O the irony of it all Micheal Owen left Liverpool because he wanted to win some CL titles. This year liverpool could win their second CL title since Owen's left them......Owen is now at a team that doesn't even participate in the CL.
I noticed that a long while back, as I'm sure have many others. He then went to Newcastle, so that he could get enough first-team action to make the World Cup squad, broke his foot in a challenge with the England keeper, then ruptures his crucuate ligament in the first minute of his first game back, against Sweden, in the World Cup. To win a tournament, like the World Cup, you need skill, determination, fitness, good tactics, and luck. Owen and England's luck ran out in 2006. I'm not saying we would have won the World Cup had Owen not been injured. I'm just saying that many England fans knew in their heart of hearts that Owen's injury was the blow that led many to lose belief in an England victory. Revelian
Don't forget that Rooney also broke his foot prior to the finals. England winning the thing was always a long shot, but without those two fit and scoring goals, it really was a hopeless cause.
Owen is unlucky. In 2004, no-one in their wildest dreams could predict Liverpool getting anywhere near the European Cup. He went to a team which wouldn't play him because he's not Brazilian, then he had two terrible injuries.
Funny how it was exactly after Owen left it happen I wouldn't have play him over the brazilian either.....for the simple reason that brazilian had a better goal per minute strike-rate than him. Brazilian.......goals in the low 20s..... Spaniard.......less than 10..... The Brit..........goals in the low teens.....he had 20 or so starts oooo tough choice. if anything him not playing had more to do with him not being spaniard than brazilian. And lets not forget that the other Brit on the team started just about every game.
lol. And because he got greedy. Why do English fans always complain that Rooney, Gascoigne, Owen, Lineker, etc. are not getting the recognition that Pele, Zico, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho get just because they "aren't Brazilian?"
Owen's injury before th start of WC Finals was the bigger blow. England's offense was not doing anything even before the Swedish match.
Indeed, but you have to wonder why he went there in the first place when it was pretty obvious that Raul and Ronaldo were going to be ahead of him in the pecking order come what may. Seems to me Owen may two ill-advised transfers, both to Real in the first place and then, desperate for action prior to the WC, to a dysfunctional Newcastle United.
Bull.......he had the highest goal per minute......UNTIL....he began to start games regularly at the end of the season....infact he started in 12 of the last 14 games he played at RM......scoring 5 of his 13 goals The more games he started the worst it got.....i guess thats one of the benefits of being a supersub....read em and weep. R99......32 starts/2 subs......21 goals/2788 mintues.....a goal every 133 minutes Owen....20 starts/16 subs........13 goals/1868 mintues.....a goal every 144 minutes Raul..........31 starts/1 subs..........9 goals/2570 mintues..........a goal every 286 minutes
The goal raito was just a number that did not say much about performance. Owen was invisible when he started. Morientes was the one who should be complainting.
With Oooh-goochicoo Onyewu at the back, Newcastle will definitely win the champions league. Mmm.. maybe not next season, but the season after.
Anyhoo... being serious here... I don't really feel sorry for Owen. He knew EXACTLY what he was getting into at Real Madrid. They had Raul and Morientes - two linpins in both Real Madrid, and the Spanish national team... the former even being the captain. And they had Ronaldo ... possible the best player of his generation to compete with. Regardless of their form, these players, especially Ronaldo - were never going to be pushed down the pecking order. Owen should have selected his next club more wisely. Instead, he went for a team that already had three established world class strikers on their books. They brought Owen in to sell shirts, and increase their squad depth - but not to be a key first team player. If they had wanted him, Arsenal or Manchester United would have been better fits for Owen. Even Alan Shearer failed to win anything at Newcastle
I'd be interested to see the "true" number of playing minutes in relation to their goals.. Anyways, he is back to the league where he belongs...
I seriously dont know why Chelsea doesnt pick him up. They've got the money and they can hold on to Shevchenko for another year as a contingency plan. He's only 27 for christ sake, and you know that if he's healthy he will score goals.