Liverpool should think the unthinkable - sell Owen

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chopeski
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Liverpool should think the unthinkable - sell Owen

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Liverpool should think the unthinkable - sell Owen
By Jonathan Wilson
Published: January 7 2004 18:31 | Last Updated: January 7 2004 18:31

These are desperate times at Anfield. It is generally accepted that Gérard Houllier, Liverpool's manager, will leave in the summer if the club do not qualify for the Champions League. Club chairman David Moores, a man in whom the traditions of Liverpool are so ingrained that he still sports a Terry McDermott moustache, spoke at a fractious annual general meeting of diluting his holding, possibly of ending his family's 50-year reign at the club.

And there has been talk, admittedly agent-inspired, that Michael Owen, for so long the symbol of all that is bright, good and optimistic about Liverpool, will also leave in order to seek Champions League football elsewhere if they finish outside the top four.

The announcement that Owen might end his relationship with the SFX agency when his contract with it expires in the summer undermines the reliability of the source of those rumours, but the possibility of his departure is real enough.

For most Liverpool fans that would seem a worst-case scenario, but it may turn out to be the solution.

It is not in doubt that Owen can score goals, as a record of a goal in every 1.6 starts for Liverpool demonstrates. He may not, at 24, be quite so fleet of foot as he was as an 18 year old, but his pace still unnerves defences. He has proved, however, virtually impossible to play with.

When Owen has been on the pitch, he has scored 60 per cent of Liverpool's goals. Other players simply don't get a look in. Everything is focused on him, everything channelled through him, and if he doesn't score nobody else will.

Bayern Munich have experienced similar problems integrating Roy Makaay, the speedy Dutch forward the club signed from Deportivo La Corun~a in the summer.

The basic game of both Makaay and Owen is to sit on the shoulder of the last defender, and feed on balls slid through for them. At that they are the best in the world, with the possible exception of Ronaldo, but they provide little else.

They rarely come deep or drift wide to gather the ball as Thierry Henry or Ronaldo do, they cannot hold the ball up like Ruud van Nistelrooy or Christian Vieri, they do not have the touch or the vision of a Raul. They are very good strikers who will continue to score, but it is difficult at present to imagine that either will ever play in a team that is great.

Owen is one-dimensional, and makes Liverpool so. Neuter his pace and you have neutered not just the player but also the team. The very best defenders can deal with that, as can teams prepared to defend deep and in numbers.

The problem is that if Owen is not offering goals, he is not offering much at all, something that has contributed to Paul Scholes's 24-match goal drought for England.

It is no coincidence that Houllier has never found a consistent strike partner for Owen. Jari Litmanen, the deep-lying Finnish forward, was the most effective, but he was mysteriously jettisoned after impressing under caretaker manager Phil Thompson while Houllier was recovering from his heart operation. Karl-Heinz Riedle, Eric Meijer and Robbie Fowler are long departed, Emile Heskey and El-Hadji Diouf have been ineffective enough to be relegated to the wing at various stages, and Milan Baros appears too similar to Owen.

Owen's needs are specific. Kenny Dalglish, Peter Beardsley or Litmanen might have had the creative flair to get the best out of him while avoiding predictability.

Sven-Göran Eriksson, the England manager, will hope that some combination of Scholes and Wayne Rooney can perform that role in Portugal, but to expect Heskey to do it is like asking a walrus to do needlepoint.

Djibril Cissé, the Auxerre forward who seems likely to join Liverpool in the summer, is quick and strong, but he is no Dalglish. There is nothing to suggest that Cissé and Owen as a partnership will work any better than Owen and Heskey.

There are precious few players in the Dalglish mould around, and in their absence Houllier may have to accept that he is best advised to sacrifice Owen, particularly if Chelsea or Barcelona are willing to meet a valuation of about £15m.

It might sound like heresy on Merseyside, but if Liverpool want to return to greatness, they must accept that no great side has ever been built around the needs of just one player.
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Post by kbt »

Very objective and very true. I'm a Liverpool supporter and have also noticed that if Owen does not score, then noone else rarely does. Which is why when Owen is not there, Liverpool struggle.

I think that Aghahowa will be an excellent partner to Owen. He can certainly play wide, has sufficient skills to take on defenders and his strike rate speaks for itself. It will free up so much space for Owen and Owen will free space for JAG as well. Both will know that the other is capable of scoring so there will be less pressure.

Liverpool also need to add a second creative player to join Kewell and I think Van der Vaart is the best option.

Cisse will just be another Heskey. A waste of space.
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Post by Waffiman »

kbt why can you not play Cisse and Heskey together? They are different kind of players who will bring different attributes to the team.

As for Owen, I believe he is now a deluded player who fells he is bigger than the club, I will sell him now. Owen should look at Robbie fowler.
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Post by omey2k4 »

Why do people always jump into conclusion that Aghahowa will be best in Liverpool?Una too dey overhype Naija footballers. :x
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Post by kbt »

Because Aghahowa is very similar to Henry. That combination with Owen will be effective.

Waffi. I just cant see Heskey and Cisse working. Though I have not seen much of Cisse, I dont think he's anything to write home about. If he was, it will not just be Liverpool after him. Plus the French league is not that great nor difficult to score goals in.
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Post by Ziontrain »

Cisse's imminent signing is the surest sign that Owen is gone next off-season. He is definitely a replacement.

"Walrus"? Hesky is being short-changed though. He would actually be the best partner becuase he is so versatiale - tatget man, wing, second striker. But hsi problem is that he's a head case and lacks confidence. But he's very selfless. You have to say that if their partnership failed, its more due to Owens lack of adaptability/flexibility than from Heskey.

Owen shoudl just head off to Spain - he's have a great time there, score a bag full of goals and make lots of money, probabaly tax free. So why put up with the hassle and bad weather in Liverpool? Its a win-win situation for the Liverpool and for him if he heads off to Barcelona or Valencia or wherever.

But he better not set foot in Italy because he will be found out in about a minute.
Last edited by Ziontrain on Fri Jan 09, 2004 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Sir V »

Hmm.
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Post by Waffiman »

kbt wrote:Because Aghahowa is very similar to Henry. That combination with Owen will be effective.

Waffi. I just cant see Heskey and Cisse working. Though I have not seen much of Cisse, I dont think he's anything to write home about. If he was, it will not just be Liverpool after him. Plus the French league is not that great nor difficult to score goals in.

Here is the latest on this rumour, remember Roodney Marsh first broke this rumour saying he is 99.9% certain that it will happen.

January 09, 2004.

Liverpool talking to Chelsea about Owen

We've just received word from a very good source about a sensational January transfer which is about kickstart the transfer window merry-go-round.

It looks like Chelsea are flexing their fat Russian wallet yet again and last night made an 'extremely substantial' bid for Liverpool striker Michael Owen. I'm not 100% sure of the amount, but I'm told it eclipses the £30m Manchester United paid for Rio Ferdinand by a considerable distance.

Liverpool's board are seriously considering the bid. Firstly because it's a huge amount of money, and secondly they're convinced that Owen will not sign a new contract and they're afraid of losing him on a Bosman.

Roman Abramovich is not prepared to take 'no' for an answer on this one and will come back with a higher bid if it's needed.
With Chelsea almost guaranteed their Champions League place next season already, and Liverpool struggling to make up ground on the top three, it could well be a move that interests Owen.

We'll give you more information on this as we get it.
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Post by MI5 »

This is what happens when a coach revolves his team around one player things like this happens....
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Post by chopeski »

Spending £30m on Michael Owen would be tantamount to throwing good money after bad.
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Post by lowzeewee »

What's the use of getting someone who plays only about 1/3 of the season?I think Emile Heskey can get more goals than Owen in the end at the rate that Mr Michael is playing! :mrgreen:
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Post by YUJAM »

I agree with the author. Owen is simply too one-dimensional and Liverpool seem to do alright without him.

They should sell Owen and use the money to get Djibril Cisse and a good defender or two.
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Post by cic old boy »

Owen's one-dimensional, but so are most English players. A decent coach will find a way to get the best out of him. Houllier's judgment is the real problem with Liverpool.

True the former "boy wonder" needs a Dalglish type No 9 and half, but Houllier keeps signing the wrong kind of partners. As per Owen's problems with England, you only need to ask where are the English versions of Bergkamp, Papillo, Del Piero, Zola?

Owen would also have benefited from a creative attacking midfielder to feed him with those passes he would thrive on when he is hanging on defenders' shoulders. Which makes me believe that Houllier's stupidity in not signing Jay-Jay will cost him his job in the summer.
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Post by lowzeewee »

Heskey can do his job,as you have a good supporting midfielder,no,not to make crosses,assists and passes to him,but to hold him upright and prevent him from falling down. :mrgreen:
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Post by ruff'n'tuff »

MI5 wrote:This is what happens when a coach revolves his team around one player things like this happens....
Good point.
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Post by Ziontrain »

Chris Sutton could have hooked this kid up prime Sheringham-style up as an England partner, but was wasten by many coaches.

I think Jason Euell would be a great partner for Owen - but has never got his shot at it.

Anyway Owen should do this Chelsea thing. Mutu is playacting cheat, but football wise he can play with anybody. Crespo too.
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Post by chopeski »

I think Owen for far too long has been sacrosanct. He has been beyond reproach and has intimidated too many coaches. Because of this, everything has revolved round him even if at the detriment of the whole team.

Even at the England team, people like Hoddle and Keegan treated him as the King and every pass had to go through him, in essence making the team predictable and pedestrian. Erikkson has probably changed this slightly and England today is built around the midfield troika of Becks, Scholes and Gerrard.
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Post by txj »

CICOB
God bless you 99 times (the other one is for yours truly :D)!
I can see all the Liverpool haters and double agents lining up to suggest an Owen sale. Waffiman, why don't you guys sell Henry to Madrid?
We will rather give up GH first, afterall that is where the problem lies.


cic old boy wrote:Owen's one-dimensional, but so are most English players. A decent coach will find a way to get the best out of him. Houllier's judgment is the real problem with Liverpool.

True the former "boy wonder" needs a Dalglish type No 9 and half, but Houllier keeps signing the wrong kind of partners. As per Owen's problems with England, you only need to ask where are the English versions of Bergkamp, Papillo, Del Piero, Zola?

Owen would also have benefited from a creative attacking midfielder to feed him with those passes he would thrive on when he is hanging on defenders' shoulders. Which makes me believe that Houllier's stupidity in not signing Jay-Jay will cost him his job in the summer.
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Post by cic old boy »

TXJ: Thank you 99 times o! :lol:
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Post by Larry Ashagbe »

Football is a business and no one player is bigger than the club.

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