Martin Samuel on Owen

[Dinho lad]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article2289135.ece

 

Owen lost to a life of luxury

 

The sight of Michael Owen coming off the bench for Newcastle United may not be all good news for Steve McClaren, the England head coach. Indeed, it may grow to be his worst nightmare.

 

At the moment, Owen is working his way back to match fitness after a thigh injury suffered in July. Considering his recent problems, it is understandable that he is not rushed immediately into action. Yet, healthy again, where exactly will Owen figure under Sam Allardyce at Newcastle?

 

Not in his 4-3-3 system, that is for sure. Owen took Obafemi Martins’s place on the right during his 27-minute appearance against Aston Villa on Saturday, but it is hardly a role that plays to his strengths. Very little about Allardyce’s A game does. He is recreating his new club in the image of his old and there is no natural home for Owen’s type of striker in a Bolton Wanderers-style plan that uses the craft of James Milner on the left, the athleticism of Martins on the right and the imposing presence of Mark Viduka down the middle.

 

Even if Allardyce switches to 4-4-2, he might elect to reacquaint the successful Leeds United striking partnership of Viduka and Alan Smith.

 

Then there is Shola Ameobi, another whose physical aptitude conforms to Allardyce’s preferences. So where does that leave Owen in Newcastle’s pecking order. Fourth? Fifth? Heaven forbid, sixth?

 

Allardyce wrote a national newspaper column during the most recent World Cup. In it, he advocated a 4-3-3 system for England’s first match, which found no room for Owen. Later in the tournament, when he rated Sven-Göran Eriksson’s players out of ten, Owen was given his lowest mark, five (Peter Crouch received eight). Allardyce offered mitigation that he lacked match fitness and acknowledged his status as a player that could change a game, but his summing up will not make comfortable reading with McClaren now relying on regular club football to keep Owen sharp.

 

“Sven has to live with the fact that Owen is a predator — or rule that he is a luxury he can’t afford,” Allardyce concluded. McClaren’s fear must be that, with Allardyce now making that judgment, option two will be his bottom line.

 

Quite incredible, isn’t it, that a player who has done nothing all his life but score should suddenly be out of fashion? Owen bristles at the suggestion that the traditional goal-poaching No 9 will go the way of the midfield maestro No 10 and become a redundant figure in our modern game, but evidence is not on his side. Rafael BenÍtez did not want to make him part of the way forward at Liverpool and instead signed a succession of strikers without half Owen’s potency, but offering better support to the team. Indeed, the reason he is at Newcastle is that the top four clubs in English football did little but shuffle their feet and look awkwardly at the floor when he was made available by Real Madrid.

 

The vogue striker is embodied by Didier Drogba, of Chelsea. Artful, powerful and capable of scoring stunning goals or operating as a selfless target man. Now, even Newcastle, the romantic home of the frontman, may prove a lonely posting for Owen. His announcement last week that he is fit and ready to play had an air of desperation about it, a forlorn attempt to make himself attractive, as if he already suspects that Allardyce’s attention is elsewhere.

 

There is one team that has an aching need for Owen but, sadly, its plays infrequently. England have floundered terribly without their great match-winner, as strikers that are so valued at club level, where there is often a cunning foreign partner to help them, have struggled to fill his shoes.

 

Liverpool’s supporters harshly stated that Owen belonged to the national team, not his club, but that slight may soon be his reality. The occasional cameo for Newcastle, however, will not be enough to produce the edge Owen requires to define key matches. If so, Allardyce may get his preferred England team, one way or another.

[gonufc]

This article kind of assumes that Allarydice isn't capable of molding his tactics to fit Owen in, which I think he is capable of. IF we can keep Owen fit then the team should suit the way he plays as he is a quality player BUT only if he can prove his fitness for a sustained period of time. That's a big if.

[Guest jamesmartinsmith]

I can't see Owen doing well in a 4-4-3. Especially if Milner is part of it.

[Dave]

Michael, Michael! You can do so much better than that hairy brute.

[McCormick]

I can't see Owen doing well in a 4-4-3. Especially if Milner is part of it.

 

me neither.. probly get disqualified for being on the pitch anyway

[ChezGiven]

Odd  that it comes from the Times. A lot of fair points but surely Allardyce is bright enough to extend his "you work with what you've got" ethos from Bolton to Newcastle too?

[KaKa]

Owen is a luxury in modern day football and it's a fact. Good player but it is shocking how little he gives to the team outside of being a goal poacher, albeit a darn good one.

 

More evidence that Allardyce is a strong believer in the 4-3-3. Is it likely he will sacrifice his beliefs all for the sake of one man? If so is this the right thing to do?

 

I think Owen will try to be adapted into the 4-3-3 as a wide striker and if it doesn't work he will probably be gone.

[Dave]

Odd  that it comes from the Times.

 

The Times is Owen's paper isn't it? As in his column.

[NSG]

Odd  that it comes from the Times.

 

The Times is Owen's paper isn't it? As in his column.

 

Aye.

[Dave]

Odd  that it comes from the Times.

 

The Times is Owen's paper isn't it? As in his column.

 

Aye.

 

As Chez says then, odd. Maybe someone's had a word? A gentle reminder to Sam?

[ChezGiven]

Odd  that it comes from the Times.

 

The Times is Owen's paper isn't it? As in his column.

 

Aye.

 

Could be that the Martin's talk is wotm and this is who they're after.

[timnufc22]

Owen is a luxury in modern day football and it's a fact. Good player but it is shocking how little he gives to the team outside of being a goal poacher, albeit a darn good one.

 

More evidence that Allardyce is a strong believer in the 4-3-3. Is it likely he will sacrifice his beliefs all for the sake of one man? If so is this the right thing to do?

 

I think Owen will try to be adapted into the 4-3-3 as a wide striker and if it doesn't work he will probably be gone.

 

Very true, great players are able to give more to the team than just be a goal poacher. He dosent give anything else, dosent run at players anymore, isnt skillful on the ball, no left foot, not a presence up-front, a very limited footballer and it should have been worked on a long time ago to bring him to life more, he plays like a 33 year old, he's bloody 27.

[Guest jamesmartinsmith]

I was embarrassed to see Owen in the black and white on Saturday.

[Dave]

I was embarrassed to see Owen in the black and white on Saturday.

 

Too old?

[Guest jamesmartinsmith]

I was embarrassed to see Owen in the black and white on Saturday.

 

Too old?

No, he was just awful.

[OzzieMandias]

FFS, that was his first proper game for over a year.

[McCormick]

I was embarrassed to see Owen in the black and white on Saturday.

 

Too old?

 

[gonufc]

I was embarrassed to see Owen in the black and white on Saturday.

 

Too old?

No, he was just awful.

 

Yeah, you're right, it was his fault that there wasn't any service from midfield. Not as if it was his first competitive game of the season in which he came on as a sub....oh wait...

[TRC]

Good article, spot on.

[Guest eyeball_tickler]

if, as that article suggests, ameobi will be ahead of owen in the striker order, then football can fuck off.

[madras]

I was embarrassed to see Owen in the black and white on Saturday.

 

Too old?

No, he was just awful.

first game in a long time,i remember shearers first games back after long term injuries.

 

owen has till january to persuade us,so does martins when i think of it.i'd swap either for huntelaar

[Guest khyberpass]

id still have Crouch!

 

Owen is a poacher...but will we create enough for him to poach; and dont we already have Viduka who is a stronger, healthier poacher???

 

Martins - i pray we keep him.....and Shola looked sharp and dangerous when he came on. - keep

[madras]

id still have Crouch!

 

Owen is a poacher...but will we create enough for him to poach; and dont we already have Viduka who is a stronger, healthier poacher???

 

Martins - i pray we keep him.....and Shola looked sharp and dangerous when he came on. - keep

how about keep all 4 for the time being and try and mould a pattern for them and the rest of the team ?

[womblemaster]

i think thats a poor article. The times seems to have a vendetta against us.....maybe aussie murcock and ashley arent pals for some reson and the rentboy journalists are told to make up niggly stories about us?

 

I cant see us playing 433 for every game.  not sure sam is that stupid or pig headed. 

 

Its gonna be hard work getting the strikers to gell, quite a challenge infact, which might prove just too hard, and january could be a good time to reshuffle the pack.

 

Hope theres a super computer in big sams big head, cos theres alot of variables to compute at nufc!!

[Guest teepee]

I was embarrassed to see Owen in the black and white on Saturday.

 

Too old?

No, he was just awful.

 

jesus fucking christ - he's been out for ages man. fair enough if you don't want him in the team, but criticising him over the first 27 minutes of competitive football after a long period out is a bit steep....

 

i reckon that owen will be good for us. i think that sam will change things around quite a bit, thus not playing 4-3-3 all the time, and also shuffeling players.