Interesting would be how highly we would rate young Robbie Fowler.
Just how highly would you rate a young Michael Owen today?
- Thread starter Murder on Zidanes Floor
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
I could have sworn he won it whilst at Madrid - clearly my memories are a bit mixed up. He was in the decline at Madrid - and that’s when I thought he won the award. As you have pointed out, he was in fact at the top of his game.
£150 million player in today’s market. If he played in today’s Liverpool team along side Salah and Mane, he would get a bucket load of goals.
Dembele is horrendously overrated on here and what has Asensio even done aside from score the odd banger. Owen had already won a Ballon d'Or at his age, he far outstrips those two and Rashford. They may go on to have better careers but no way can they be rated at Owen's level and I'm someone who never believed he deserved that Ballon d'Or.
He is same tier as Mbappe. His finishing was unreal
And thats about it. There's no way he was in the same league as Mbappe when so much of his game was lacking in comparison. Could he be deployed wide right like Mbappe for example and still succeed? I doubt it.
Not just his finishing but his speed and acceleration were out of this world - 100m under 11sec apparently
Did you watch him play? Teams were terrified of him.
He was absolutely sensational. He terrorised teams in a way that I had never seen before and the crazy thing was, he was doing this as a 17, 18 year old. He was the most exciting English youngster along with Rooney of all time for me. I always suspected that once the pace waned, it’d affect him massively but it’s just a shame that the injuries sped up the inevitable decline earlier than it should have.
He'd walk into any team in the world right now. He was like lightening. He's a figure of fun these days, but it really is a shame someone so talented could end up how he did. The fact he's never had a cup of tea and only seen six films in his life is fecking frightening, though.
I remember at Old Trafford, when he pretty much finished Gary Pallister off at the top level. He done him for the goal.
I remember at Old Trafford, when he pretty much finished Gary Pallister off at the top level. He done him for the goal.
Imagine Solskjaer with searing acceleration and pace.
That's to say elite finishing, uncanny confidence in his own ability regardless of the opposition, good/consistent first touch, straight forward but effective game intelligence and good striker fundamentals (hold/link up play, runs with and without the ball etc) despite being small.
That's to say elite finishing, uncanny confidence in his own ability regardless of the opposition, good/consistent first touch, straight forward but effective game intelligence and good striker fundamentals (hold/link up play, runs with and without the ball etc) despite being small.
Final thing to add regarding Owen is even when he lost his pace, he still had the off the ball movement, touch and composure (not to mention decent link up play) to remain an elite striker especially for England even during 2002 World Cup and was still a regular threat all the way till 2006.
What completely killed his career was the sheer accumulation of injuries basically took the last bit of athleticism he had to even complete basic predatory movements as a striker and thus all he had left by the end was his finishing ability. He couldn’t get himself in the right positions often enough to warrant a starting role. So it isn’t completely fair to say he was overeliant on his pace as he won Ballon D’or even after several injuries which took away his elite pace and dribbling ability. Every top footballer does need some semblance of a decent physical platform and he was robbed of that towards the latter part of his career.
That alone should tell you just how much he’d be worth as a young back pre injury. Below Mbappe but certainly ahead of Dembele and Rashford. One of the most electrifying young players of all time IMO.
What completely killed his career was the sheer accumulation of injuries basically took the last bit of athleticism he had to even complete basic predatory movements as a striker and thus all he had left by the end was his finishing ability. He couldn’t get himself in the right positions often enough to warrant a starting role. So it isn’t completely fair to say he was overeliant on his pace as he won Ballon D’or even after several injuries which took away his elite pace and dribbling ability. Every top footballer does need some semblance of a decent physical platform and he was robbed of that towards the latter part of his career.
That alone should tell you just how much he’d be worth as a young back pre injury. Below Mbappe but certainly ahead of Dembele and Rashford. One of the most electrifying young players of all time IMO.