 It will therefore be interesting to gauge Owen's emotions during today's noon press conference. Sure, he'll be happy to be at a club where he will be guaranteed a starting place every week and whose supporters will give him the fervent backing he has received at both Anfield and the Bernabeu. But Newcastle, while in an admittedly false position in the Premiership relegation zone, are a side in permanent transition and have not won a major domestic honour since 1955; the championship since 1927. When Owen left Liverpool last year to "realise his ambitions", it's a fair bet this wasn't quite what he envisaged. News of a £12m release clause that can be triggered after 12 months intrigues, but it's debatable whether Liverpool, having been reluctant to bid more than £8m, would pay even more a year down the line to a fellow Premiership club. Once again, Madrid will consider themselves winners of this transfer tale. So too Newcastle, at least for this season. As for Owen, well, only time will tell. Which leaves Liverpool. Benitez and the Anfield board will no doubt come in for plenty of flak for what could be perceived by some as being half-hearted attempts to re-sign Owen, but they were not going to be held to ransom for a second time over the player. That said, it is patently obvious an instinctive striker has been required after the shot-shy evidence against Middlesbrough, Sunderland and CSKA Sofia. With Milan Baros gone, Benitez must now rebuild bridges with Djibril Cisse after casting doubt over the Frenchman's future after last week's UEFA Cup win, despite his two-goal matchwinning cameo. That must be the Spaniard's immediate objective, together with integrating new signing Peter Crouch into a misfiring forward line for which Fernando Morientes still flatters to deceive. Any continued failure and the January sales beckon, where Benitez could in any case be tempted to renew his efforts to sign the 20-goals-a-season striker his squad desperately needs. Dirk Kuyt, anyone? For now, with the transfer deadline approaching at midnight, the Liverpool manager may need to bring in at least the centre-back and the right-midfielder he has so often mentioned in recent weeks, if only to quell any growing concern from supporters over what they see as a largely underwhelming summer spending spree. | 
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