Owen faces crisis talks

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is still seething with Owen and his advisers, whom he blames for leaking a story that the player has a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for £9million after the club failed to qualify for Europe.

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A week on, Shepherd is still seeking public assurances about Owen's loyalty to Newcastle, who have stood by him during his two injury-plagued years at St James' Park.

One-time Liverpool star Owen has played only two-and-a-half games this season and 11 Premiership matches last season following his £18m move from Real Madrid.

Although the club have taken some heart from the comments of close friend and club ambassador Alan Shearer, who says he believes Owen will be at the club at the start of the season, the hierarchy want to hear Owen speak out himself.

"The ball is in his court," said Shepherd. "I haven't heard from Michael but he wouldn't have signed in the first place if he didn't think this was the place.

"If 20,000 people coming to see him that day didn't make his mind up, nothing would.

"He's under contract here until something else happens and I hope he stays. He's a great player and I've got no problem with him. But like any player, he has to make his mind up about what he wants to do."

Shepherd hopes replacing Glenn Roeder with Allardyce, a leading and innovative Premiership manager, will spur Owen into a public declaration.

Newcastle are already preparing their summer purchases, with Allardyce in full charge of transfers, but much will depend on how much money can be generated by sales.

Owen was among a handful of senior players, including captain Scott Parker, fellow England international Kieron Dyer and the injured Damien Duff, who were given permission to miss Allardyce's long-awaited arrival at the training ground yesterday morning.

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Allardyce could barely keep the grin from his face as he breezed into St James', promising a new era and blueprint for success which he hopes will persuade Owen to stay.

"I will speak Michael on the phone in the near future," said Allardyce, who wants to arrange face-to-face talks.

"The speculation will be resolved once we speak to him. No doubt he will tell me what he's thinking and we will react to that.

"It's not all about Michael Owen. Michael is a big player, he's had great treatment, the problem seems to have cleared up and if he's back playing football that can only benefit Newcastle.

"I'm sure if they start working with me they will start enjoying what they do. They will get up in the morning and look forward to training.

"Football is a wonderful career to be in. I've enjoyed every minute — apart from when I was sacked a couple of times — and I want to pass my experience on to others.

"That will be for the benefit of everybody. A winning team makes everyone else's life so much better."

Allardyce has other key issues to sort out before his squad return to pre-season training on July 2.

He had 18 backroom staff at Bolton as well as a fresh attitude to modern sports science and nutrition. He has vowed to bring that mentality to Newcastle, with Shepherd promising to fund his plans.

"If Bolton can afford it, Newcastle can," said the chairman. "He's got my blessing to implement the same sort of system he had at Bolton. It would take an idiot not to realise the problems we've had with injuries this season.

"We've got the Premiership record for injuries, so of course he's going to bring his medical staff in. In 2004 it was well known that we tried to get him.

"At the time it wasn't possible because of contractual arrangements at Bolton. When he resigned from Bolton it was too good an opportunity not to give it 100 per cent."

STUART PEARCE has spoken of how he was treated like a caretaker manager at Manchester City in being starved of cash backing.

City sacked Pearce via a telephone call on Monday. He conceded it came as no surprise but believed a lack of funds was the key reason behind his demise.

Pearce said: "The previous manager [Kevin Keegan] had around £50m to spend and if the club are taken over the next manager may have £50m to spend, so in that sense I feel as though I've been a caretaker with no money to spend, getting the books balanced while keeping the club in the Premiership.

"I wasn't taken aback, shocked or angered by the board's decision. I'm not naive or stupid. I felt we were going in the correct direction but needed some finance to drive the club forward. But I do not regret taking the job."