Owen in a deeper role - could it be the way forward?

[LooneyToonArmy]

Owen in the money as Newcastle set to pony up new four-year £20m contract

 

Last updated at 22:40pm on 16th April 2008

 

Michael Owen will open talks over a new £20million four-year contract at Newcastle United. Owner Mike Ashley is ready to tie Owen to a £110,000-a-week deal to replace the one which expires at the end of next season.

 

Manager Kevin Keegan has been keen to negotiate with Owen and his advisers since guiding Newcastle away from the relegation zone with an unbeaten five-game run.

 

Ashley is preparing a summer spending spree and the club are also on the verge of announcing a £90,000-aweek deal for Nigeria striker Obafemi Martins, who has already agreed the four-year contract in principle.

 

Owen scored four goals in four games as part of a three-man strikeforce before the goalless draw at Portsmouth on Saturday, when he was denied a certain goal by England team-mate David James.

 

The former Liverpool striker, who joined Newcastle in an £18m switch from Real Madrid in the summer 2005, has started Newcastle's last 16 games, easily his best run in his injury plagued time at the club.

 

He has scored 15 times in 33 League starts for the club, and Keegan said after the 3-0 win over Reading 12 days ago: 'I've already started to say we should be talking to Michael now, not next week, not next month. But now.

 

'Michael's not going to stop scoring goals, he's not going to stop catching the eye and Michael is going to be wanted by other clubs.'

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=560156&in_page_id=1779&ct=5

[Taylor Swift]

There's no way Oba's going to get £90k/week. They're just throwing out silly numbers now.

[sicsfingeredmong]

What's annoying about Rednapp's comment is that it's another dig at Keegan, for supposedly being a 'tactical muppet'.

 

Owen, as an all-out striker, will remain productive on the international stage. Defenses hold a deeper line, and the centrehalves concentrate more on defending space in the box/playing a zonal orientated system. This suits Owen because he's adept at slipping off defenders in the box & finding space.

 

Different kettle of fish in the league, and this is where i think Rednapp misses the mark. League = higher defensive line + manmarking orientated system = Owen is no longer the impact he once was versus such a system.

[Guest float one in]

What's annoying about Rednapp's comment is that it's another dig at Keegan, for supposedly being a 'tactical muppet'.

 

Owen, as an all-out striker, will remain productive on the international stage. Defenses hold a deeper line, and the centrehalves concentrate more on defending space in the box/playing a zonal orientated system. This suits Owen because he's adept at slipping off defenders in the box & finding space.

 

Different kettle of fish in the league, and this is where i think Rednapp misses the mark. League = higher defensive + manmarking = Owen is no longer cut for it.

 

Good comments.

[KaKa]

Pay no attention to Redknapp.

 

The nitwit is currently playing Papa Bouba Diop on the right wing for goodness sake.

[Disco]

All Redknapp seems to do in the press is have a dig at others. Odious twat that he is.

[Cronky]

Pay no attention to Redknapp.

 

The nitwit is currently playing Papa Bouba Diop on the right wing for goodness sake.

 

......and managing a team that is sixth in the League and in the Cup Final. Let's give credit where it's due.

[STM]

Kevin Keegan interview coming up on SSN talks about Owen, apparently confident he will sign. Nothing new really but should be interesting.

[sicsfingeredmong]

Pay no attention to Redknapp.

 

The nitwit is currently playing Papa Bouba Diop on the right wing for goodness sake.

 

......and managing a team that is sixth in the League and in the Cup Final. Let's give credit where it's due.

 

 

Point is here's another bloke - ie. Rednapp - having a go at Keegan by implying that he's a tactical muppet of sort.

 

In reality though Keegan has assessed & evaluated where Owen's game sits right now, and unlike Rednapp has been able to distinguish between the two seperate stages - ie. playing upfront as an 'on-the-shoulder' striker internationally and domestically - and has duly altered Owen' role in the team.

[Cronky]

Pay no attention to Redknapp.

 

The nitwit is currently playing Papa Bouba Diop on the right wing for goodness sake.

 

......and managing a team that is sixth in the League and in the Cup Final. Let's give credit where it's due.

 

 

Point is here's another bloke - ie. Rednapp - having a go at Keegan by implying that he's a tactical muppet of sort.

 

In reality though Keegan has assessed & evaluated where Owen's game sits right now, and unlike Rednapp has been able to distinguish between the two seperate stages - ie. playing upfront as an 'on-the-shoulder' striker internationally and domestically - and has duly altered Owen' role in the team.

 

Well, Redknapp may or may not be right about Owen in his new role, but he's done a good job at Portsmouth, and it feels a bit embarrassing to hear him called an idiot when his team are currently way ahead of ours.

 

I think the jury's still out on Owen in his new role. I'd agree that there's a problem about him as a striker now, and Keegan was right to have tried something different. But his performances haven't been earth-shattering. I haven't seen anything to suggest that he's got an international future in that role, and he's not necessarily the best option long-term even for us.