Michael Owen: The End of an Era

[manor15]

Just found this piece on a football fans site, it isn't written by a Liverpool or Newcastle fan but it sums the downfall of his career well. Thought it was worth a read.

THERE were only three times during the recent Villa versus Newcastle game, when I realised that Michael Owen had actually travelled to the West Midlands for the day. During a game that was mostly a blur in the late May sunshine, the TV camera panned to a morose-looking Owen on the steps of the dugout. After another period of ineffectual Newcastle pressure, I caught Michael Owen doing a gentle jog and star jump routine on the touchline. Then I saw Owen doing a high five with Kevin Nolan before jogging onto the pitch.
From that 66th minute, I lost sight of him. If someone had told me that he had given a couple of minutes on the pitch, then decided to spend the rest of the hot Sunday afternoon with a gentle bit of Bank Holiday shopping around Birmingham’s Bull Ring, I would not have been surprised. I understand that watching a game on the TV will never give you a total picture of the game, but I was shocked to see a player, that I had always regarded as a bit of an idol for my age group, looking like a wretched shell of his former self. Something was not quite right. Was this Michael Owen of 2008/2009, the same Michael Owen of 1998/1999?
Michael Owen is two months older than me, and he was the first player of my age group to make an impact on the national football stage. I felt that he had gone through the same emotions at the same time as me such as the first walk, the first day at school, the first girlfriend, the first date, and his first football match. However, he had made it to the football pitch, while my football playing dreams remained just dreams.
Having debuted with a fine goal against Wimbledon in May 1997, I began to take a keen interest in him as well as Steven Gerrard. They were the standard bearers for the 1979/1980 school year at the highest level in the modern game. Owen was a shining light for Liverpool in the 1997/1998 season with twenty one goals, and helped Liverpool Football Club out of the malaise that had descended over Anfield for most of the nineties.
Despite his wonder goals (and the shimmying run against Newcastle in August 1998 is one of my personal favourites,) Owen was the victim of the classic British dilemma about whether to give a first team chance to the young players. I can remember the debates at Anfield and for England, regarding whether Owen was too young to have a regular start for the senior teams. I was crying at our black and white TV screen (colour came late to our household in deepest Essex) for Owen to be given a chance, and I was bewildered at Hoddle in a very adolescent sort of way, why Owen was being held back from the pitch during the World Cup of 1998.
My belief appeared to be vindicated on Tuesday 30th June 1998 when Owen scored that wonder goal against Argentina. I felt that this was someone of my age, playing for my country, lightening up the tournament for England. It was not just the pace that was startling. It was the swagger in the movement around the hapless defenders that did it for me. It was the sort of football that made you proud to support England, and it was difficult to believe that Owen was still only 18. I hoped that there would be more to come
I am starting to wonder whether that day was the pinnacle of Michael Owen’s career. He had the footballing world at his field, and you wonder whether club and country commitments subsequently ran his young body into the ground. For a player that thrived on pace, it would be inevitable that injuries would shave crucial seconds off his running time. For a footballing public and media who seemed to crave for Owen to produce a World Cup 98 styled wonder goal on a weekly basis, Owen was subjected to frequent criticism that was especially evident when he struggled in the 2002 World Cup and Euro 04.
Instead of dwelling on the criticism, as well as the jealous catcalls from various university colleagues who played with Owen in various mid nineties school league fixtures around North Wales and the Wirral, I prefer to think of Michael Owen at his very best. For instance, who can forget those two goals in the final minutes of the 2001 Cup Final which handed the tie to Liverpool?
Life did not work out for Michael Owen at Real Madrid, and his form has not been rediscovered at Newcastle. Owen seems to have lost his chance to be even slightly considered for the England team, and there are monthly debates about whether Owen’s predatory striker skills are out of fashion in a modern team. There are the non-footballing debates about whether Owen should be involved in buying helicopters and becoming the first Premiership player to be a pilot or involved in horse racing, having set up a Cheshire racing stable in 2007. With relegation imprinted on his CV, it is difficult to know whether the British footballing public will ever especially warm to Michael Owen again.
In writing this article, I hope that I am not writing the obituary for Michael Owen and his football career. In some ways, my hope that Owen rediscovers his footballing skill is based on the embarrassment that my age group are starting to peak and fall into plying their talents in the Championship and then the lower leagues.
At this present time, Owen’s career reminds me of my remote control car that was a present from a Christmas past. I used and used this car around the house, up the garden path, and around the local neighbourhood. I bashed the car into walls. I tried to flip the car in a ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ sort of way. I drove the car around complex obstacle courses that wore away the Taiwanese plastic shell. After one too many flips onto concrete paving, the care eventually broke. My father attempted to do some remedial repairs with tape and super glue, but the car was never quite the same again. By the end of the next year, I had lost interest in the battered old banger, and became fixated on another toy. I just hope that Michael Owen lasts a bit longer in the national game.

 

[fredheim_holm]

People seem to forget he scored almost a goal every other game at Newcastle as he did at every club he's been at.

 

[BrettieAngell]

He has had **** all service the last couple of months as have all the Newcastle strikers hence why they are going down!

Sir Michael has been written off so many times its ridiculous, of course he isn't the same player he was injuries have taken their toll especially the last major one he suffered at the World Cup. He can still do a job in the Premiership but no-one is going to pay him £100K a week so it will be interesting to see where he goes.

 

[Ron Manager]

What sort of family still had black and white TV in 1998?

 

[BoyWonder2]

Michael Owen is still one of my faviourite players and I'd love to see him pull on the Three Lions shirt again with Heskey upfront (Rooney possibly on the left, but thats another story). Someone who really brought the best out of Owen, who can forget that memorable night in Germany where he scored a hattrick.

I think come August time Owen will be at a Premiership Club. Even though I think the best place for him will be Arsenal with the amount of chances they create, I can't see him ending up at a top four side, so maybe somebody like Aston Villa or an Everton would snap him up. Possibly Man City.

He needs chances created for him, as does Barnard for us, he isn't the same player that will run from the halfway line leaving players in his wake, but he is clincal. Averages around 1 in 2 which is incredible.

 

[leeblue]

He needs some sort of service and the service from newcastle this year was woeful, I think he will be snapped up by a prem team and will score goals again, form is temporary class is permanent, I believe that expression was created for michael owen

 

[ShrimperChris]

Michael Owen is still one of my faviourite players and I'd love to see him pull on the Three Lions shirt again with Heskey upfront (Rooney possibly on the left, but thats another story). Someone who really brought the best out of Owen, who can forget that memorable night in Germany where he scored a hattrick.

Owen and Heskey up front for England were a joy to watch when I went to England Russia at Wembley in the Euro 2008 qualifying phase. Heskey's flick-ons and Owen's movement caused havoc for Russia and Owen's two goals were quality. Probably one of the best players I have seen live. Would love to se him get properly fit and scoring goals again. He needs to find a club sooner rather than later to get a tailored pre-season regime to get him fully fit and over the injuries.

Agree that Arsenal would be a good club for him, not only for the number of chances they create but also the handling of injured players. Pires' rehab from a very bad knee injury was handled very well and after so many months out he still managed to have an impact for them and is still going for Villareal. Eduardo has been treated well after his injury and Rosicky (another amazing player to watch live when fit) has not bee rushed back and he's been out for a year!

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Owens problem is maybe he burst onto the scene too young and has played so much football at a young age, as a consequence he is now suffering a lot of injuries, much in the same way that Robbie Fowler did. Agree about the service, I think Torres would struggle with Guttieriez and Danny Guthrie supplying him!

 

[SARF]

Owens problem was that he left Liverpool to hit the gold tiled pools of Real Madrid and pick up a couple of European cup winners medals.. Alas it was Liverpool who went on to succeed in Europe while the Glacticos became a bunch of has beens..

 

[chapperzUK]

According to SoccerBase he has scored 10 goals this season. His career started too early for me and was played too much when he was in his early 20s and now it is catching up with him. Like many players, his reputation of his former self will always go before him and most people will expect him to play like a young Owen. I fear that his career will be over very soon.

 

[manor15]

I think because he burst onto the scene so young he has had other intrests and they have distracted him slightly. Obviously, he doesn't want to be distracted but all his businesses in horse racing and properties must be taking up most of his spare time when he should be preparing for games and I think that it might have affected him a bit. Still one of the best strikers in the country when the service is good enough though

 

[number11]

I think because he burst onto the scene so young he has had other intrests and they have distracted him slightly. Obviously, he doesn't want to be distracted but all his businesses in horse racing and properties must be taking up most of his spare time when he should be preparing for games and I think that it might have affected him a bit. Still one of the best strikers in the country when the service is good enough though

Footballers have a lot of spare time on their hands and having outside interests (providing it isnt drinking) can help a player focus on the game when they need to rather than be bored idle and turning to less healthy pursuits.

I just think that for a player who relied on exceptional pace to compliment his finishing, to have suffered so many injuries has meant he has lost that pace and therefore is a different / and less effective type of player now.

 

[Pubey]

Footballers have a lot of spare time on their hands and having outside interests (providing it isnt drinking) can help a player focus on the game when they need to rather than be bored idle and turning to less healthy pursuits.

I just think that for a player who relied on exceptional pace to compliment his finishing, to have suffered so many injuries has meant he has lost that pace and therefore is a different / and less effective type of player now.

indeed, his game was all about pace and acceleration in the box, he's lost that ability and struggled to adapt his game. With decent service (something Newcastle never gave him) he'll still score 1 in 2.

 

[Davros]

i can see Owen in the SPL next season at either Rangers or Celtic

 

[BoyWonder2]

Realistically, I'd love to see Michael Owen at Aston Villa next season. With Randy Learner, they have a bit of money behind him so could afford a decent contract for him, plus he could team up with Heskey up top and have the service supplied to him from Ashley Young on the left, and if you believe the papers today, David Bentley on the right.

 

[Davros]

I'd rather they stick with Agbonalahor up front, he has the pace (and more) that Owen used to have.

Mind you, if Carew is on the way out, Owen is a good replacement

 

[BoyWonder2]

I'd rather they stick with Agbonalahor up front, he has the pace (and more) that Owen used to have.

Mind you, if Carew is on the way out, Owen is a good replacement

A front four of Owen, Heskey, Agbonalahor and Carew would be the type of strike force they'd require to break into the top four.

Gabby A certainly seemed to go off the boil for Villa once he got his call up to the England squad. A very good prospect though.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

He's had more than his fair share of problems with his hamstrings over the years which has obviously affected his pace. Unfortunately i see him going the same way as Robbie Fowler in the last few seasons of his career. Trying to emulate but not succeeding in recapturing the player he was several years ago.

 

[manor15]

I saw Robbie Fowler in his penultimate Liverpool game (during his second spell) and he had everything a striker needs but pace, he was just too slow to keep up, he looked tired. The years had caught up with him and his loss of pace showed it, unfortunately Michael Owen might go the same way

 

[CarrowRoad_Hero]

I think Owen will end up at Villa or Bolton. He will do I good job for either, it seems true to say his mind is elsewhere but when he gets chances there is still no one better in my opinion. Good article at the top Manor, even at Real Madrid with little pitch time he put away 13 goals.
I hope to see him in an England shirt again, if Heskey can do it surely a good player can do it!