Owen and Shola come back

[Rich]

Has to be Owen & Martins, simply because of their reputations/price-tags. I can't see Ameobi getting a game ahead of those, if they're fit, whatever game it is. Like I've said elsewhere, it might not come off or one of them might get a bad injury and Ameobi will come back into it, but he's most definitely going to be "3rd choice" initially - and rightly so.

 

A lot of people cannot wait to see Owen and Martins together and I'm one of them, I just really hope they click. Or even if they don't click, I hope they score plenty of goals apiece.

 

Yep Owen and Martins, I can see them wroking aswell. Owen is a instinctive predator who hangs around waiting for a chance where as Oba likes to drop deep, pick up the ball and hit belters from distance. Bit more work needs to be done on Martins overall build up play but they could be exceptional with each other!

 

For the record, I can't see them working, but I hope that they do.

[Ally]

They should work, as Jon says Owen will always play on the last shoulder. There are so many times when Martins gets the ball out in the channels (similar to how Bellamy did) but because he's always upfront with a shower of shite (yes, you Kieron) theres never anyone there to pass it to. That leads him to either lose the ball or go backwards. At least now he'll have someone to look up and see

[JH]

Owen-ed: Strike duos return is a Sh-ambles as Titus Sho's them up

 

Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi both scored against Portsmouth at Fratton Park...but were both outdone at the death as Titus Bramble scored a hattrick of own goals in Injury Time to gift Pompey a 3-2 win.

[Dave]

Some deliciously shit puns in here.

[Guest smoggeordie]

Owen-ed! Admin sho who's boss!

 

Dave locks Ameobi and Owen thread.

 

[Dave]

:laugh:

[The College Dropout]

Ameobi>Sibbers so it's good news.

[ohmelads]

Ameobi is better than Sibierski at every aspect of the game. His return can only be viewed as a good thing. As someone already mentioned, we'd have caused Arsenal huge problems with him in the side yesterday as their centre backs were struggling with high balls to Martins, one of the smallest players on the field.

 

Whether we like to admit it or not we play quite a lot of high balls these days. With Ameobi in the team I don't see us playing more, I just see fewer of them going back into opposition hands. We've been pumping high balls all season to the smallest strike force in the league.

 

I don't see the argument for waiting until next season. If they're fully fit then bring them back into the fold. I'm no expert but something tells me it could do more harm than good holding them back until next season - by that time Owen will effectively have spent 20 months out of the game, the pressure on him will be even greater. Get his return out of the way now while things are relatively calm so we don't start the new season with a media circus on our hands.

[Tisd09]

Good news! I am happy both players are back. IMO Shola is a better option up top than Dyer or Sibs. Hopefully we won't bring them back to early but to be fair with Roeder he has been pretty much spot on with injuries he doesn't seem to rush them back apart from Stephen Carr!

[Rich]

Ameobi is better than Sibierski at every aspect of the game. His return can only be viewed as a good thing. As someone already mentioned, we'd have caused Arsenal huge problems with him in the side yesterday as their centre backs were struggling with high balls to Martins, one of the smallest players on the field.

 

Whether we like to admit it or not we play quite a lot of high balls these days. With Ameobi in the team I don't see us playing more, I just see fewer of them going back into opposition hands. We've been pumping high balls all season to the smallest strike force in the league.

 

I don't see the argument for waiting until next season. If they're fully fit then bring them back into the fold. I'm no expert but something tells me it could do more harm than good holding them back until next season - by that time Owen will effectively have spent 20 months out of the game, the pressure on him will be even greater. Get his return out of the way now while things are relatively calm so we don't start the new season with a media circus on our hands.

 

About the high-ball situation: there was a concerted effort on Monday to play it out from the back, from what I could see. With a proper left-back in there and another centre-back who is decent on the ball (i.e. not Onyewu), this gave me quite a bit of hope for next season as it seemed a definitive new "ploy". Most of the time it went to waste, like, because Harper came on and was about as horizontal as possible, constantly wasting outlets that Carr and Solano had attempted to provide for him. Nevertheless, it definitely seemed to me like the penny had dropped and that we're going to attempt to build from the back in future a bit more.

[stalker]

Ameobi is better than Sibierski at every aspect of the game. His return can only be viewed as a good thing. As someone already mentioned, we'd have caused Arsenal huge problems with him in the side yesterday as their centre backs were struggling with high balls to Martins, one of the smallest players on the field.

 

Whether we like to admit it or not we play quite a lot of high balls these days. With Ameobi in the team I don't see us playing more, I just see fewer of them going back into opposition hands. We've been pumping high balls all season to the smallest strike force in the league.

 

I don't see the argument for waiting until next season. If they're fully fit then bring them back into the fold. I'm no expert but something tells me it could do more harm than good holding them back until next season - by that time Owen will effectively have spent 20 months out of the game, the pressure on him will be even greater. Get his return out of the way now while things are relatively calm so we don't start the new season with a media circus on our hands.

 

About the high-ball situation: there was a concerted effort on Monday to play it out from the back, from what I could see. With a proper left-back in there and another centre-back who is decent on the ball (i.e. not Onyewu), this gave me quite a bit of hope for next season as it seemed a definitive new "ploy". Most of the time it went to waste, like, because Harper came on and was about as horizontal as possible, constantly wasting outlets that Carr and Solano had attempted to provide for him. Nevertheless, it definitely seemed to me like the penny had dropped and that we're going to attempt to build from the back in future a bit more.

 

I don't see it as concerted effort to play it from the back but more the difference that Emre makes to the team. He is always looking to come back collect the ball from the defenders and then play it out. This simply doesn't happen with Parker and Butt in the middle as neither ever come looking for the ball, forcing our defenders to hoof it long.

[Rich]

Ameobi is better than Sibierski at every aspect of the game. His return can only be viewed as a good thing. As someone already mentioned, we'd have caused Arsenal huge problems with him in the side yesterday as their centre backs were struggling with high balls to Martins, one of the smallest players on the field.

 

Whether we like to admit it or not we play quite a lot of high balls these days. With Ameobi in the team I don't see us playing more, I just see fewer of them going back into opposition hands. We've been pumping high balls all season to the smallest strike force in the league.

 

I don't see the argument for waiting until next season. If they're fully fit then bring them back into the fold. I'm no expert but something tells me it could do more harm than good holding them back until next season - by that time Owen will effectively have spent 20 months out of the game, the pressure on him will be even greater. Get his return out of the way now while things are relatively calm so we don't start the new season with a media circus on our hands.

 

About the high-ball situation: there was a concerted effort on Monday to play it out from the back, from what I could see. With a proper left-back in there and another centre-back who is decent on the ball (i.e. not Onyewu), this gave me quite a bit of hope for next season as it seemed a definitive new "ploy". Most of the time it went to waste, like, because Harper came on and was about as horizontal as possible, constantly wasting outlets that Carr and Solano had attempted to provide for him. Nevertheless, it definitely seemed to me like the penny had dropped and that we're going to attempt to build from the back in future a bit more.

 

I don't see it as concerted effort to play it from the back but more the difference that Emre makes to the team. He is always looking to come back collect the ball from the defenders and then play it out. This simply doesn't happen with Parker and Butt in the middle as neither ever come looking for the ball, forcing our defenders to hoof it long.

 

Fuck's sake man, that's not what I said at all..

 

If you watched the game you should have noticed that the full-backs were constantly dropping deep and asking for the ball from Given/Harper in order to build from the back, instead of lumping it forward to Martins/Milner at every opportunity. Even Taylor and Onywu got balls to feet at some points in the game. It had absolutely nothing to do with Emre being in the team at all and was most definitely a case of "let's stop hitting aimless balls forward". Unless Emre told Roeder to employ it, he cannot take the credit for it.

 

As I said, most times we missed out because of Harper/Given taking too long and then being forced to punt it towards Milner (who again won his fair share), but it was definitely a gameplan to get the ball to defenders if the opportunity arose and to build from the back. It was as plain as day to see inside the ground.

[ohmelads]

I think that was more because both teams were jaded from playing 48 hours earlier and Arsenal were not pressing us up the field as teams normally would. That's when our defenders crap themselves and punt it long, rather than risk a dodgy pass in defence or getting caught in possession.

 

Also I felt we held a decent line yesterday, not too high to let strikers in behind but not too deep to invite shots on goal. Makes a big difference, Adebayor and Ljungberg were left very frustrated as we set up our defence correctly. If only we could do it more often.

[gonufc]

I think Owen and Martins could work but I think Owen's at his best when he plays with a creative, intelligent strike partner (someone like Tevez or Berbatov). They would be able to feed him some great balls through, im not sure Martins is really capable of that (at the moment although he can improva that aspect of his game in the future).

[Ally]

I think Owen and Martins could work but I think Owen's at his best when he plays with a creative, intelligent strike partner (someone like Tevez or Berbatov). They would be able to feed him some great balls through, im not sure Martins is really capable of that (at the moment although he can improva that aspect of his game in the future).

 

Owen was at his best alongside Heskey!

[gonufc]

I think Owen and Martins could work but I think Owen's at his best when he plays with a creative, intelligent strike partner (someone like Tevez or Berbatov). They would be able to feed him some great balls through, im not sure Martins is really capable of that (at the moment although he can improva that aspect of his game in the future).

 

Owen was at his best alongside Heskey!

 

Yes but he had people like Gerrard behind him. We don't really have anyone creative in midfield so for us I think he could do with a creative strike partner

[Northern Monkey]

Shola back - oh fuck.

[Guest prestonj1989]

Owen scored in the comeback game today against Gretna!

[Guest smoggeordie]

Owen scored in the comeback game today against Gretna!

 

Where'd you hear about this mammoth feat?

[Dave]

Scored and set one up.

[Rich]

NUFC.com never got that follow-up by the looks of it, but preston is right.

[Dave]

 

Cheeky sod.

[Guest smoggeordie]

Reckon we could see him for the reserves against boro next week and then on the bench for Chelsea.

[magorific]

Owen's goal was a cracking 25-yarder apparently

[sempuki]

Owen back with a goal as Gretna game is runaway success

George Caulkin

 

It was a far cry from that famous heart-pounding moment against Argentina, or his hat-trick in Germany, but Michael Owen scored one of the most pivotal goals of his career yesterday. The venue was Newcastle United’s training ground and the opposition was provided by Gretna, but after a ten-month absence through injury, the centre forward did not care one jot.

 

Having undergone surgery in the United States to repair the anterior cruciate ligament damage he suffered during England’s match against Sweden in the World Cup finals last June, having expended litres of sweat and hours of frustration in the gym, Owen has almost completed his rehabilitation. He played for 75 minutes against Newcastle’s Scottish opponents behind closed doors, apparently suffering no ill-effects.

 

His goal, in a 4-1 victory, was described by observers as a dipping shot on the run, struck from a distance of more than 20 yards; Newcastle supporters will be drooling. He also turned provider for Shola Ameobi — whose return from a long-term hip complaint is also well ahead of schedule — who snapped up the rebound when another Owen effort was repelled.

 

While Glenn Roeder, the manager, has consistently refused to put a timescale on Owen’s recuperation — announcing on Monday that plans to field him in a reserve-team match this week had been shelved — the 27-year-old remains on course to play some part in Newcastle’s home match against Chelsea on April 22. He is unlikely to be considered for this weekend’s match away to Portsmouth.

 

Provided that he suffers no setbacks, Owen could have four matches to establish his fitness before the end of the season, raising the prospect of him being selected for the European Championship qualifying match in Estonia on June 6. He could also be involved on Thursday May 31, when England — the FA has continued to pay a sizeable chunk of his £110,000-a-week wages during his recovery — play Brazil in their first match at the refurbished Wembley Stadium.

 

That prospect remains some distance away, however, but the initial reports of Owen’s comeback are hugely promising. Gretna, whose director of club development is Mick Wadsworth, who worked for Newcastle under Sir Bobby Robson — a spectator at their Scottish League first division game against St Johnstone on Saturday — were invited to Tyneside when Hartlepool United were unable to comply.

 

“He didn’t look rusty at all,” Erik Paartalu, Gretna’s Australian midfield player, said. “In fact, he looked very sharp. He was going past defenders and it didn’t seem that he had been out for so long. We knew on Saturday that we would be playing Newcastle and that it was Owen’s comeback. It was a buzz. We didn’t get too stuck into him, but we did with the other lads. He combined well with Ameobi.”

 

Albert Luque, Titus Bramble and Charles N’Zogbia also took part in a 90-minute match split into thirds.

 

“If that’s what he’s like after ten months out of the game, I’d hate to play against a fully fit Michael Owen,” Gavin Skelton, the Gretna full back, said. “The goal was the hallmark of a great striker. It was just a half-chance, really, from the edge of the box, but in a flash he’d buried it in the bottom corner of the net with a right-foot shot. He didn’t smash it, it was just very clinical, brilliantly placed.

 

“He looked very sharp throughout and while I can’t recall him having many more chances, his link-up play was excellent. And I didn’t notice him breathing heavily, either. Stamina-wise, you wouldn’t have thought that this was his comeback game. Obviously, he’s not going to be match fit, but to me he looks ready for the Premiership.

 

“We’re not a bad side in our own right, but he’s the best we’ve played against. I’m glad I don’t come across forwards of his calibre every week.”

 

Owen’s two years at Newcastle have been plagued by injury. Since his club-record £16 million signing from Real Madrid, he has started only ten matches in the Barclays Premiership, scoring seven goals. Owen will hope that yesterday represented a change in fortune.