Spare a thought for poor ol' Michael

[jonffm]

Poor poor Michael Owen...

This article from the Mirror pretty much sums it up..

"I want you to spare a thought today for the worlds newest galactico, Michael Owen.

There he was on Wednesday night watching "The best club in the world" as he called them last month, getting torn apart by a merely half-decent german side, unable to defend or score, and looking like the circus act they've become.
And watching another reserve striker, Fernando Morientes, sent off the bench ahead of him to try to put things right.
Then going back to his hotel, depressed that he's yet to start a game or score a goal for Real Madrid, and watching highlights of Liverpool tear apart least season's Champions League finalists in a breath-taking attacking performance that had pace, power, panache and buckets of promise. Everything Owen and the fans where crying out for throughtout his decade at Anfield.

Worse still must have been the sight of Luis Garcia in his old number 10 shirt, playing gloriously behind the main striker the way Ian St John, Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Peter Beardsly use to in those past great sides.

Was he thinking 'it could have been me?' as room service brought up another bottle of Lucozade Sport.

No offence, but I bloody well hope so."

Harsh, yet so true. I saw this a mile off. Owen isn't of Madrids standards, and has now dropped from first choice in a top european side, to second bench striker in a side that gets slaughtered by half decent teams.

Pity he left right on the edge of a new era...he could have been part of something big.

[Dingbat]

...and your point is?

Surely Liverpool are better off without him? I mean, Baros is better than him as far as I'm concerned, as is Cisse, as is Garcia (probably, I've never watched him play) so if you had him there he'd surely just get in the way demanding to play all the time?

Owen made the only decision you can really make when faced with that choice; "Yes, I'd like to go". It's different with players like Patrick Viera because he's always going to have the chance, really; but with Owen, if Real Madrid wanted him despite the way he's been playing, surely he had to take the opportunity?

[jonffm]

And it's worked out so well.

The point is, whatever people say, Michael Owen is a TOP english talent. Now, because of his move, I think his talent is gunna go compleatly to waste. i mean..a second sub?! Come on.

He should never have left. Gerard stayed after an offer from a 'better' team, and look what that's done for him. He's playing the best football of his career and the top scoring player at the club.

[Leonidas]

Owen isn't of Madrids standards, and has now dropped from first choice in a top european side, to second bench striker in a side that gets slaughtered by half decent teams.



And what are Madrid's standards? Personally I feel that years and years of an insanetransfer policy, of trying to sign a galactico every year, rather than build a team, is finally catching up with Real. I think things are going to change this year in Spain, and possibly over the next 2-3 years also. I see Barcelona and Valencia both pulling away from Madrid, leaving them to rethink the way they have run the club, and to reorganise and rebuild.

[dogincognito]

A nice unbiased article there :p

I wonder if the writer has ever watched another Leverkusen game?

It made me laugh him talking about Liverpool's "breath-taking attacking performance that had pace, power, panache and buckets of promise" while calling Leverkusen only a half decent side, while Monaco are in fact a poor one.

Anyway i think Owen can still earn a starting place as Raul has been very poor for more than a season, and Ronaldo is injury prone.

Owen probably should have stayed, but just because Real lost a game and he didn't play his careers not over :rolleyes:


Also Real wil play better when they have a defence, Woodgate didn't play against Leverkusen and i'm not sure if Samuel did either...

[jonffm]

Anyway i think Owen can still earn a starting place as Raul has been very poor for more than a season, and Ronaldo is injury prone.

Owen probably should have stayed, but just because Real lost a game and he didn't play his careers not over :rolleyes:


Also Real wil play better when they have a defence, Woodgate didn't play against Leverkusen and i'm not sure if Samuel did either...

He had his chance again today..His first full start. Another loss for Real.

I'm more got a problem with Real than Owen. It's bloody stupid. How can a team that is playing stars like Zidane, and have the most paid, and apparantly most skilled team in the world keep losing? At the rate they are going, they could very easily be out of the champions league next week.

Besides, I don't see why they should play better in defence when their so-called stars are back? They have a full-strength midfield and they are still playing like West Brom after a piss-up.

Owens career may still be alive, at the moment, but I really can't see him going anywhere at Real. He should go somewhere else, anywhere, even Chelski, but Real? No.

[streety]

He had his chance again today..His first full start. Another loss for Real.

I'm more got a problem with Real than Owen. It's bloody stupid. How can a team that is playing stars like Zidane, and have the most paid, and apparantly most skilled team in the world keep losing?
Zidane, Figo and Casillas were al injured. They made 5 changes from the side that lost in the week and left Morientes, Beckham and Raul on the bench. Espanyol are playing well and have some talented players.

Back on topics, Owen has been stale for years and I am glad to see him go. It is a new revolution at Anfield and big changes had to be made. When Rafa went to Valencia he sold the club captain, Gaizka Mendiata. I am full of optimism for the forthcoming seasons and I have no sorrow for "Poor ol' Michael". He shouldn't have wanted wages too high for his ability and then stalled on his contract.

[dogincognito]

He had his chance again today..His first full start. Another loss for Real.

I'm more got a problem with Real than Owen. It's bloody stupid. How can a team that is playing stars like Zidane, and have the most paid, and apparantly most skilled team in the world keep losing? At the rate they are going, they could very easily be out of the champions league next week.

Besides, I don't see why they should play better in defence when their so-called stars are back? They have a full-strength midfield and they are still playing like West Brom after a piss-up.

Owens career may still be alive, at the moment, but I really can't see him going anywhere at Real. He should go somewhere else, anywhere, even Chelski, but Real? No.

They didn't have a full strenth midfield... and they'll play a lot better when they have a full strength defence obviously :rolleyes:

Out of the Champions next week is a stupid thing to say, it only takes 3 games and you can win the group, like when Newcastle lost the first three and then qualified and to a lesser extent Arsenal last year.

Why shouldn't Owen be at Real? how is playing there any different to playing at Chelsea?

[jonffm]

Its not that he's playing differently, it's that he's out of his depth. Real is the only club in the world that could bench him and not call him a first choice. At Chelsea, he would be a starter every time, without question.

He's at the prime of his career, he can't afford to be pissing around on the bench of one of the most under-preforming sides in europe. He needs a club that are going to play him day in day out.