GM Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We have a nasty habit of buying big name players when they've gone decidedly off the boil. This thread has made me reflect on this harsh reality...well I say "reality", I'm sure someone will contest my point but anyway...I can't remember the last time we had a player that was coveted by pretty much everyone else round the world the way Owen was in his prime at Liverpool. It's only the big bucks that has seen him sign here. That, and an anxiety to be seen by Sven as a contender for the England squad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We have a nasty habit of buying big name players when they've gone decidedly off the boil. This thread has made me reflect on this harsh reality...well I say "reality", I'm sure someone will contest my point but anyway...I can't remember the last time we had a player that was coveted by pretty much everyone else round the world the way Owen was in his prime at Liverpool. It's only the big bucks that has seen him sign here. That, and an anxiety to be seen by Sven as a contender for the England squad. great article in saturdays independent about west ham entitled "no more fereddie ljungbergs" and how the ethos has changed financially and how the club is ran. and a fantastic brian viner article about warren barton/sir les and a group of toon fans on there way to london. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tachikoma Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 We have a nasty habit of buying big name players when they've gone decidedly off the boil. This thread has made me reflect on this harsh reality...well I say "reality", I'm sure someone will contest my point but anyway...I can't remember the last time we had a player that was coveted by pretty much everyone else round the world the way Owen was in his prime at Liverpool. It's only the big bucks that has seen him sign here. That, and an anxiety to be seen by Sven as a contender for the England squad. Owen was alright when he first signed for us. If he was even half the player he was in 2005 we'd have nothing to moan about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
themanupstairs Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 He's the best player we've got. His runs and inteligent play mark him out from the rest in my opinion. He's not scoring right now, but still has a ratio of nearly one in two. He's not much of a captain though. Yup. If goals were coming from other players, while Owen got through his bad patch, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. FFS even Wayne Rooney went through bad spells where he didn't score for ages. Doesn't make him shit does it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaKa Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 He's the best player we've got. His runs and inteligent play mark him out from the rest in my opinion. He's not scoring right now, but still has a ratio of nearly one in two. He's not much of a captain though. Yup. If goals were coming from other players, while Owen got through his bad patch, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. FFS even Wayne Rooney went through bad spells where he didn't score for ages. Doesn't make him s*** does it! Please don't compare Rooney to Owen. Rooney impacts the game in an infinite number of ways, particularly when he isn't scoring goals. He definitely makes up for it in all areas of the pitch. Shocking comparison. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
themanupstairs Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 He's the best player we've got. His runs and inteligent play mark him out from the rest in my opinion. He's not scoring right now, but still has a ratio of nearly one in two. He's not much of a captain though. Yup. If goals were coming from other players, while Owen got through his bad patch, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. FFS even Wayne Rooney went through bad spells where he didn't score for ages. Doesn't make him s*** does it! Please don't compare Rooney to Owen. Rooney impacts the game in an infinite number of ways, particularly when he isn't scoring goals. He definitely makes up for it in all areas of the pitch. Shocking comparison. Not the point. Goalscorers take a hit in the ego when they're not scoring. Signs of frustration show in their game, and the longer the streak goes for, the less impact they have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkhead Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Owen our best player? No doubt he's the biggest name, in terms of reputation, but I can't even classify Owen as a good player anymore. His off-the-ball movement and general attacking awareness are still world class, but he has no pace, no physical strength, no technique and no power in his shot. We can do without him and his 100k a week Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaKa Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 There's some laughable comments in this thread like. Owen is by a long shot our biggest asset (in goalscoring ability at least). I really do disagree with those who say that he offers nothing to the game other than scoring. It's very difficult for any striker to get involved in a game if the rest of the team are playing as poor as they are. Rooney, Robinho, Henry, hell even Shearer, would struggle to get when this team are playing badly. Yeah right! Despite Martins apparently being this thick and unintelligent player some claim, he brings a hell of a lot more to the table and impacts our attakcing play tremendously. He also happens to be playing in the very same team does he not? Watch our results drastically improve when he returns. Have you noticed they really began to fall out once he went down with his injury? He is our biggest asset right now pal. When Owen was out earlier int he season and everyone thought we'd be doomed with Martins and Shola we were actually playing much better football than we are right now, and we weren't struggling to score goals or get some decent rsults. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatwax Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 He's the best player we've got. His runs and inteligent play mark him out from the rest in my opinion. He's not scoring right now, but still has a ratio of nearly one in two. He's not much of a captain though. Oh for gods sake, Bassong is better than this bloke, and he is only 22. Michael Owen is mostly annonymous when he doesn't score. He adds nothing to the squad that any other decent striker wouldn't. He is no more captain material than my 3 year old. Best player we have? Then how did our 20 year old youth developed player have the best chance against Blackburn? How did cross after cross come into the box against Hull for Owen to do f*** all with. He is over, spent, f***ed. Sell him to Citeh. Then spend the money on someone who's ego is not bigger than the shadow of St James'. Owen is the better player, but Bassong is playing better. Owen has one eye away and probably can't wait to be away. Remember how good he looked under Keegan when he was enjoying his football? Expect to see this at least for a short while next season for whichever team he ends up at. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 How people can call Owen a great player is beyond me tbh. If he'd arrived here as an unknown we'd be calling him a decent goalscorer and a very average footballer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 There's some laughable comments in this thread like. Owen is by a long shot our biggest asset (in goalscoring ability at least). I really do disagree with those who say that he offers nothing to the game other than scoring. It's very difficult for any striker to get involved in a game if the rest of the team are playing as poor as they are. Rooney, Robinho, Henry, hell even Shearer, would struggle to get when this team are playing badly. Yeah right! Despite Martins apparently being this thick and unintelligent player some claim, he brings a hell of a lot more to the table and impacts our attakcing play tremendously. He also happens to be playing in the very same team does he not? Watch our results drastically improve when he returns. Have you noticed they really began to fall out once he went down with his injury? He is our biggest asset right now pal. When Owen was out earlier int he season and everyone thought we'd be doomed with Martins and Shola we were actually playing much better football than we are right now, and we weren't struggling to score goals or get some decent rsults. A quick look at our results with and without Martins: With: 18 points in 12 games, 1.5 points/game. Without: 5 points in 10 games, 0.5 points/game. I know statistics like these don't prove much, if anything at all, but that is quite a big difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rebel_yell12 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I think those stats might be affected by other phenomena -- it's an entirely unscientific comparison (more than the one variable involved, so you cannot say that you have said anything about that particular variable). That's the trouble with football, so much is reliant on stats when stats are difficult to use properly. Owen is still what? one of the Top 10 scorers in the league this season (and overall) -- but his current form is crap. Martins improves with every match he is out. As does Beye, Barton, and even people like Ameobi. NOT playing in the current run helps a player's reputation apparently. That said, I greatly look forward to the day Martins is back. Because Owen has always played better with a regular partner, and he and Martins seemed to be figuring each other out before the latest injury to Martins -- and I just kinda like Oba Martins. Stats or no stats, it's obvious that Owen can't carry the entire team -- he played better with more options on the pitch (ie Martins & Viduka) and I think he looks f***ing exhausted from even trying. I get the same vibe, to be fair, from Given of late. Both just seem to me to be over the whole "thing" with Newcastle United -- the drama, the back-room mess, the revolving door of managers, the uneven class of players around them...which doesn't bode well for the summer, imo. I currently think the same thing I've thought about Newcastle United for several seasons now it seems -- if they could sort their injury issue out, they'd be a right solid club. Look at the "MIA" lists from every January, and then think about when Newcastle had a decent winter run. There seems to be a correlation. NUFC has ONE fit senior striker, one fit/eligible central midfielder, no fit right back, etc. Hell, I'm up for saying Bassong was the most important buy of the summer -- he's been fit and solid all season, which is rare and high praise indeed at this club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Are people not missing the point that we need 2 strikers? Comparing Martins to Owen is pointless unless they're playing for one place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkhead Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Are people not missing the point that we need 2 strikers? Comparing Martins to Owen is pointless unless they're playing for one place. the thing with Owen is that, in order to be remotely effective, he needs either: A) a target man striker AND a pacey forward alongside him, to compensate for his weaknesses and create spaces for his runs B) an exceptionally creative midfield behind him to feed him with through balls For all his 'tactical naivety' Keegan saw this and played with 3 upfront, which was a brilliant move. There's no chance Kinnear would do that because he's a bloody idiot and in either case, I'd prefer us to not build our team around Owen, because A) He's gone in 5 months B) He's useless hahaaa Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NG32 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like More overrated then a certain Ameobi who keeps getting new contracts by every manager that walks through the door. More overrated then Jermain Jenas? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Liam Liam O Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like Duff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tachikoma Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like Smith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
themanupstairs Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like I can name you about 10 more overrated footballers before naming a single NUFC player, nevermind Owen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crumpy Gunt Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like I can name you about 10 more overrated footballers before naming a single NUFC player, nevermind Owen. Go on then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkhead Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like I can name you about 10 more overrated footballers before naming a single NUFC player, nevermind Owen. Go on then. that'd be quite hard.. after all we're the home of wasters like Smith, Butt, Duff, Viduka and Owen.. the experienced, honest-pro nucleus of the team Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
themanupstairs Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like I can name you about 10 more overrated footballers before naming a single NUFC player, nevermind Owen. Go on then. naah can't be arsed point is, he's not the most overrated in the league. full stop Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissmag Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like I can name you about 10 more overrated footballers before naming a single NUFC player, nevermind Owen. Go on then. naah can't be arsed point is, he's not the most overrated in the league. full stop What a defeat! :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like I can name you about 10 more overrated footballers before naming a single NUFC player, nevermind Owen. Go on then. naah can't be arsed point is, he's not the most overrated in the league. full stop What a defeat! :-) Making a list of over-rated players is quite subjective. I personally think Gerrard is over-rated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
themanupstairs Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Owen has to be the most overrated footballer in the premiership like I can name you about 10 more overrated footballers before naming a single NUFC player, nevermind Owen. Go on then. naah can't be arsed point is, he's not the most overrated in the league. full stop What a defeat! :-) Making a list of over-rated players is quite subjective. I personally think Gerrard is over-rated. Exactly. Plus you would've stopped talking to me because I had John Terry on that list :colo: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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