So who makes way for Owen?

[Neil]

Lien's prediction of magical mystical mystery: Owen to either start or come off the bench, produce a very average performance, nick a decisive goal getting either a point or 3, and start the next 5 games regardless.

[fredbob]

That's a load of bollocks.

 

Ameobi is not and never will be a strong targetman. You don't leave a player like Owen out for a donkey like ameobi. I've yet to see you make any sense in the years you've been on this forum.

 

So your counting on Owen and Martins to hold up the ball in the final third? Shola doesnt do it brilliantly but theres no one better who's available.

[Willow]

no-one stands in the way of owen, hes the best we have, he usually scores when he plays. step aside ameobi, you can warm that bench again mate.

[Guest rebel_yell12]

The great (comforting) thing is, the opinion of this board has no actual bearing on what will happen.  I don't think any manager will leave his captain on the bench.  Even Benitez at the peak of his "rotation" policy only rarely put Gerrard to the bench and then it was usually for rest/a niggly injury.  I've heard many complain about this same tendency of playing the captain when Terry was named England captain (again).  I'd also like to think that not even a second-choice NUFC manager would put his best player on the bench, winning side or not.

 

Why change a winning side, some ask.  I say, why persist with a poorer player when it's not necessary?  Why wait to drop points unnecessarily?  Why not field the strongest eleven the club has fit and available (especially being only 3 points from the bottom of the league)?  I'm struggling to imagine that the majority of posters on this thread honestly think Owen isn't one of the best eleven players at the club, if not the best outfield player.  If creativity, as some have claimed, is no longer a problem, do you all truly believe that Owen won't have anything to offer a club in 14th place (or at least, more than Ameobi)?  As a "super-sub" Owen might work, but Kinnear shows no tendency to use his subs thusly.  Which essentially means that those advocating no change are saying that Michael Owen shouldn't play for Newcastle United despite being captain, highest paid and best (arguably) player.  That's a pretty sad use of resources.  The kind of waste that gets managers fired, clubs relegated and fans even more p*ssed off.

 

The "contract" argument is plain stupid.  The club published a statement saying that negotiations on all contracts have been suspended pending the ownership issues being resolved.  How can Owen sign something that's not in front of him?  Benching a player that you may want to sell in January is rather like cutting off the nose to spite the face, isn't it?  Either way, it's a ridiculous argument to make.  The club didn't offer Owen a contract until the mess with Keegan was already underway and I seem to remember most people thinking Owen would be foolish to sign it at that point.  The club hasn't gotten any more stable, so this reeks of opportunistic criticism rather than any genuine point.

 

Now, if Owen is still coming back from injury, I could see a 2nd half arrival v. Fulham, but after that...

 

So what you are saying is basically go with reputation rather than form and results?

 

In a way, I suppose I am.  I prefer to play those players who are proven and consistent.  What can I say, I'm a conservative person.  Owen is  better player than Ameobi.  He's a more consistent player than Martins.

 

More importantly, I like to think I am simply being logical and stating that it seems unlikely for the club captain to be relegated to being a "super sub" for a manager who doesn't seem to use his substitutes bench all that freely and has confirmed that said captain will be continuing as captain.  Forget the name.  He's captain, he's likely to play, right?  In that case, who is dropped for the captain's return?  If I had to choose, I'd say either Ameobi (Martins is on form and a goal threat, plus his pace can stretch a defence and make more room for Owen while Owen's gol threat can help draw defenders away from Martins) or one of the midfielders to try a version of last season's 4-3-3.  With Colo and Gutierrez as improvements in two positions from last season, and Guthrie able to deputise for Butt whilst Duff and Barton fight for the final spot...it could be a strong option, imo.   

[madras]

That's a load of bollocks.

 

Ameobi is not and never will be a strong targetman. You don't leave a player like Owen out for a donkey like ameobi. I've yet to see you make any sense in the years you've been on this forum.

 

So your counting on Owen and Martins to hold up the ball in the final third? Shola doesnt do it brilliantly but theres no one better who's available.

if the ball isn't 6ft in the air owen does it a lot better

[Nobody]

That's a load of bollocks.

 

Ameobi is not and never will be a strong targetman. You don't leave a player like Owen out for a donkey like ameobi. I've yet to see you make any sense in the years you've been on this forum.

 

So your counting on Owen and Martins to hold up the ball in the final third? Shola doesnt do it brilliantly but theres no one better who's available.

if the ball isn't 6ft in the air owen does it a lot better

This. And Martins is stronger than Ameobi too. Only thing Shola offers that we don't get with him on the bench is height, but he can't really use it anyway.

[TRon]

That's a load of bollocks.

 

Ameobi is not and never will be a strong targetman. You don't leave a player like Owen out for a donkey like ameobi. I've yet to see you make any sense in the years you've been on this forum.

 

So your counting on Owen and Martins to hold up the ball in the final third? Shola doesnt do it brilliantly but theres no one better who's available.

if the ball isn't 6ft in the air owen does it a lot better

 

Even so, the times that Owen has played with Martins they have hardly proven effective without Viduka in tandem. It just seems unnecessary to change a winning team to accomodate one player especially if there are doubts that it will even work.

[mattypnufc]

How about a nice 4 3 3 then chaps...drop Duff?

 

                  Given

 

Beye    Colo    Taylor  Enrique

 

        Barton  Butt/Guthrie

 

                  Jonas

 

      Owen  Shola  Martins

 

Could work??

[juniatmoko]

owen better be just bench warming...

[Yorkie]

That's a load of bollocks.

 

Ameobi is not and never will be a strong targetman. You don't leave a player like Owen out for a donkey like ameobi. I've yet to see you make any sense in the years you've been on this forum.

 

So your counting on Owen and Martins to hold up the ball in the final third? Shola doesnt do it brilliantly but theres no one better who's available.

if the ball isn't 6ft in the air owen does it a lot better

 

Even so, the times that Owen has played with Martins they have hardly proven effective without Viduka in tandem. It just seems unnecessary to change a winning team to accomodate one player especially if there are doubts that it will even work.

 

You mean that one game they played together last season where we beat Spurs 3-1?

[Optimistic Nut]

"We know we're a decent team and we were in a temporary position. If we have a decent run to the end of the season, and we'd expect that with the players we have, then 5th, 6th or 7th is by no means impossible" - Michael Owen.

 

 

[Guest timmy boy]

"We know we're a decent team and we were in a temporary position. If we have a decent run to the end of the season, and we'd expect that with the players we have, then 5th, 6th or 7th is by no means impossible" - Michael Owen.

 

 

 

What article is that from?

[Optimistic Nut]

It's on Ceefax.

[Optimistic Nut]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7713795.stm

 

Interview with him there.

[Guest nufc_kev]

It's on Ceefax.

 

Does that still exist? I remember tuning into page 359 for some letter's after hitting 338 for gossip back in the day.

[Guest timmy boy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7713795.stm

 

Interview with him there.

 

[Gallowgate End]

"We know we're a decent team and we were in a temporary position. If we have a decent run to the end of the season, and we'd expect that with the players we have, then 5th, 6th or 7th is by no means impossible" - Michael Owen.

 

 

 

Foolish aiming for 5th constitues the sack doesn't it..

 

On a serious note his words are totally unrealistic.

[Guest timmy boy]

It's on Ceefax.

 

Does that still exist? I remember tuning into page 359 for some letter's after hitting 338 for gossip back in the day.

 

haha - I remember coming back from school and putting it straight on.302 for football 340 for cricket and bamboozle the quiz on channel 4s teletext.

[Guest SB]

Just seen him presenting an award to Tokyo Hotel at EMA 2008.

 

Best info of today, right?

 

[Luc]

Just play Oba and Owen up front. Ameobi wasn't that great.

[Yorkie]

"We know we're a decent team and we were in a temporary position. If we have a decent run to the end of the season, and we'd expect that with the players we have, then 5th, 6th or 7th is by no means impossible" - Michael Owen.

 

 

 

Foolish aiming for 5th constitues the sack doesn't it..

 

On a serious note his words are totally unrealistic.

 

Jesus. It's rent-a-quote; he's the Captain of the club so he's bound to say it. It gets said every year by just about every single club in the division. Not really any need to pick the bones out of it.

[JH]

"We know we're a decent team and we were in a temporary position. If we have a decent run to the end of the season, and we'd expect that with the players we have, then 5th, 6th or 7th is by no means impossible" - Michael Owen.

 

 

 

Foolish aiming for 5th constitues the sack doesn't it..

 

On a serious note his words are totally unrealistic.

 

Jesus. It's rent-a-quote; he's the Captain of the club so he's bound to say it. It gets said every year by just about every single club in the division. Not really any need to pick the bones out of it.

 

Brilliant how he's criticised like isn't it?

 

I'm sure people would much rather prefer "At the end of the day, the quality of our team is not great, and we'll be lucky to still be in this league at the end of the season. 15th place is the best we can strive for"

[Optimistic Nut]

Is the top-six really that unrealistic? Not one squad outside of the top four and Villa do I think we're not as good as them. Hull won't keep their form up, so I think 6th's there for the taking.

[Luc]

Is the top-six really that unrealistic? Not one squad outside of the top four and Villa do I think we're not as good as them. Hull won't keep their form up, so I think 6th's there for the taking.

 

Man City will buy at least 57 players in January so they'll end up top 6 at least.

[Yorkie]

We've got a team that is good enough to challenge for the top 6. We don't have a club that is in a state to challenge at the moment, though. Had nowt have happened after the transfer window closed (Keegan still boss, etc), i'm fairly confident we'd have been up there with Hull and Villa at this point.