Should Owen be dropped?

[Ronaldo]

How many times on Monday did he lose the ball? More than any other player bar Butt from what I saw

 

[Optimistic Nut]

How many times on Monday did he lose the ball? More than any other player bar Butt from what I saw

 

 

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/premier-league/2008-2009/newcastle-middlesbrough-236982.html

 

Once. But don't let the stats get in the way of a vendetta eh.

[Greg]

How many times on Monday did he lose the ball? More than any other player bar Butt from what I saw

 

 

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/premier-league/2008-2009/newcastle-middlesbrough-236982.html

 

Once. But don't let the stats get in the way of a vendetta eh.

 

That only counts bad passes, not being tackled and giving away possession that way.

[Optimistic Nut]

I remember him being tackled a few times but that happens. To point him out for criticism because he gave the ball away a lot on Monday is both harsh, and incorrect.

[Ronaldo]

I remember him being tackled a few times but that happens. To point him out for criticism because he gave the ball away a lot on Monday is both harsh, and incorrect.

 

Owen gets tackled and knocked off the ball a ridiculous number of times for a player with his experience. It's like he's spent the last 12 years avoiding the physical aspect of the game completely. Catches up with you when your pace and sharpness is gone

[pedro111]

Owen will score tomorrow.

[Ronaldo]

Owen will score tomorrow.

 

go put a grand on it, if you're so sure

[TRon]

Owen will score tomorrow.

 

If he couldn't score against boro I'd be surprised if he does against a much better organised side like Fulham. I doubt he'll get a sniff tbh, but he should still start IMO.

[PRL]

If he does it will be a header from a free kick

[Yorkie]

The guy doesn't look like scoring atm, and i'm pretty against him now and sincerely hope he buggers off in the summer... but it's never really a surprise when he does pop up with a goal. He's gone through several (too many) ruts for us and chipped in with some important goal eventually.

[Frazzle]

Owen will score tomorrow.

 

go put a grand on it, if you're so sure

 

Put a grand on him not scoring on Betfair if you're so sure he won't. 

[Cronky]

The guy doesn't look like scoring atm, and i'm pretty against him now and sincerely hope he buggers off in the summer... but it's never really a surprise when he does pop up with a goal. He's gone through several (too many) ruts for us and chipped in with some important goal eventually.

 

If we keep picking him, eventually he's bound to score, but you can say that about any player. The annoying thing is that, when that happens, we get a media chorus of 'how could they ever doubt him, he's really silenced the critics etc' , no matter how long a gap there's been since his previous goal.

 

Anyway, stats on goal-scoring doesn't tell the whole story, even for a striker. The major problem with Owen at the moment is how little he contributes in other areas.

[doublecrown]

It just doesn't seem like he cares any more. I've yet to see him do anything to fire up the home crowd, doesn't seem to participate in goal celebrations, etc. What exactly does he do in the captain's role to motivate the team? He's well past it at this point and just a distraction - time to ship him off and bring in some young blood with a bit of danger and fire and enthusiasm for NUFC.

[Yorkie]

The guy doesn't look like scoring atm, and i'm pretty against him now and sincerely hope he buggers off in the summer... but it's never really a surprise when he does pop up with a goal. He's gone through several (too many) ruts for us and chipped in with some important goal eventually.

 

If we keep picking him, eventually he's bound to score, but you can say that about any player. The annoying thing is that, when that happens, we get a media chorus of 'how could they ever doubt him, he's really silenced the critics etc' , no matter how long a gap there's been since his previous goal.

 

Anyway, stats on goal-scoring doesn't tell the whole story, even for a striker. The major problem with Owen at the moment is how little he contributes in other areas.

 

Yeah, agreed. I'd still start him though, on the sole basis of Lovenkrands/Martins' effectiveness from the bench the other night.

[Guest toonlass]

It just doesn't seem like he cares any more. I've yet to see him do anything to fire up the home crowd, doesn't seem to participate in goal celebrations, etc. What exactly does he do in the captain's role to motivate the team? He's well past it at this point and just a distraction - time to ship him off and bring in some young blood with a bit of danger and fire and enthusiasm for NUFC.

 

Have to agree. Even the passion of the crowd on monday didn't seem to fire him up. He always seems to look just sick of his life.

[TRon]

It just doesn't seem like he cares any more. I've yet to see him do anything to fire up the home crowd, doesn't seem to participate in goal celebrations, etc. What exactly does he do in the captain's role to motivate the team? He's well past it at this point and just a distraction - time to ship him off and bring in some young blood with a bit of danger and fire and enthusiasm for NUFC.

 

Have to agree. Even the passion of the crowd on monday didn't seem to fire him up. He always seems to look just sick of his life.

 

That's because he is sick of his life...in Newcastle. He only wants to be here if we pay him twice what Everton or Man City will. He's still on our payroll though so we may as well make use of him in whatever role he's capable.

[Guest Brewcastle]

Owen should be used like Solskjaer in ManUtd.: Use his experience, on the bench to observe the game - and if neccesary put him in to make the needed goal(s).

[Kaizero]

Owen should be used like Solskjaer in ManUtd.: Use his experience, on the bench to observe the game - and if neccesary put him in to make the needed goal(s).

 

You're Norwegian, why don't you type his name with an æ? 

[Guest Brewcastle]

Owen should be used like Solskjaer in ManUtd.: Use his experience, on the bench to observe the game - and if neccesary put him in to make the needed goal(s).

 

You're Norwegian, why don't you type his name with an æ? 

In respect to the majority at this forum.

And when he had "AE" at the back of his jersey, it seems more right too.

[Mowen]

Owen should be used like Solskjaer in ManUtd.: Use his experience, on the bench to observe the game - and if neccesary put him in to make the needed goal(s).

 

You're Norwegian, why don't you type his name with an æ? 

 

too much of a cunt to deserve that

[Jayson]

We're going through the same s*** endlessly here. I still find it hard to look at these crap arguments, so im going to come off as an Owen lover once again. To sum up.

 

Yes owens not been to useful recently.

 

Has he suddenly turned into a disasterously crap player regardless of having easily been our top scorer earlier in the same season. No.

 

Do we play towards Michael Owens strengths anymore. Ie through balls, the kind of which he has scored many of his goals this season. No.

 

Were even the goals on Sunday the result of long balls getting knocked down. Yes.

 

Does that mean that we're still largely playing long balls over through balls. Yes.

 

Does michael Owen have a big enough frame that would suggest he would be good at dealing with long balls. No.

 

Would michael Owen have scored the goal martins scored. No.

 

Would michael Owen have scored the goal lovenkrands scored. Probably.

 

Do people endlessly come up with the same bs about him being ineffective whilst ignoring any arguments as to why this might be beyond the brilliantly logical "Hes turned crap instantly". Yes.

 

Do even the people that are conscious of the arguments as to why he might be playing as he is, then try to turn it into some kind of joke about Owen not getting the service he needs without any reasoning as to why this still isnt simply the truth. Yes.

 

 

 

And so round and round we go with the same moronic opinions being backed up by eachother instead of any kind of actual brain power. 

[Jayson]

The guy doesn't look like scoring atm, and i'm pretty against him now and sincerely hope he buggers off in the summer... but it's never really a surprise when he does pop up with a goal. He's gone through several (too many) ruts for us and chipped in with some important goal eventually.

 

If we keep picking him, eventually he's bound to score, but you can say that about any player. The annoying thing is that, when that happens, we get a media chorus of 'how could they ever doubt him, he's really silenced the critics etc' , no matter how long a gap there's been since his previous goal.

 

Anyway, stats on goal-scoring doesn't tell the whole story, even for a striker. The major problem with Owen at the moment is how little he contributes in other areas.

 

 

Most players of good ability are likely to score maybe, are any of them also likely to go on a long run of games in which they score constantly and end up top scorer...as owen has throughout his entire career ? Not really.

 

The "how could they ever doubt him" has already happened on this forum to martins. You seem to be making the case that if owen scored, hed probably never score again & wouldnt deserve the claims of "how could they doubt him" or else it makes no sense to be annoyed by that response. Yet realistically, this isnt actually based on anything thats ever happened in real life beyond your opinion is it? Theres nothing to base that assumption on, its the complete opposite of probable based on what Owens done having come of a run of games without goals his entire career.

 

Again, owen probably contributes little because he isnt able to contribute much. Some of you make out as if he used to be 6'4 and 220lbs and hold off defenders with his shadow, hes never changed. You could say hes lost some pace, theres no reason to believe that would have any effect on his quality of distribution with his back to goal which is how he normally gets it. Hes largely the same player that was considered world class, the main difference is the side hes playing in & how much that side plays to his strengths.

 

Its still likely he has brilliant movement, we aren't really able to see that much anymore. The run he made across the defender to get in a header against boro was the same owen whos scored many goals from headers. So its still there. Probably effected by confidence and annoyance. His movement put him through on goal v portsmouth. Another day he's scored 2 in 2 and no one says a thing. Yet most of you see nothing beyond the simplistic "goals scored" to judge a players ability, which makes it even more laughable when you then try to claim that others shouldnt be looking at this./

[Cronky]

The guy doesn't look like scoring atm, and i'm pretty against him now and sincerely hope he buggers off in the summer... but it's never really a surprise when he does pop up with a goal. He's gone through several (too many) ruts for us and chipped in with some important goal eventually.

 

If we keep picking him, eventually he's bound to score, but you can say that about any player. The annoying thing is that, when that happens, we get a media chorus of 'how could they ever doubt him, he's really silenced the critics etc' , no matter how long a gap there's been since his previous goal.

 

Anyway, stats on goal-scoring doesn't tell the whole story, even for a striker. The major problem with Owen at the moment is how little he contributes in other areas.

 

 

Most players of good ability are likely to score maybe, are any of them also likely to go on a long run of games in which they score constantly and end up top scorer...as owen has throughout his entire career ? Not really.

 

The "how could they ever doubt him" has already happened on this forum to martins. You seem to be making the case that if owen scored, hed probably never score again & wouldnt deserve the claims of "how could they doubt him" or else it makes no sense to be annoyed by that response. Yet realistically, this isnt actually based on anything thats ever happened in real life beyond your opinion is it? Theres nothing to base that assumption on, its the complete opposite of probable based on what Owens done having come of a run of games without goals his entire career.

 

Again, owen probably contributes little because he isnt able to contribute much. Some of you make out as if he used to be 6'4 and 220lbs and hold off defenders with his shadow, hes never changed. You could say hes lost some pace, theres no reason to believe that would have any effect on his quality of distribution with his back to goal which is how he normally gets it. Hes largely the same player that was considered world class, the main difference is the side hes playing in & how much that side plays to his strengths.

 

Its still likely he has brilliant movement, we aren't really able to see that much anymore. The run he made across the defender to get in a header against boro was the same owen whos scored many goals from headers. So its still there. Probably effected by confidence and annoyance. His movement put him through on goal v portsmouth. Another day he's scored 2 in 2 and no one says a thing. Yet most of you see nothing beyond the simplistic "goals scored" to judge a players ability, which makes it even more laughable when you then try to claim that others shouldnt be looking at this./

 

I was wanting to make the more limited point that whether or not Owen scores in the next match isn't all that significant. Whether or not he scores at all doesn't matter that much if the team was winning and he was causing other sorts of problems for the opposition.

 

It's an overworked subject, but if I had to make one point that carries the most significance, it's the fact that, as an athlete, he's changed as a result of his injuries. You only have to look at him. He's about a stone heavier than he was 6 years ago, and while I'm sure he's as fit as he can be, that has affected his speed and his sharpness. Seeing that they were his prime assets, he really isn't the same player. That's not a matter of form. That's just nature taking its toll.

[Fatwax]

We're going through the same s*** endlessly here. I still find it hard to look at these crap arguments, so im going to come off as an Owen lover once again. To sum up.

 

Yes owens not been to useful recently.

 

Has he suddenly turned into a disasterously crap player regardless of having easily been our top scorer earlier in the same season. No.

 

Do we play towards Michael Owens strengths anymore. Ie through balls, the kind of which he has scored many of his goals this season. No.

 

Were even the goals on Sunday the result of long balls getting knocked down. Yes.

 

Does that mean that we're still largely playing long balls over through balls. Yes.

 

Does michael Owen have a big enough frame that would suggest he would be good at dealing with long balls. No.

 

Would michael Owen have scored the goal martins scored. No.

 

Would michael Owen have scored the goal lovenkrands scored. Probably.

 

Do people endlessly come up with the same bs about him being ineffective whilst ignoring any arguments as to why this might be beyond the brilliantly logical "Hes turned crap instantly". Yes.

 

Do even the people that are conscious of the arguments as to why he might be playing as he is, then try to turn it into some kind of joke about Owen not getting the service he needs without any reasoning as to why this still isnt simply the truth. Yes.

 

 

 

And so round and round we go with the same moronic opinions being backed up by eachother instead of any kind of actual brain power. 

 

So basically we should drop him because he doesn't fit the way the team currently plays. Got it.

[Guest alankhaw]

I really hope he scores today. He has been getting so much crap from everyone in the media