Michael Owen and Alan Shearer have become involved in a bitter war of words on Twitter following the former’s comments about his move to Newcastle.
Owen joined the Magpies from Real Madrid in 2005 and regretted that decision.
In his new book, My Life, My Time, he was heavily critical of Shearer’s time as interim manager of the club.
Shearer started the spat on social media by responding to an extract of the book and said: “Yes Michael, we thought that also, whilst on £120k a week…”
Owen was quick to hit back though and hinted about a time when the Premier League’s record goalscorer tried to force a move to Liverpool.
He said: “Not sure you are as loyal to Newcastle as you make out mate. I distinctly remember you being inches away from signing for Liverpool after Sir Bobby Robson put you on the bench. You tried everything to get out.”
It would seem that Shearer’s possible move to the Reds at the start of the 2003/04 season does have some truth.
Liverpool legend, and Gerard Houllier’s assistant at the time, Phil Thompson said in 2005 at how they tried to sign the Newcastle star.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “We needed an immediate impact at the start of that 2003/04 season and one player who came to our attention was the opposite of our two young hopefuls Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Anthony Le Tall-ec.
“He was a tried and trusted superstar, one of the great players in the game and a man whose stature could give everyone a lift – on and off the pitch. His name was Alan Shearer.
“Of course, Alan was still a god at Newcastle, but he had not signed his new contract. Gerard (Houllier) came to me and said: ‘Do you fancy Alan Shearer?’ I said ‘Of course!’ although I felt there was little or no chance of securing his services because of his ties to the North East.
“Gerard felt he could be another Gary McAllister for us, a great pro who could spark things with his approach, attitude and quality.
“It would also have revived the Alan Shearer/Michael Owen partnership that had ben so successful for England in the past. The boss said that he had this feeling that Alan would come to Anfield.
“Contact was made, although Newcastle were obviously not keen to let him go.
“We said we would like to be kept informed, aware that it would be a major coup to capture someone of Shearer’s stature. We also knew that it would be a massive negotiation, but early indications were that he would come.
Sam Allardyce on Michael Owen's comments that he did not want to join Newcastle
“Nothing happened over a period of 10 days and then all of a sudden the Geordie hero got the contract at St James’ Park that he had wanted.
“That had been my only fear, that his advisers might have used Liverpool’s interest to force Newcastle’s hand, but Alan Shearer is as honest and down to earth as they come and Gerard was convinced that his interest in joining us was genuine.
“The boss had been in talks with Bobby Robson about a possible deal and we know that Shearer didn’t use us. In the end it was his sheer love of all things Geordie that kept him in the North East.”
Shearer went on to score 22 Premier League goals for Newcastle that season with Liverpool’s top scorer was Owen with 16.
Goals from the rest of their strikers is where Houllier’s side struggled with Emile Heskey adding seven and Milan Baros just one.
A player like Shearer, despite being 33 at the time, could have done wonders for the side and pushed them further than the fourth they achieved.
Here at talkSPORT.com, we have taken a look at what Houllier’s team with Shearer in might have been like.
How Liverpool could have looked
5-3-2
This formation would have been my preference as it would have enabled Shearer and Owen to work in tandem as the central strikers.
The 2003/04 squad seemed to lack many natural right-sided midfielders, so playing Steve Finnan as a wing-back would solve that issue.
Dietmar Hamann would be the man to miss out in the midfield with Harry Kewell, Steven Gerrard and Danny Murphy in an attacking three.
4-4-2
A formation for the purists in the traditional 4-4-2. Gerard Houllier had plenty of options in the centre of his midfield with Vladimir Smicer in this instance play on the right.
Stephane Henchoz is the defender to miss out while Murphy and Gerrard are the central midfielders.
4-3-3
This is probably the unlikeliest of how they would have lined-up because it would have needed Owen to push out wider to the right rather than play through the middle.
This would also have helped incorporate their three excellent central midfielders in Danny Murphy, Steven Gerrard and Dietmar Hamann.
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