Something of a mini-furore has been occupying the pages of our newspapers and the pixels of our news and sport websites over Fabio Capello's refusal to call up Michael Owen to bolster his woefully-light strike force ahead of England's game against Ukraine tonight at Wembley.
As a manager that holds form and fitness of paramount importance, Capello would probably have liked to have seen Owen play more for Newcastle over the last few months. But I still don't think he would have picked him. And certainly not to start the game.
Owen's future in football, if he still has designs to play at a Champions League club again, is destined to be as an impact player at most. A sort of striker's version of the role Beckham plays for the national team.
As far as England goes, there is a chance he could go to the World Cup next summer, but as a player that Don Fabio brings on towards the end of a game to force an issue or to pop up with a goal when it's really needed. If all goes well at that tournament, he may not be used at all.
Put simply, Owen has been left behind by advances in tactics and changes in systems. The game at the highest level can no longer accommodate the Ian Rush/Gary Lineker poacher type of striker that Owen has undoubtedly become.
Since his searing pace burned off in his advancing years, he is no longer the type of striker to get defenders running back towards their own goal in a blind panic like he did ten years ago. He doesn't possess the ability to consistently beat a player like Joe Cole or Ashley Young, nor the strength/ball winning tendencies of an Emile Heskey. His link up play has undoubtedly improved, but he will never drop deep as effectively as Wayne Rooney, link up play like Peter Crouch, or peel out wide and run the channels as keenly as Gabriel Agbonlahor.
In short, forward lines at Champions League and International level have evolved to the point now where players need to be flexible, versatile and strong.
Strikers need to be able to pull their weight (whether it be holding the ball up and linking up play, combined with strong ball winning tendencies like Luca Toni at Bayern or Didier Drogba at Chelsea, or running with skill and speed at defenders like Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry at Barca) and contribute.
The current European champions have a selection of players who can all rotate and perform several different roles; Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov and Ronaldo can all either drop deep, move out wide and link up or finish attacking moves with devastating results. Of course, each of these players is more comfortable in different aspects of the game, but they are at home performing all of them.
In modern football, there is a much bigger focus on the team dynamic; the game is focusing more and more towards strength, power, fitness and team play.
Top sides can no longer afford to have a player anywhere in their ranks that doesn't operate successfully within a system. Hence the simultaneous demise of the traditional playmaker in the free role. Modern playmakers in the 21st century are now required to work hard when not in possession of the ball because there is such a small margin for error which decides games either way.
Managers cannot afford passengers, and need to be confident that if they do indeed give a player a licence to roam (Gerrard at Liverpool being the obvious example), he will work his socks off when the side aren't in possession of the football.
There are only a handful of strikers left in the upper echelons of the game that are genuine poachers; Filippo Inzaghi at Milan (who is already used as an impact player as I described above), Ruud Van Nistelrooy at Real (who at 33 in the summer is entering the twilight of his career), and the aforementioned Owen.
It will only be a matter of time before these are relics of a bygone age. Again, Owen has been left behind by changes in tactics and systems. He will probably never play for a Champions League club again, and will never follow Beckham to 100 caps as long as Capello is in charge.
Luke Moore
Luke Moore is a co-producer and presenter of The Football Ramble Podcast.
Your Comments
brn442
"Absolute nonsense. As Liverpool and Arsenal could've used this season - a greedy, selfish, brave poacher - someone who can bungle a ball over the line with his neck or his arse. Just look at how a 35 year old Inzaghi has done what "more complete" players like Pato and Kaka couldn't do in the latter half of the season - score goals. In fact, one of the main reasons the Premier league is so rigid is the lack of out and out goal scorers. Just think of where Everton would be if they still had a Lineker in his prime or Ian Wright at Arsenal. Now, every manager wants a Brazil 70's type side to walk the ball pass the goal line and for most clubs including a couple in the top four - that's not possible."
KevG
"Owen is a good player, but he is too injury prone to be considered for England. Although he has played 27 games this year for Newcastle, he has not started and finished too many games.
I expect this is due to his physical build - he is short and became too muscular. Jo Cole is the same and both are different from the likes of Roonie and Essien are naturally strong. When you try to add that sort of muscle to a slim frame you always get bone and tendon problems as well as muscle and joint problems. Bad training and coaching caused his problems. If you put on 1 stone of extra weight, your legs have to carry that about. The ligaments, tendons and joints are more likely to be damaged, especially when turning and tackling. Heavier muscle mass also means more pulls, strains and overall fatigue, which in turn means a longer recovery time. Bigger is Not Better. Owen is not the player he was when he was 17-22 simply because he paid the price for putting the weight on. He would have been better off training to be more flexible and subtle."
klingon
"how can owen be expected to play for england when he is lucky to play 15 matches intermittingly per season, he is well past his best regardless of whether his style of play has become redundant"
andygoff1979
"Decent article and I agree with its points about the changing role of todays forwards, but as pointed out by others he does score goals. If England actually got the ball down and played to feet he could have a place (as long as fit and scoring domestically). May not be able to play againts the top team where we need a target to help relieve pressure, but against all but the top sides, where we are havinf the lions share of possession, he may have a place."
ewarwoowar
"Total rubbish. You may ask anyone who has actually played the game of football even once and you will be told that the hardest thing to do in football is score the goals. That is why goalscorers are the most expensive players to buy, not defenders or goalkeepers. you have freely admitted that a fit michael owen scores goals. to not bring a fit michael owen to any game when you have the opportunity to do so is a mistake, plain and simple.
also, owen's touch is superb and his hold up play is underrated.
having said all that, he is not currently fit so capello's non consideration of him for these games is absolutely correct."
indian_gooner
"Total trash.As long as he scores he is world class"
nickyb37
"I think there's definitely a truth to this. Ruud van Nistelrooy is a prime example for me because, ridiculous goal scoring record that he had, you could see the difference in Rooney, Ronaldo and everyone at United when he left as they enjoyed the new found freedom and flexibility of not having to play based around and a poacher, even the best poacher of his generation."
easyhaynz
"on the button....owen's always been a one-trick pony, and i'm a liverpool fan! ive always said id have rather sold owen than fowler, god worked harder and was far more natural a scorer, its just that owen was lightning quick....was being the word. he was found out much quicker than most strikers as he didnt (and still doesnt) possess a plan b! while beckham strives to stay part of the england set-up, owen still plays as tho he feels he deserves to be included. plus how many games has he not played this season??? he isnt even near match fit enough to be considered, so all this clamour for him to be in the team, let alone the squad is short-sighted on so many levels...WAKE UP PEOPLE COZ TIME HAS MOVED ON, the truly great players adapt, the not so great, like owen, dont!!!"
S_JEWELL
"With his recent injury record, Owen is in danger of becomeing the new Darren Anderton."
MasterG
"I'd say that Eduardo is a similar type of player, and he seems to be doing OK (when not injured, anyway). "
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