Owen - I will reignite spark

[Park Life 71]

Owen wouldn't get a game for Arsenal or Man U as he's far too slow.

 

He wouldn't make it past Wengers sprint timing session (those that ultimately did for Henry).

[trophyshy 7058]

All sparks will burn out, in the end. TBH/Editors.

[Fop 1]

Owen wouldn't get a game for Arsenal or Man U as he's far too slow.

 

He wouldn't make it past Wengers sprint timing session (those that ultimately did for Henry).

 

How did Bergkamp manage it?

[sammynb 3161]

Owen wouldn't get a game for Arsenal or Man U as he's far too slow.

 

He wouldn't make it past Wengers sprint timing session (those that ultimately did for Henry).

 

How did Bergkamp manage it?

 

It's amazing what a fear of flying can get you out of!

[Ally 0]

At the minute he reminds me a bit of Shearer towards the end, ie everything having to be on a plate.

[Park Life 71]

Owen wouldn't get a game for Arsenal or Man U as he's far too slow.

 

He wouldn't make it past Wengers sprint timing session (those that ultimately did for Henry).

 

How did Bergkamp manage it?

 

He was quite nippy iirc.

 

But special case surely?

[tinofbeans 91]

owen's definitely lost a yard,and because he's not a physical player, despite bulking up a little, he has modified his game to suit. i've noticed his link up play is much better, but that doesn't mean he'd get in any of the top 4's first teams. his time has come.

[Guest alex]

Owen wouldn't get a game for Arsenal or Man U as he's far too slow.

 

He wouldn't make it past Wengers sprint timing session (those that ultimately did for Henry).

 

How did Bergkamp manage it?

They're similar players like.

[Scottish Mag 3]

I do think that Owen has lost a lot of his game. However, let's look at Sunday:

 

NUFC's first 'goal' disallowed; Owen is the man in the position to score.

 

NUFC's second 'goal' disallowed (the corner that went out then in): Owen is the man in the position to score.

 

NUFC's only goal of the game; Owen scores.

 

A great chance to make it 2 - 0, when the ball is cut back to near the penalty spot; Owen is the man in the postion to score.

 

 

The above examples show he does have this knack of being in the right place.

 

Everyone of those came from a set piece and thats generally for me the only time he looks dangerous.

 

I do not slate the guy on here or at the matches but he really does look done to me. Each game I keep expecting for it to maybe click but game after game it is convincing me that he is finished as a player. There is no doubting he knows where the back of the net is (although as pointed out by others even alot of his shots are both weak and scuffed) but his all round game is offering very little to the side from open play.

[Park Life 71]

I do think that Owen has lost a lot of his game. However, let's look at Sunday:

 

NUFC's first 'goal' disallowed; Owen is the man in the position to score.

 

NUFC's second 'goal' disallowed (the corner that went out then in): Owen is the man in the position to score.

 

NUFC's only goal of the game; Owen scores.

 

A great chance to make it 2 - 0, when the ball is cut back to near the penalty spot; Owen is the man in the postion to score.

 

 

The above examples show he does have this knack of being in the right place.

 

Everyone of those came from a set piece and thats generally for me the only time he looks dangerous.

 

I do not slate the guy on here or at the matches but he really does look done to me. Each game I keep expecting for it to maybe click but game after game it is convincing me that he is finished as a player. There is no doubting he knows where the back of the net is (although as pointed out by others even alot of his shots are both weak and scuffed) but his all round game is offering very little to the side from open play.

 

 

I think he'll be gone in the summer. But to who?

[Scottish Mag 3]

I do think that Owen has lost a lot of his game. However, let's look at Sunday:

 

NUFC's first 'goal' disallowed; Owen is the man in the position to score.

 

NUFC's second 'goal' disallowed (the corner that went out then in): Owen is the man in the position to score.

 

NUFC's only goal of the game; Owen scores.

 

A great chance to make it 2 - 0, when the ball is cut back to near the penalty spot; Owen is the man in the postion to score.

 

 

The above examples show he does have this knack of being in the right place.

 

Everyone of those came from a set piece and thats generally for me the only time he looks dangerous.

 

I do not slate the guy on here or at the matches but he really does look done to me. Each game I keep expecting for it to maybe click but game after game it is convincing me that he is finished as a player. There is no doubting he knows where the back of the net is (although as pointed out by others even alot of his shots are both weak and scuffed) but his all round game is offering very little to the side from open play.

 

 

I think he'll be gone in the summer. But to who?

 

I don't see anyone paying his wages tbh. I think he stay here until the end of his contract then leave for a big signing on fee at another club.

[Guest alex]

or £5m to Man City.

[Park Life 71]

or £5m to Man City.

[Fop 1]

Owen wouldn't get a game for Arsenal or Man U as he's far too slow.

 

He wouldn't make it past Wengers sprint timing session (those that ultimately did for Henry).

 

How did Bergkamp manage it?

 

He was quite nippy iirc.

 

But special case surely?

 

He was ok originally, not so much in his later years though. I'd say by the end he may have been less mobile than Shearer was.

 

But that's the point really, Owen would be more of a special case (than he is, and in a good way ) if he'd been playing for ManU or Arsenal or whatever. He was hardly a failure at RM in real terms, although relatively perhaps.

 

If you could think of a worst possible team for Owen to play in, it may well have been our team this season.

 

I'm not saying other teams will be knocking down our door for him, but that's more likely to be because of pay and injury worries than because they think he isn't worth having.

[Guest alex]

He's not a patch on the player he was at Real Madrid following on from those two injuries and it was fairly obvious the top 4 weren't that interested then.

Edit: Not sure how Owen at his peak even was more of 'special case' than Bergkamp either. The former's game was reliant on pace whereas Bergkamp's wasn't. So, ignoring Owen's lack of pace because of his 'special' qualities isn't really going to happen re: Wenger et al.

Edited February 5, 2008 by alex

[Fop 1]

He's not a patch on the player he was at Real Madrid following on from those two injuries and it was fairly obvious the top 4 weren't that interested then.

 

Maybe, maybe not (although yes I suspect he has lost quite a lot through his injuries with us), but either way he wouldn't be what he was in our team.

 

And as such it's hard to judge what he is or is not until we have a team that can even remotely play to his strengths.

 

Even after RM he was still rather injury prone and still very expensive, which isn't really the same thing as saying no one wanted him or indeed would use him, if the price was right.

[Tooj 17]

You can see the difference in his reactions off the mark even from that hat-trick he scored at West Ham compared to now.

[Fop 1]

Edit: Not sure how Owen at his peak even was more of 'special case' than Bergkamp either. The former's game was reliant on pace whereas Bergkamp's wasn't. So, ignoring Owen's lack of pace because of his 'special' qualities isn't really going to happen re: Wenger et al.

 

I dunno that Owen's game has really been that reliant on pace since his very early years (even then it was hardly the majority of his game in the way it might be for say Martin), certainly by RM it was much less so than in 1998.

[Tooj 17]

I posted this on N-O yesterday so I may as well put it in this thread as well.

 

One thing I've noticed as of late, especially after recently watching the 97/98 Season Review (Fuck knows why btw ), with regards to Owen, for his label of being such a "top class" finisher he's missing a lot of half chances, that you would expect somebody at least of his reputation to slide away. There's a bit of comparison in when Shearer returned from his injury in the 97/98 season. During the league campaign he wasn't firing at all, but obviously carried us to Wembley. Except in the league he buried a truly awesome free-kick at home versus Palace. He was missing several half chances that you would expect someone of Shearer's calibre to have buried at the time, or at least taken a lot of them.

 

The same I feel at the moment can be said of one Michael Owen, whenever he's getting the odd half chance he seems to be not at the races when it comes to snatching these chances. Could it be down to the fact we aren't creating much, same in '98, so it's at the back of his mind about our lack of chances, were as if we were creating more chances he would be a bit more relaxed at times when he does actually seem to get a sort of a chance.

 

Could this possibly be due to the returning from injury/confidence factor and if we get some more creativity around him will we see anything like a decent goal return next season? Or is he plain and simply finished as a top level striker?

 

There's no comparison btw of the Owen of now and Shearer even of '98 before people even think I'm saying there is.

[Hadrian 0]

u gotta feel for owen , he's had so many bad desicions from ref's , he's scored in nearly every game he's been back for , but most ruled offside .

ive gotta say owen's become a far more inteligent player , even going back to the last england games where he blocked their keeper so we could scored , was so slyly done ...great to watch . and baiting the offside for the freekick against boro was very smart .

his run's for the toon aswell have all been spot on , infact he's probably to good as they are all unfairly ruled offside atm .

 

he's defo lost more than a yard of pace tho, im not sure what the hell shay was on about when he said owen and oba are the fastest, cos ive not seen a quick owen out on the pitch for years .owen's comming to deep for the ball aswell, i guess he's feeling forced into doing that lately , but he cant take anyone on for love nor money .

need emre on the park for him aswell , these two have been sticking together this season , emre knew exactly who he was aiming for againt boro .

[Guest alex]

He's not a patch on the player he was at Real Madrid following on from those two injuries and it was fairly obvious the top 4 weren't that interested then.

 

Maybe, maybe not (although yes I suspect he has lost quite a lot through his injuries with us), but either way he wouldn't be what he was in our team.

 

And as such it's hard to judge what he is or is not until we have a team that can even remotely play to his strengths.

 

Even after RM he was still rather injury prone and still very expensive, which isn't really the same thing as saying no one wanted him or indeed would use him, if the price was right.

Well, he's a lot cheaper and a lot more available and has been on several occasions since then and no one has come in for him. The debate about him on leaving Madrid is moot anyway since he's nowhere near the player he was. You can see he's not a patch on the player we first saw in black and white. He'd do better with better service, that's a given. I don't know what point you're actually making other than that because he's never going to play for a top side again. Steven Taylor would do better in Arsenal's defence but he's not good enough to get a game for them either. You could say similar things about the whole team.

[Fop 1]

Could this possibly be due to the returning from injury/confidence factor and if we get some more creativity around him will we see anything like a decent goal return next season? Or is he plain and simply finished as a top level striker?

 

That's the thing, impossible to really tell as things stand.

[Guest alex]

I posted this on N-O yesterday so I may as well put it in this thread as well.

 

One thing I've noticed as of late, especially after recently watching the 97/98 Season Review (Fuck knows why btw ), with regards to Owen, for his label of being such a "top class" finisher he's missing a lot of half chances, that you would expect somebody at least of his reputation to slide away. There's a bit of comparison in when Shearer returned from his injury in the 97/98 season. During the league campaign he wasn't firing at all, but obviously carried us to Wembley. Except in the league he buried a truly awesome free-kick at home versus Palace. He was missing several half chances that you would expect someone of Shearer's calibre to have buried at the time, or at least taken a lot of them.

 

The same I feel at the moment can be said of one Michael Owen, whenever he's getting the odd half chance he seems to be not at the races when it comes to snatching these chances. Could it be down to the fact we aren't creating much, same in '98, so it's at the back of his mind about our lack of chances, were as if we were creating more chances he would be a bit more relaxed at times when he does actually seem to get a sort of a chance.

 

Could this possibly be due to the returning from injury/confidence factor and if we get some more creativity around him will we see anything like a decent goal return next season? Or is he plain and simply finished as a top level striker?

 

There's no comparison btw of the Owen of now and Shearer even of '98 before people even think I'm saying there is.

I actually noted this about Shearer back then. I think it's a case of if you've gone from getting loads of chances and converting a high percentage then start getting fewer chances there's probably more pressure on you to convert those chances so you snatch at them etc.

[Fop 1]

Well, he's a lot cheaper and a lot more available and has been on several occasions since then and no one has come in for him. The debate about him on leaving Madrid is moot anyway since he's nowhere near the player he was. You can see he's not a patch on the player we first saw in black and white. He'd do better with better service, that's a given. I don't know what point you're actually making other than that because he's never going to play for a top side again. Steven Taylor would do better in Arsenal's defence but he's not good enough to get a game for them either. You could say similar things about the whole team.

 

He hasn't been that cheap when he's been available with that leaving clause, and he's never had the games under his belt to say that he would return from injury in any form at all during those times.

 

I'm clearly saying it's impossible to really say how good or bad he is given the team he is playing in, and that it's nothing like as clear cut as saying the top 4 would never come for him (at any price) and/or would never play him.

[Tooj 17]

I posted this on N-O yesterday so I may as well put it in this thread as well.

 

One thing I've noticed as of late, especially after recently watching the 97/98 Season Review (Fuck knows why btw ), with regards to Owen, for his label of being such a "top class" finisher he's missing a lot of half chances, that you would expect somebody at least of his reputation to slide away. There's a bit of comparison in when Shearer returned from his injury in the 97/98 season. During the league campaign he wasn't firing at all, but obviously carried us to Wembley. Except in the league he buried a truly awesome free-kick at home versus Palace. He was missing several half chances that you would expect someone of Shearer's calibre to have buried at the time, or at least taken a lot of them.

 

The same I feel at the moment can be said of one Michael Owen, whenever he's getting the odd half chance he seems to be not at the races when it comes to snatching these chances. Could it be down to the fact we aren't creating much, same in '98, so it's at the back of his mind about our lack of chances, were as if we were creating more chances he would be a bit more relaxed at times when he does actually seem to get a sort of a chance.

 

Could this possibly be due to the returning from injury/confidence factor and if we get some more creativity around him will we see anything like a decent goal return next season? Or is he plain and simply finished as a top level striker?

 

There's no comparison btw of the Owen of now and Shearer even of '98 before people even think I'm saying there is.

I actually noted this about Shearer back then. I think it's a case of if you've gone from getting loads of chances and converting a high percentage then start getting fewer chances there's probably more pressure on you to convert those chances so you snatch at them etc.