Owen out for the season

[Kinky Gerbil]

Never fails to amaze me the amount of stick Owen gets on here. Not many players ever make it to 40 international goals. Unless you play for Fiji or someone like that.

He'll be sorely missed at the finals. It's all very well having Defoe and Crouch to knock the goals in against Algeria but better teams defences will gobble them up.

I dont think he gets stick, no one is saying he WAS a bad player, he is just past it.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

Never fails to amaze me the amount of stick Owen gets on here. Not many players ever make it to 40 international goals. Unless you play for Fiji or someone like that.

He'll be sorely missed at the finals. It's all very well having Defoe and Crouch to knock the goals in against Algeria but better teams defences will gobble them up.

Totally agree - forget crouches scoring record , good defenders will keep him out of the game. The big problem is Rooney is the only world class striker. Him and Defoe do not appear to play well together. Heskey only holds the ball up never looks like scoring - I think he is a luxury player. probably go out in the quarters again.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

I dont think he gets stick, no one is saying he WAS a bad player, he is just past it.

But he still scores on the big occasions. He's slower then he was but not lost his goalscoring touch.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

But he still scores on the big occasions. He's slower then he was but not lost his goalscoring touch.

He is just as likely to get injured before he takes a step on the pitch than play.

Its a different situation to King, King Can play and he knows his limits. Owen will just get random injuries.

 

[sam86]

He scored a HAT TRICK in the Champions League a few months ago.
If he was fit, he'd still be one of the top 20 or so strikers in the world IMO.

 

[seagulls4ever]

It amazes me that people can say things like 'good'. Fair enough you don't rate him and don't want him to go to the World Cup, but to wish an injury on a player, especially a model professional like Owen, is pretty low.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

He scored a HAT TRICK in the Champions League a few months ago.
If he was fit, he'd still be one of the top 20 or so strikers in the world IMO.

Yep no denying that.

He isnt fit and hasnt been fit for 3 years no matter what he says.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

I'm glad that Owen's injury, has put to bed the Owen can still go to the World Cup saga.

 

[Da Man Clay]

Probably one of the only two world class finishers we have. Shame really, would have been nice for him to get on the plane. Defoe/Crouch/Heskey/Zamora/Cole aren't good enough against the big sides.

 

[Rusthall Seagull]

I would have felt a lot more bullish about our chances of winning the World Cup had a fit Michael Owen been in the squad.

A born goalscorer of the highest quality - just a shame injury has plauged his career.

 

[Easy 10]

Owen would certainly have been a useful weapon to have on the bench.

We've got more serious problems at the back though. No established keeper, Johnson still hasn't played this year, Rio's played about 3 games in 6 months, Cashley is in plaster...basically our entire back line is f***ed at the moment.

That, I fear, will be our undoing this summer.

 

[beorhthelm]

We've got more serious problems at the back though.

this is why we wont win, we dont have the defense to hold out and nick a win, or effectivly play to our counter-attacking strengths.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Yep the defence looks mullered. Plus all the top teams this Summer will have plenty of goalscoring options. We'll have Rooney and erm, that's it. Which is why I woulda taken Owen if poss, despite his injury problems.

 

[Easy 10]

Yep the defence looks mullered. Plus all the top teams this Summer will have plenty of goalscoring options. We'll have Rooney and erm, that's it. Which is why I woulda taken Owen if poss, despite his injury problems.

I don't see goalscoring as a major problem - worth remembering we were the top goalscorers in Europe in qualification, and it certainly didn't ALL come from Rooney. We've got plenty in terms of goalscoring midfielders who could and should help with the goals.

But that back line of ours is completely stuffed, and it WILL be exploited by the better opposition. I mean christ, Spain have gone 45 unbeaten (42 wins, 3 draws). How the hell are we going to deal with that if we meet them ?!

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don't see goalscoring as a major problem - worth remembering we were the top goalscorers in Europe in qualification, and it certainly didn't ALL come from Rooney. We've got plenty in terms of goalscoring midfielders who could and should help with the goals.

But that back line of ours is completely stuffed, and it WILL be exploited by the better opposition. I mean christ, Spain have gone 45 unbeaten (42 wins, 3 draws). How the hell are we going to deal with that if we meet them ?!

Get Terry to bed Torres's and Villa's wife

 

[sam86]

I don't see goalscoring as a major problem - worth remembering we were the top goalscorers in Europe in qualification, and it certainly didn't ALL come from Rooney. We've got plenty in terms of goalscoring midfielders who could and should help with the goals.

Are you seriously not worried about scoring?

Here are the other scorers -

Crouch, 4
Lampard, 4
Walcott, 3
Gerrard, 3
Defoe, 3
J. Cole, 2
Heskey, 1
Barry, 1
Wright-Phillips, 1
Ferdinand, 1
Terry, 1

Those in bold are unlikely to start.

It worries me. It really does. The only good thing is that we'll have goals coming off the bench (infact, more on the bench than what we have on the pitch (minus Rooney))

 

[Mellotron]

Owen would certainly have been a useful weapon to have on the bench.

We've got more serious problems at the back though. No established keeper, Johnson still hasn't played this year, Rio's played about 3 games in 6 months, Cashley is in plaster...basically our entire back line is f***ed at the moment.

That, I fear, will be our undoing this summer.

Not forgetting John Terry has been WOEFUL for the last few weeks.

 

[beorhthelm]

Are you seriously not worried about scoring?

Here are the other scorers -

Crouch, 4
Lampard, 4
Walcott, 3
Gerrard, 3
Defoe, 3
J. Cole, 2
Heskey, 1
Barry, 1
Wright-Phillips, 1
Ferdinand, 1
Terry, 1

Those in bold are unlikely to start.

glass half empty or half full? i see that as evidence we have goals coming from right across the team.

 

[Easy 10]

Are you seriously not worried about scoring?

Here are the other scorers -

Crouch, 4
Lampard, 4
Walcott, 3
Gerrard, 3
Defoe, 3
J. Cole, 2
Heskey, 1
Barry, 1
Wright-Phillips, 1
Ferdinand, 1
Terry, 1

Those in bold are unlikely to start.

It worries me. It really does. The only good thing is that we'll have goals coming off the bench (infact, more on the bench than what we have on the pitch (minus Rooney))

Obviously losing Rooney would be a disaster, that goes without saying.
But what I mean though is that we're not TOTALLY reliant on him for the goals. I take it those are the stats from the qualifying campaign, and I think it shows that there is a reasonable spread of players within the squad who can be relied on to score.

I don't think anyone can say "stop Rooney and you stop England". There's plenty of others who can pop up in the box for us.