Should Owen be dropped?

[Dave]

Interesting article in the paper for a change:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1172209/Fox-box-With-144-league-goals-Owen-wont-score-playing-like-Newcastle.html?ITO=1490

Fox in the box? With 144 league goals Owen won't score many more playing like this for Newcastle

 

By Matt Barlow

Last updated at 10:37 PM on 20th April 2009

 

When Michael Owen returned from injury last month he was supposed to be the man to score the goals which could fire Newcastle clear of relegation peril.

 

One month, five games and two points later, Owen has still to find the net. He has not scored in the Barclays Premier League since January and the Toon are still on the slide.

 

He may be one of the finest predators of his generation but, at White Hart Lane on Sunday, Owen touched the ball only twice inside Tottenham’s penalty area.

 

With Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins fit again and bursting off the bench to inspire a late rally at Spurs, Alan Shearer must consider the unthinkable — that dropping his friend and former England strike partner may be the best thing for the Geordie nation.

 

This is far from the only puzzle manager Shearer has to crack before Portsmouth arrive at St James’ Park on Monday. He must also identify a left back, find a formation his players understand and inject energy and urgency into a washed-up midfield who are hardly providing the service Owen demands. No point being in the six-yard box if the ball isn’t there.

 

At Spurs, the Newcastle manager and his assistant Iain Dowie were not short of ideas, switching systems from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 and barking out a flurry of orders, although whether the players understood precisely what was going on is questionable.

 

According to Shearer, Jonas Gutierrez was supposed to be floating behind the strikers, Owen and Andy Carroll, but was rarely seen in this role. ‘In the match, the boss tried to talk to us to get the best out of us,’ said Gutierrez. ‘He is trying to work with the heads of the players... to be positive and think we can do it.’

 

Newcastle’s three-man defence might have worked at Stoke a week earlier, but the speed and fluidity of Spurs quickly forced Shearer to abandon the plan.

 

Unable to shackle in-form Aaron Lennon, Damien Duff was relieved of his duties as a wing back before the break, only to return for the second half to play left back in a flat back four because Steven Taylor’s nagging ankle problem had flared up again.

 

Shearer is not to blame for a transfer policy which meant Newcastle started the season with only one left back, Jose Enrique, who now has a knee injury, and he cannot draw on a wealth of managerial experience.

 

But, as one of the great centre forwards of the modern game, he can be expected to have a better idea than most of how to solve the Owen conundrum.

 

Owen made his comeback from an ankle injury on March 14 at Hull, where he looked, at best, rusty and, at worst, thoroughly uninterested.

 

With the club plummeting towards the relegation zone, Chris Hughton, caretaker manager at the time, quite reasonably decided the team could not afford to carry Owen and dropped him to the bench for the next game, against Arsenal.

 

Days later, after another defeat, Shearer and Dowie were in control and Owen was back in. Echoes of Ruud Gullit, who got the elbow after dropping Shearer 10 years ago.

 

The issue has been complicated by Martins’ mystery injury but the Nigerian is available again and threatened more in 30 minutes at Spurs than Owen has in the last month.

 

Martins smashed one in off the post only to see it ruled out for handball, flashed one good chance over, forced a save from Heurelho Gomes and should have had a penalty.

 

Viduka’s role at Spurs proved that, although 33 and covering fewer miles than ever, he still has the power and nous to win the ball in the air and hold it up.

 

Shearer knows the value of this unsung role but has hinted at adopting the three-man attack Kevin Keegan favoured at the end of last season, with Viduka and Martins up front and Owen supporting them from deep. But taking manpower out of midfield and exposing a fragile defence is a dangerous tactical development.

 

It is a delicate decision for a rookie boss in a relegation battle but, having failed to sneak a win purely on the euphoria of his return, Shearer must make tough calls.

 

Axing malfunctioning centre half Fabricio Coloccini is one thing, dropping a 40-goal England striker, former team-mate and a personal friend is quite something else.

 

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8452/article0048f3c21000005d.jpg

 

I'm really not sure myself. Part of me is expecting him to get a really important goal every game, but in this team struggling to create the chances he needs these days we simply can't afford to carry him.

[Ash]

In a 4-3-3 formation, no. In a 4-4-2 formation, it'd probably be a yes.

 

As I'm in favour of playing 4-3-3, I've voted no.

[Dave]

In a 4-3-3 formation, no. In a 4-4-2 formation, it'd probably be a yes.

 

As I'm in favour of playing 4-3-3, I've voted no.

 

As the article says though, playing three in midfield when we only have the likes of Nicky Butt and Kevin Nolan to play centrally weakens us significantly. There's no mobility there.

[Guest The Libertine]

owen, martins and viduka all have to play if they're fit for me. we were instantly better on sunday because of them and i think its the only way we'll survive. carroll will get his real chance next year when 2 or all 3 of them are gone.

[Rich]

In a 4-3-3 formation, no. In a 4-4-2 formation, it'd probably be a yes.

 

As I'm in favour of playing 4-3-3, I've voted no.

 

As the article says though, playing three in midfield when we only have the likes of Nicky Butt and Kevin Nolan to play centrally weakens us significantly. There's no mobility there.

 

Geremi - Butt - Barton incredibly immobile as well, really. I agree in a 4-4-2 he looks done in our team but play him where KK did last season with Oba and Viduka as the flair/spearhead and he'll still score the goals.

 

Nolan - Butt - Guthrie is probably "more mobile" than the 3 played last season, incredibly. Barton is slow as treacle as well (he seems to have become a great player again since his injury, when I tend to think he's been pretty dreadful for us when he has been on the park).

[Cronky]

Yes please.

 

Capello has the right approach - always make decisions on what you see in front of you. Forget about reputations or what other people might think.

 

[Rich]

I'm actually hoping Smith has played himself in ahead of Nolan after Spurs, by the way. Shearer has to see that even he offered more than Nolan when he was on the park. He could probably slot in on the left where Barton played (would still prefer Guthrie or Barton himself, like!)

 

I'd still like to see Jonas given a shot in there, but can't see Al going for it.

[Ash]

I'm actually hoping Smith has played himself in ahead of Nolan after Spurs, by the way. Shearer has to see that even he offered more than Nolan when he was on the park. He could probably slot in on the left where Barton played (would still prefer Guthrie or Barton himself, like!)

 

I'd still like to see Jonas given a shot in there, but can't see Al going for it.

 

Likewise.

 

Guthrie - Smith - Jonas

 

That would be how I'd line up. Keeping Nolan and Butt away from the pitch is pivotal to us staying up.

[Dave]

In a 4-3-3 formation, no. In a 4-4-2 formation, it'd probably be a yes.

 

As I'm in favour of playing 4-3-3, I've voted no.

 

As the article says though, playing three in midfield when we only have the likes of Nicky Butt and Kevin Nolan to play centrally weakens us significantly. There's no mobility there.

 

Geremi - Butt - Barton incredibly immobile as well, really. I agree in a 4-4-2 he looks done in our team but play him where KK did last season with Oba and Viduka as the flair/spearhead and he'll still score the goals.

 

Nolan - Butt - Guthrie is probably "more mobile" than the 3 played last season, incredibly. Barton is slow as treacle as well (he seems to have become a great player again since his injury, when I tend to think he's been pretty dreadful for us when he has been on the park).

 

I disagree on the comparison to last year. Barton is more mobile than Guthrie in my opinion (though I know exactly what you mean about him getting better and better the less he plays), Geremi though slow had a better touch and offered far more offensively than Nolan does, and Butt is playing worse than ever at the moment.

 

Jonas works hard but can we afford to have an out-and-out attacking player in there? I'm thinking Jonas - Butt/Smith - Guthrie maybe?

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Yes he should, but Shearer won't drop his mate.  The first press conference he gave when he was appointed tells you how much of a chance there is of it happening. 

[Guest toonlass]

Yes, he has been virtually invisible. We cannot carry players, and Michael Owen is a player who has to be carried when he is not scoring. Get him off the pitch and Carroll, Oba and Viduka on.

[Beren]

He can't create for himself anymore, but he's still one of the best[/only?] finishers we have on our books.

 

I'd keep him in the side, if only so we're playing three strikers instead of two [and therefore, attacking!]. Viduka, Martins, Owen.

[Rich]

Think with Owen is, unlike a lot of our team, when he gets the ball it tends to stick and he does keep the team ticking over linking up play. This part of his game is quite underrated (though I do realise he keeps things very simple.)

 

I absolutely believe the KK 4-3-3 will get us out of the shit though, with Owen being vital and I can honestly see Shearer going with it as soon as Jose is back, probably even before then after how Duff played at LB on Sunday.

[Guest toonlass]

Think with Owen is, unlike a lot of our team, when he gets the ball it tends to stick and he does keep the team ticking over linking up play. This part of his game is quite underrated (though I do realise he keeps things very simple.)

 

I absolutely believe the KK 4-3-3 will get us out of the shit though, with Owen being vital and I can honestly see Shearer going with it as soon as Jose is back, probably even before then after how Duff played at LB on Sunday.

 

The key word there is WHEN. When Owen doesn't have the ball he is next to useless. When he does get a sniff he can be a killer. 14 games now though and he has been relatively invisible.

[Mr. Snrub]

If we want to increase our chances of relegation, yes.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

I find that graphic pretty damning, showing how little Owen got the ball in the box. Especially as he needs to receive the ball in the box to score. Viduka can hold the ball up very well and isn't afraid to shoot when open. Martins is better outside the box than in as he can beat his man and has a powerful shot. Owen lacks these abilities. Unless we find a way to utilise Owen properly, we have three strikers in Viduka, Martins, and Carroll who are more effective in the current situation.

[Rich]

Think with Owen is, unlike a lot of our team, when he gets the ball it tends to stick and he does keep the team ticking over linking up play. This part of his game is quite underrated (though I do realise he keeps things very simple.)

 

I absolutely believe the KK 4-3-3 will get us out of the shit though, with Owen being vital and I can honestly see Shearer going with it as soon as Jose is back, probably even before then after how Duff played at LB on Sunday.

 

The key word there is WHEN. When Owen doesn't have the ball he is next to useless. When he does get a sniff he can be a killer. 14 games now though and he has been relatively invisible.

 

Hence why KK moved him deeper and made him the central cog in a very effective machine towards the back end of last season. He obviously saw enough in Owen to build the team around him in that way and I'm assuming Shearer does too. That's enough for me, personally.

 

He is wasted in a 4-4-2/3-5-2 in this team though, and has been since Shearer retired, we are simply not good enough.

[johnnypd]

that article is absolutely spot on and poses a good question.

 

my solution would still be to accomodate him in a 4-3-3 as the withdrawn striker or attacking midfielder. however when everyone is fit the two up top, whether in the 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or 5-3-2, should be Martins-Viduka and ive been saying that since the start of the 07/08 season.

[Guest Heneage]

I bet he doesn't have half the offers he did at Christmas. He needs to go.

[TRon]

Think with Owen is, unlike a lot of our team, when he gets the ball it tends to stick and he does keep the team ticking over linking up play. This part of his game is quite underrated (though I do realise he keeps things very simple.)

 

I absolutely believe the KK 4-3-3 will get us out of the shit though, with Owen being vital and I can honestly see Shearer going with it as soon as Jose is back, probably even before then after how Duff played at LB on Sunday.

 

The key word there is WHEN. When Owen doesn't have the ball he is next to useless. When he does get a sniff he can be a killer. 14 games now though and he has been relatively invisible.

 

Hence why KK moved him deeper and made him the central cog in a very effective machine towards the back end of last season. He obviously saw enough in Owen to build the team around him in that way and I'm assuming Shearer does too. That's enough for me, personally.

 

He is wasted in a 4-4-2/3-5-2 in this team though, and has been since Shearer retired, we are simply not good enough.

 

I agree with everything you say Rich, I'm not a big fan of Owen as I'm sure previous posts have made clear, but it was clear that he was technically light years ahead of half our team on Sunday. He was playing deep and made far better use of the ball than our midfielders. Drop Nolan instead and give owen the attacking midfielder role which he played successfully under Keegan.

 

 

[Guest Alan Shearer 9]

Owen is one of the few players left in our squad who can control a football and pass over 5 yards to a player on our team. I really wish that was a joke, but it's true and for that reason he should be played with our better quality attacking players (Martins, Viduka, Jonas). If we didn't have such a vast lack of quality in the centre of the field (Nolan/Butt), and could keep possession for more than 2 passes, the quality of these attacking players would shine through.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Our best chance of winning right now is probaly just to find a way for Owen, Oba, Viduka, and Jonas to play at all times. They are quality players and will score. I don't agree with accomodating Owen, as he hasn't produced much, but F*** it. We have no midfield anyway, so playing him there can only be an improvement.

 

edit: I guess Beye and the Bass Master are up there as well in players that must play.

[TRon]

Owen is one of the few players left in our squad who can control a football and pass over 5 yards to a player on our team. I really wish that was a joke, but it's true and for that reason he should be played with our better quality attacking players (Martins, Viduka, Jonas). If we didn't have such a vast lack of quality in the centre of the field (Nolan/Butt), and could keep possession for more than 2 passes, the quality of these attacking players would shine through.

 

Nailed.

[ElDiablo]

Owen is one of the few players left in our squad who can control a football and pass over 5 yards to a player on our team. I really wish that was a joke, but it's true and for that reason he should be played with our better quality attacking players (Martins, Viduka, Jonas). If we didn't have such a vast lack of quality in the centre of the field (Nolan/Butt), and could keep possession for more than 2 passes, the quality of these attacking players would shine through.

 

Nailed.

 

[Dave]

Owen is one of the few players left in our squad who can control a football and pass over 5 yards to a player on our team. I really wish that was a joke, but it's true and for that reason he should be played with our better quality attacking players (Martins, Viduka, Jonas). If we didn't have such a vast lack of quality in the centre of the field (Nolan/Butt), and could keep possession for more than 2 passes, the quality of these attacking players would shine through.

 

Fair enough.

 

The bit about Owen being one of our few players who can still control and pass a ball is embarrassing yet completely true.