Who is more important?

[Guest Heneage]

Shay personally, we've had good strikers come and go but its rare we've had such a solid keeper.

[Tachikoma]

Owen isn't even our most important striker. [Can open, worms everywhere]

[WhatTheFunk]

Owen, all day.

 

Harper in goal, Owen upfront - i doubt our results would fluctuate that much.

Given in goal, Ameobi upfront - i think the results would be considerably different.

 

 

In a nutshell.

 

Yup. Thread closed

[Guest Edd]

Given easily, imo.

 

It's possible to win games in which Owen goes missing.

If it's impossible for us to win games in which Owen goes missing, then surely that means we rely entirely on Owen for goals?

 

Therefore you really mean Owen is most important which is the right answer.

[Skirge]

Shay by a mile!!

[Guest diddimz]

Theres a bigger difference between Owens and his replacement Striker, and Given and Harper, so at the minute I would say we need Owen more. Given I have much more respect for as a player though and would rather see him see his career out here then Owen.

[SUPERTOON]

Owen- his goals can keep us up.

 

I think Harper would be a good enough replacement for Given.

[Yorkie]

Owen, all day.

 

Harper in goal, Owen upfront - i doubt our results would fluctuate that much.

Given in goal, Ameobi upfront - i think the results would be considerably different.

 

In a nutshell.

 

Please tell me how losing Owen means Ameobi is up front? Like we wont replace Owen?

 

You having a laugh like? The guy's got 17 goals in his last 24 games.

 

Joe Kinnear's lack of nouse, Mike Ashley's penny-pinching, the fact that it's January, the sheer ratio of that record... tells me that, fuck no - we will NOT replace Michael Owen.

 

I love Shay but he's got one thing up on Harper, and that's his shot-stopping. That's it, give or take. Harper's a decent keeper and come on, we had our best run of form last season when he was in the team - high pressure and up against relegation, and he handled it alright. Goals win you games.

 

I understand that you can say 'saves win you games' aswell, but if we don't score any goals, then we're fucked - look at West Brom, Stoke. Resiliant outfits, one of them who plays very decent football, and they're as good as gone for me. The reason why them two have fallen well away from the pack is because they don't have a striker that can keep them up. I have faith in Martins but his injury record is pretty pants at the moment. I'm not saying that Owen has single-handedly kept us above water, he hasn't - but i think we would lose a lot of ground without him.

[Cheshire Mag]

Why did Owen celebrate today like he'd scored the winning goal in a cup final ? Because he is so happy he has just signed a £120,00 a week deal with Man City ? Ahhh you geordie cunts, this is what i want to do to you, smackkk, and this is what you are missing.

Someone please inform me

 

Maybe because he is happy to have scored a goal?

 

BTW - Did you watch him sign the Citeh contract like?

[ElDiablo]

Obviously Owen.

[Guest rebel_yell12]

To the rest of this season:  Owen.  Harper is already at the club, and as proven last season, is a good keeper in his own right -- a more than capable deputy.  Owen's "replacement" either has to be bought in the next 20 days or be someone already at the club (if talking this season) which means one of the following:  Viduka, Martins, Smith, Carroll, Ameobi or...Duff (if played upfront)?  Only two of those are looking likely to be fit anytime soon -- Carroll and Duff.  I wouldn't say those two are likely to replace Owen's contributions, even if you only consider him to contribute goals.  Martins' fitness record this season is looking worse than Owen's and Viduka's really doesn't need comment.  Keeping Owen fit and at Newcastle for the rest of the season is more important than Given -- for this season.

 

Long-term:  I have to say Shay Given.  Not because Harper isn't very good, as I said above, but because losing Shay Given is a massive hit to the club's image, imo.  If this club cannot keep Given, it shows a really dangerous amount of behind-the-scenes issues at Newcastle.  People can say that Owen never really wanted to be at SJP, but I don't think anyone can say that about Given.  This is, imo, tantamount to Carragher wanting out at Liverpool -- a dangerous sign of discontent among the players with experience, an inkling of very serious issues behind-the-scenes that mean the players are unsure of the club's direction and/or viability.  If Owen's name has helped to recruit players like Jonas (he commented in an interview recently to that effect) then losing Owen could hurt the club's prospects, but not nearly as much as the loss of Given -- especially among the British players who would know Given's long record at SJP.

[Mistle17]

A very tough one, this. I'd say with the strength in depth we have in nets, and only having two good strikers (1 of whom is injured) Owen just sways it.