serious repercussions on his team. Any underperformance, with owners who are probably itching to go for a big name boss, will see him out on his ear by the turn of the year.

Of course, maybe I am wrong. Maybe it is Hughes himself who has genuinely developed an addiction to strikers. Maybe the former Manchester United player has decided to follow the Keegan method of management and allow his team to concede six goals a game provided they score seven.

Maybe he plans to play five or six attackers in each game, some of them out of position, in the hope that their forward play will somehow compensate for their defensive frailties.

Either way, I don't think things are heading in the right direction for City and on that basis I am going to stick a tenner on Hughes being the season's first managerial casualty.

Your say

Chris Borg, Msida, writes:

"What a relief that Max Mosley has decided to call it a day. I hope that once the dust has settled, Formula 1 will be restored to its former glory.

"Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt is being tipped as the new FIA president but there is strong opposition from FOTA for obvious reasons. I fully agree. The man chosen for the post should preferably not have had links with Formula 1.

"The time was right for Mr Mosley's departure. He had put himself in a very tight corner, so tight in fact that not even Bernie Ecclestone could get him out of it this time round."

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com