Time running out for Owen
Michael Owen has been the star striker for England for some years now. He is Sven Goran Eriksson’s most capped player, starting every competitive match when he has been fit. In all, he has scored 36 goals in 79 games. Now however his star seems to be fading.
In the two World Cup matches so far, he has been hauled out on the hour mark. First Sven said the substitution was a tactical one and then admitted that Owen’s lack of match sharpness was the reason.
You can’t blame Sven for it. Owen clearly does not look sharp and at times struggled to find the ball. He missed chances which he would have buried easily on his top form.
Owen has been injured and had not played a competitive full match since December 31 (for his club Newcastle) but just prior to the World Cup Sven had been telling everyone that Owen was super fit and “on fire”. Two weeks later, the manager discovers his assessment had been wrong.
Newcastle manager Glen Roeder blames Sven for not using Owen properly in the matches. He accuses the England manager to prefer long balls and not playing to the striker’s strength.
He may be right there. In the games against Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago, we saw how the defenders were just banging in long balls to the head of Peter Crouch. Even the midfielders were as guilty.
Owen himself agrees that he is not getting the sort of ball he strives on. He said:
“I am in the team to be in the box. If the ball is in the box and I’m not on the end of it you can blame me. But that’s where I should be, in the box scoring goals for England. One thing I’m not going to do is change my game to please everyone’s eye.”
All okay with that but the pressure is now on Owen to change his game. Otherwise, Wayne Rooney will just replace him and partner Crouch up front.
I think Sven will give Owen another hour against Sweden next Tuesday to get on form, failing which, he will have to settle on the bench for the second round matches.
Michael Owen has been the star striker for England for some years now. He is Sven Goran Eriksson’s most capped player, starting every competitive match when he has been fit. In all, he has scored 36 goals in 79 games. Now however his star seems to be fading.In the two World Cup matches so far, he has been hauled out on the hour mark. First Sven said the substitution was a tactical one and then admitted that Owen’s lack of match sharpness was the reason.
You can’t blame Sven for it. Owen clearly does not look sharp and at times struggled to find the ball. He missed chances which he would have buried easily on his top form.
Owen has been injured and had not played a competitive full match since December 31 (for his club Newcastle) but just prior to the World Cup Sven had been telling everyone that Owen was super fit and “on fire”. Two weeks later, the manager discovers his assessment had been wrong.
Newcastle manager Glen Roeder blames Sven for not using Owen properly in the matches. He accuses the England manager to prefer long balls and not playing to the striker’s strength.
He may be right there. In the games against Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago, we saw how the defenders were just banging in long balls to the head of Peter Crouch. Even the midfielders were as guilty.
Owen himself agrees that he is not getting the sort of ball he strives on. He said:
“I am in the team to be in the box. If the ball is in the box and I’m not on the end of it you can blame me. But that’s where I should be, in the box scoring goals for England. One thing I’m not going to do is change my game to please everyone’s eye.”
All okay with that but the pressure is now on Owen to change his game. Otherwise, Wayne Rooney will just replace him and partner Crouch up front.
I think Sven will give Owen another hour against Sweden next Tuesday to get on form, failing which, he will have to settle on the bench for the second round matches.
posted by Kabilan K at
12:31 PM
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