I'm pretty sure by now, all of you my fellow Liverpool fans have had read the news article on Michael Owen who blamed the club for his injury-laden career. He used the word 'mismanagement'. Sounds so weird, isn't it? If it's not, you should considered yourself outright `insulted' by such a remark from this former-darlings of Anfield and England.
Owen believes playing 80-odd games per season when he was in his glory teens, is to blame for the problems he has suffered in the latter part of his career.
Now playing for Stoke City (if he is not injured, obviously), made his Liverpool debut as a 17 year old. In the same article, he `admitted' he was more than happy to play so many games.
I'm trying hard to understand the whole grumbles. If I'm a new kid on the block, age as young as 17 (which reminds me of our new starlet in Raheem Sterling) by all means, I will play and wants to play in every matches.
As a young kid with absolutely lightning-pace, Owen was the ultimate player every managers dream of. He was then managed by Gerard Houllier. Owen rise with two more academy graduates of LFC, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, who have prove their loyalty to a sole club is very much respected by fans outside and inside Anfield.
Owen was seen as the right striker to partner Robbie Fowler but Houllier has a different set of ideas. The French gaffer believes in one small one big strikers. Thus the introduction of the gentle Emile Heskey.
I remember those days vividly. Those late 90's when the satellite TV in Malaysia was still in its infancy and only one sports channel to broadcast the matches. But it was worth it. The one big one small strikers were scoring left and right. One of the most memorable cup final scored by Owen was The FA Cup 2001. We were outclassed in every aspect by The Invincible of Arsenal but Owen was the deciding factor.
He had the ability obviously. He scored. He was dubbed St. Michael.
So how do you suggest the management to manage such a young player, such a hotshot like Owen in those days? Any way, were there any serious concerned about `the right management' in those days when glory was the real incentives?
My question would be focused on the player himself. Owen has it all. Already at his early days as a professional, we noticed that he is prone to injury. I do remember Houllier rested him well. But his absence were detrimental to the club.Having a really lethal scorer like Owen, changed the oppositions whole game-plan. The focus was more on how to stop him. To score themselves were secondary. That was how important Owen then.
I can't comprehend what is the whole fuss brought about by Owen or Sir Alex Ferguson? It's Owen himself wants to play. People know the likes of players who would go to the press simply because the manager wants to rest them. And yet, he has the guts to put the blame on his former club.
The real deal is that Owen's body is fragile. It has nothing to do with management or not. It is impossible to decide when to play and to rest a fit player. The only barometer is when you have 3 games in a week, so you decide which is the most important game the star player should be involved or benched.
Owen knew that he has no place in the Liverpool Football Club history. His name would be there in the record. But I doubt many of us would adore him the way we treated our former respected players i.e Didi Hamman, Djibriel Cisse or Heskey.
He has responded to his former boss who eventually dumped him, Sir Alex Ferguson in criticising Liverpool management. It's a fair game to get criticised by our arch-enemy. But from a former player, is merely an act of treacherous.
- Stop it Owen. Stop the whining. Nobody cares of your sad career any more. You have betray LFC again and again and again.
3 comments:
right, Owen unfit listed in the glorious history of Liverpool and he always hurt liverpool fans with his words. Willing to join arch-rivals (MU). and indeed he is a traitor
Where were you during the CL 2005 final, Mickey? Get lost & mind your race horses! =)
-Zul-
hate him or love him, Owen still our legend. remember 2001/2 treble?
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