20 games

According to reports, Big Sam isn't rushing to offer Michael Owen a new contract. With Owen no longer having the benefit of a buy-out clause, it looks like he'll be staying put for a while yet, although as Allardyce points out, the chances of him getting a new contract hinge on him being able to actually string a run of 20 games together in a black and white shirt (not unreasonable given that he's only managed about 20 games for us in the last two years).

With rumours suggesting Sven is waiting in the wings to take Owen off our hands, it's reassuring to know that any deal will be done on our terms or not at all, and it's to be hoped that Owen can start to turn out for us on a weekly basis.

Personally, I'm just hoping he survives his jaunt round the astroturf tonight without anything more than a grazed knee for his troubles.