Will Michael Owen wear it next season or will a new star be handed the iconic shirt?
George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo – All Manchester United heroes.
Apart from their God blessed talent, they had another privelege in common, to be handed the club’s number seven shirt.
In fact it is their legendary performances which make the shirt so special, and which place so much expectation on anyone else who is handed the shirt.
United, despite their problems, had a memorable season, notching up 89 points, nine more than the total which won them the league in 2010-11.
This was done without any contribution in the league whatsoever from a ‘number seven’.
Michael Owen is the man in current possession of the shirt, and we are asking if his time is up?
Some shirts are just numbers, but at Old Trafford the history of the number seven shirt make it more than that, fans want to be dazzled by a playmaker with special ability, who can live up to the legends seen wearing it previously.
Owen has worn the shirt since 2009, when he was handed it after Cristiano Ronaldo departed for Real Madrid.
Despite his memorable winner in the 4-3 victory over Manchester City, his moments have been few and far between, and he has been absent since October through injury, save for a late appearance on the bench on the season’s final day.
Will he stay or will he go? Sir Alex Ferguson clearly rates his goalscoring abilities, but it is getting to the point of ridicule with his constant injuries.
With young guns Federico Macheda, Will Keane, and soon enough Davide Petrucci, pushing for first team opportunities, Owen risks hampering their development by taking up a key squad place.
United have three options (a) Keep Owen, (b) Keep Owen and hand the number seven shirt to somebody else or (c) Sell/Release Owen to make way for a new hero.
Option (b) will be deemed a bit of a public humiliation for Owen, but surely he would understand, and settle for the compromise if it allows him to carry on as a Manchester United player.
United fans will want to see an exciting number seven adding inventiveness to their performances, whether it is Shinji Kagawa, Eden Hazard, or other.
A new hero is demanded. Owen has not lived up to the hype.
Should United hand the number seven shirt to somebody else? Sell Owen or keep him?
image: © Gordon Flood
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