Reds misfortune no surprise to Owen

(11-01-2011) Liverpool’s slump in fortunes comes as no surprise to their former striker Michael Owen. The 31-year-old Owen, who now plays for the Reds arch-enemies Manchester United, won four major trophies at Anfield, including three during the 2000-01 campaign under Gerard Houllier. "I am not particularly surprised. I would say their position reflects where they are right now," Owen told United Review. "They are in the middle of a transitional period and off the pitch they have had a change of ownership. They are also very reliant on a couple of star players and if they are out injured, they have tended to struggle." Owen played 216 games for Liverpool and scored 118 goals between 1996 and 2004. He left the Merseysiders to join Real Madrid.