Should Owen be dropped?

[Tachikoma]

Pretty sh*t that Owen's place in a 4-4-2 system is under threat because we don't have an ounce of ability to create anything for him.

 

With Owen & Viduka, we'll get chances and I reckon he'll get 3 in the next 5 at least.

 

Have you forgotten what we were like when Owen and Viduka started upfront together?

[jimmymag]

No!

 

And there's not a chance that he will be, if he's fit.

[Guest shearer_united]

He should be treated as every other player. He does well on training, he impresses: he gets a spot on the starting 11.

[Optimistic Nut]

Pretty sh*t that Owen's place in a 4-4-2 system is under threat because we don't have an ounce of ability to create anything for him.

 

With Owen & Viduka, we'll get chances and I reckon he'll get 3 in the next 5 at least.

 

Have you forgotten what we were like when Owen and Viduka started upfront together?

 

Sorry, that was meant to say with Martins & Viduka.

[Skirge]

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2009/04/22/shearer-won-t-drop-owen-72703-23443845/

Michael Owen 'will keep his place in United team'

Apr 22 2009 by Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle

 

ALAN SHEARER will not drop Michael Owen for Newcastle United’s crunch game with Portsmouth next Monday night.

 

The Toon’s top scorer barely got a sniff at Tottenham Hotspur in front of the watching England boss Fabio Capello, with observers at White Hart Lane writing off Owen’s chances of starring in next summer’s World Cup.

 

And this led to suggestions from the southern-based media that Shearer would follow the example set by the defensive-minded Italian and axe the former Real Madrid and Liverpool star.

 

Yet United’s all-time top scorer with 206 goals – and 30 goals for England – understands Owen’s situation better than anybody after going through goal droughts during his career, but always hitting back in style to silence the doubters.

 

It’s also nothing new to 10-goal Owen, and Shearer, who played a massive part in Owen joining the Mags from Real Madrid in 2005, is already aware of the lack of quality service to his talisman.

 

Now Monday’s encounter with Pompey will see the out-of-favour England international looking to add to his tally.

 

And Toon assistant boss Iain Dowie gave a frank assessment of Owen when he told the Chronicle today: “Michael’s goal record stands up to scrutiny with anybody.

 

“He is used to this. People only talk about him when he doesn’t score.

 

“We didn’t get a lot of opportunities in the game at Tottenham, apart from the one from Obafemi Martins in the closing stages.

 

“Michael has worked his socks off in all three games we’ve played.

 

“His work-rate is fantastic and he has covered so much ground.

 

“He’s doing all the things that are right and one thing is certain – if chances come his way, he scores.

 

“We know that Michael has quality in abundance.

 

“In training this week and last week, he has come up with finishes that other strikers simply can’t do.”

 

Toon caretaker boss Chris Hughton didn’t select Owen in the 3-1 defeat against Arsenal which turned out to be his last game in charge.

 

United supporters will also remember that Ruud Gullit’s controversial decision to leave out Shearer for rookie Wearside-born striker Paul Robinson in a crucial derby with Sunderland, was one of the Dutchman’s last major decisions in charge during his ill-fated stint.

 

Yet Dowie was happy to keep it real.

 

He said: “It’s almost a British thing now, we like to knock our great goalscorers.

 

“All Michael needs to know is that he’s got the faith of his team-mates and the staff here.

 

“That’s the key element and he knows it and feels it.

 

“Alan knows the game in terms of being where Michael is now.

 

“Alan was there himself. We are very happy with him.

 

“We know he can pop up when people are least expecting it.

 

“He knows how to deal with pressure – he’s lived in ‘the goldfish bowl’ all his life.

 

“But he just gets on with his business.”

[Guest Phil K]

I have to laugh at this scapegoating, it was the same last year before Keegan rejuvenated his game and made him a constant threat, and the same kind of reactionary bollocks that some were coming out with before Robson sorted Shearers game out. Owen's not the problem, it lies deeper than that..literally, in midfield.

 

No I've hated the guy for years. He symbolises everything wrong with the club, ridiculous transfer fee, horrible wages, s***, "big name" waste of space. His ball retention is the only part of his game we see. Not seen him have a shot for a few matches. He holds us back when he in in a front two. Carrol was more effective on Sunday by a country mile, but most of his work was sheer determination, not ability.

 

Sorry, but that just says more about you than Owen. Your opinion on him as a player is moot if youve hated him for years.

 

Thats as may be - but can you deny the basic points ?

VASTLY overpaid, disgraceful sick record, scoring record not great, though I must admit, I turned against him after his whining against Newcastle to Ericsson that Ericsson blurted (idiotically) to the delighted rags, big name mentality, not much loyalty shown (if any), more interested in his ****** horses than doing the job he's paid for, and relying on people like yourself to forgive him due to the multitudinous shortcomings of our gormless midfield

[sugoinufc]

He has no service of any quality anyway, in open play or set pieces, our creativity is dreadful, even Drogba and Torres would struggle to score playing for us. The three strikers  formation does work better though and seems to give Owen a bit more energy, he also seemed to pick up once Oba came on on Sunday. I think he knows when Oba plays he has a chance of getitng onto a few rebounds or spilt shots as Oba will have a dig from any where, also withOba's pace defenders tend to pay more attention to him and Owen gets a little bit more freedom. Get the system right get quality into the box and Owen will score us goals.

 

agree! but only owen and martins on top doesn´t seem to work. Maybe it could with another midfield. Our midfield is still the problem....we haven´t really created anything the whole season. Like you said even a duo with torres and drogba would struggle to score goals!

 

Still owen cant really blamed....though he have looked slighty uninterested at some points! he shouldn´t be captain...but again who should? This team lack everything, the structure of the squad is absolutely unbelievable!

Its crucial for newcastle that shearer stays as manager after this season no matter if we stay up or not! I trust him to sort it out! Sure he has located the problems....he just can´t do anything right now....except motivate and build up the players confident eventhough he don´t like the players!

[Dave]

!!

[Optimistic Nut]

He has no service of any quality anyway, in open play or set pieces, our creativity is dreadful, even Drogba and Torres would struggle to score playing for us

 

So does that mean you'd drop Drogba or Torres from the side if they couldn't get the service?

[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.

 

The fact that you've quoted Superdrunk sums it all up. Michael Owen has to play for us to have a chance of staying up. Lets not forget that he was playing right wing and behind the other strikers for large parts of the game on Sunday, so it's not really a suprise the areas where he touched the ball in that diagram.

 

I apologise for saying again what I have been saying for the past 18 months if not longer.

 

 

 

Ok, thanks for quoting me. Any need?

[Skirge]

He has no service of any quality anyway, in open play or set pieces, our creativity is dreadful, even Drogba and Torres would struggle to score playing for us

 

So does that mean you'd drop Drogba or Torres from the side if they couldn't get the service?

No, but then again I never said I would drop Owen.

[Guest Alan Shearer 9]

Drogba and Torres would score more goals for us than Owen, but they are world class and have the physicality to create chances without service. Owen is a good quality Premiership striker and needs decent service.

 

Even without as previously mentioned his basic ball retention skills are better than the vast majority of our squad, this myth that he has absolutely no technique and can hardly control a ball is idiotic rubbish perpetuated by his haters. I do have grievances with Owen over his time here but I just want us to have the best chance of staying in this division and he can contribute to that on the pitch more than the alternatives in our squad.

[alexf]

got the feeling he will score on monday and alot of this talk will be forgotton once hes back in the "hole" like last season as i seem to remember there were calls for him to be dropped right before he started scoring. absolute must win tho monday dunno what ill do with myself if we dont  but thinking positive owen martins goals 2:0   

[Dave]

I bet the guy's absolutely shitting himself right now.

 

Who will take him? The only club I can think of is Man City, and if they get Eto'o there's no way they'll want Owen as well.

[TRon]

Everton maybe? He'd probably take half the wages to go back to Merseyside if they'll have him. Which they probably won't.

[TêteDeMaure]

I bet the guy's absolutely shitting himself right now.

 

Who will take him? The only club I can think of is Man City, and if they get Eto'o there's no way they'll want Owen as well.

 

Sunderland will always welcome him, West Ham maybe.

[Shearer9]

Everton or maybe Villa, especially if they can pick him up for free.  Everton seem to have a revolving door when it comes to strikers, while Villa pass the ball exceptionally well and have Carew who could serve as a good partner.  West Ham or Fulham also seem like options, but surely if he steps down to one of those levels he can kiss England goodbye.  I wonder if he'd try going abroad again, surely Capello has more appreciation for that than McClaren or Eriksson.

[Guest palnese]

He will come good in some other club. If he can stay fit and have right sort of players around him, that actually can provide the killer-pass for him he will score a lot of goals. As he has lost most of his force from his younger days, the pace, he has adapted as a player aswell. He is a right-place-at-the-right-time player now, and if he could get the service he need he will score goals, and lots of them.

IMO

[Guest The Libertine]

he could do a very decent job at arsenal. they've needed a striker like him for a while now.

[Dinho lad]

yeah he should be dropped....under the tyne bridge, that is!

[Guest toonlass]

What hacks me off a lot is that people have given me stick for ages about me slagging off Owen, and yet the bloke hasn't scored a goal in how many games now. He can be as invisible as he wants to be on the park for me, as long as he puts the ball in the back of the net regularly. He will be off in the summer to the next mugs who will pay him a staggering amount of money, and his heart will not be at that club either.

[nobby_solano]

he could do a very decent job at arsenal. they've needed a striker like him for a while now.

 

he probably could to be fair, but they signed arshavin, only touched the ball about 4 times against liverpool and scored 4, so i doubt they need an off-form owen

[Dave]

As someone said in the match thread, I think last night puts the 'give him the chance and he'll score' notion to bed.

[Yorkie]

I don't think i've ever been so angry about a missed chance. I'm still seething now but i wanted to fucking cry at the time. That really was the moment.

[Guest toonlass]

I don't think i've ever been so angry about a missed chance. I'm still seething now but i wanted to fucking cry at the time. That really was the moment.

 

I have to say I thought Oba's miss was "the chance" like.