Should Owen be dropped?

[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./

 

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.

But whether he scores or not is significant. Having a class finisher in any side is very very significant.

 

The player you're talking scored about 7 in 9 last season as he has done in other parts of his career. Thats not the form of an average player whos lost it is it, its the form of a player whos still clearly a much better finisher than most. He looks no different now than he did last season, the same moans about him not doing enough were going on then. He looks no different now than from the start of this season when he was easily our leading scorer, apart from him putting the ball into the net. Some of his finishes this season have shown that no one else in our squad is as good when hes like that anyway.

 

I agree when people say he hasnt been effective recently. Hes ineffective now because of how crap we are at moving it about & through balls as ive said. It makes sense that viduka & martins can do more in this side.....one can hold the ball up easily & get it to stick to his boot, the other can use his quick feet to go past a player or two. Either way the running theme is the foward having to do much of the work himself. Owens strength is his movement which requires an equal amount of ability from others in the side to put it where he needs it, he cannot do it all himself. He never has been able to.

 

Seems to me those who think owen cannot be effective for us any longer are basically resigning themselves to the idea that from now on newcastle will be playing nothing but shit football. We shouldnt have to sign strikers that can do it all themselves in the first place if the rest of our side were half decent. That shouldnt be the priority, sorting the midfield out to provide a class finisher with chances to finish should.

[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. 

 

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

 

Depends how much faith you have in the likelyhood of our side playing better football as a result of having a bit more confidence following the result v boro. As owens had about two clear goalscoring chances in the last two games hes played in & with his movement still looking good. I would still play him. Chances are though also that our players level of confidence wont effect much and some of them will still play shocking football. In which case Owen wont fit in to well no. Just depends which side you choose. I think we can play better than we have been & that we're more likely to score goals putting faith in that than accepting we'll be crap again.

[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.

 

Depends how much faith you have in the likelyhood of our side playing better football as a result of having a bit more confidence following the result v boro. As owens had about two clear goalscoring chances in the last two games hes played in & with his movement still looking good. I would still play him. Chances are though also that our players level of confidence wont effect much and some of them will still play shocking football. In which case Owen wont fit in to well no. Just depends which side you choose. I think we can play better than we have been & that we're more likely to score goals putting faith in that than accepting we'll be crap again.

 

I take the viewpoint that it'd be easier to change the personnel in the system than the system itself with so few games left. I certainly don't think that he should be dropped from the squad and I imagine that he'll still be in the starting line-up today, but unless there are players on the bench that could potentially change the game to replace him (much like last game) I don't think that there'd be much point.

 

You never know with Owen, earlier in the season he was scoring for fun and this time last year he was undroppable because of his contributions from the 4-3-3. If he scores today I wouldn't be surprised.. but then I'm not expecting him to either.

[Guest BooBoo]

So where exactly did he pick this supposed injury up from? Why is it that his time here has been littered with eleventh hour drop outs? These things don't seem to happen or be tolerated at other clubs. When was the last time you tuned in for a big game and heard "Gerrard/ Ronaldo/ Lampard etc has reported an injury this morning and wont be involved".

 

I really think he bottled it.

[Ronaldo]

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. 

 

when was he easily our top scorer? when Martins got injured there was one goal seperating them in the league, and that was a penalty

[Chris_R]

So where exactly did he pick this supposed injury up from? Why is it that his time here has been littered with eleventh hour drop outs? These things don't seem to happen or be tolerated at other clubs. When was the last time you tuned in for a big game and heard "Gerrard/ Ronaldo/ Lampard etc has reported an injury this morning and wont be involved".

 

I really think he bottled it.

 

Or was told he wasn't starting so went off in a sulk.

[Guest]

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. 

 

when was he easily our top scorer? when Martins got injured there was one goal seperating them in the league, and that was a penalty

 

Could have been ahead now had Martins not taken that disgraceful penalty against Arsenal then.

[Jayson]

owens been ahead for most of the season easily, injurys dont come into it both of them have been. Martins only caught up some recently.

[Guest saintscoobz]

His heart is not in this club, it never has been.  All he cares about is picking up a huge pay cheque and breeding with horses in some fucking country estate a million miles away from newcastle.  Fuck him.  Words can not do justice to the contempt i feel for him.  He should be fired not just dropped.

 

 

[Dave]

He cares so little now that he doesn't even show any emotion when he misses a chance. Just shrugs his shoulders and looks at the ground.

 

I know in reality it means little but that kind of thing really fucks me off.

[mrmojorisin75]

can we change the question to "from what should owen be dropped?"

 

i say his own helicopter

[Shak]

What happened to the little gimp then?

 

Been away all weekend so not heard much in the way of news.

 

Mysterious last minute injury just appear from nowhere?

[Dave]

Groin injury, had a fitness test 'which didn’t last very long' according to Shearer.

[Shak]

Cheers.

 

6 weeks before he can get match sharp again, then.

[Jayson]

Have to say, stick up for him lots but im fucked off hes injured yet again.

 

Third time this season now isnt it ? As much as i argue about his ability, just cant see him going a full season anymore which isnt good enough for what we pay.