Looking back to August 24th 2005 it is hard to imagine how any signing as exciting as the record capture of Michael Owen from Real Madrid could ever end up being as furiously disappointing as it turned out to be in the end. He had broken the bank and was being signed as a replacement for the weary legs of Alan Shearer, who even offered to give up his number 9 in a symbolic gesture, and he didn't have a bad first season, despite starting it (typically) with an injury. For most of the time Owen spent injured, Newcastle fans remained sympathetic - his England injury was hard to take as it looked like he'd rushed back at the cost of his Newcastle career - but it was no more than bad luck, and it wasn't like he was trying to get crocked. But then in that final season, with Newcastle fighting to stay up Owen simply checked out halfway through the season. He refused to sign a new contract (thankfully) and made it very clear he was off, no matter what happened, which annoyed fans no end. And then since he's left, he's shown such little grace in admitting how bad he had been at Newcastle or how much of a waste of money he was, and fans have turned on him even more. Which other players deserve to be on this list? Share your picks below in the comments thread.
