Bombay: Michael Owen’s career defined a generation, a seventeen -year -old phenomenon that lit up France ’98, the last Englishman who won Ballon d’Or, and an attacker whose speed and instinct made him unplayable. Owen is now thinking about how football has changed, why athleticism is now exceeding art, what is happening in Manchester United and others. Excerpts:You were part of Premier League During his explosive early years. How do you see the development of the league now?One of the USPS Premier League has always been its intensity, football speed, less stops. That’s what fans love about it. It has always been more physical, with the judges who let them play. The part remained.However, the biggest change is now technology, VAR and assistance referees will be acquired. And football itself happened more about athleticism. Twenty years ago you could be a genius with a ball and still be great, even if you didn’t run much. The data now says you must be an athlete first. Maybe it’s not that tasty for me. I loved watching players like (Eric) Cantona, (Dennis) Bergkamp, (Gianfranco) Zola, (Matt) Le Tissier, You Mavericks with a unique genius. From him we move towards players who check the athletic boxes.In today’s football would there still be room for an attacker like you?Absolutely. My greatest strength was an athletic ability. I was fast, fit and sharp. This kind of player will always have a place. In fact, the speed is now even more valuable because of the teams playing and how data controls recruitment. It is a type of players who are not athletically talented to fight. If something would be more sought after.
Frankly, no. And that’s not arrogance. They are all brilliant. For example, Cole Palmer has a better touch, vision and skills than I have ever had. But things I was great for – speed, timing, instinct – are completely different. There are not many 5’8 ”centers ahead that are now lightning fast. If I play today, I could be used more like Salah or Gakpo, coming from the wide areas that create inside the run.
Michael Owen
You mentioned data and analytics. Can statistics really measure instinct Finišer?I work on TV, so I’m surrounded by data every day. I believe in sports science and measurement, but you can’t quantify everything. There are too many variables in the open game – spinning, ball speed, weather as it sits down, how it came to you. Football is full of nuances. You cannot capture instinct in the table.Did social media make more cautious or confidence about how they express themselves?I don’t think so. People say there is now more pressure, but the pressure has always been there; That came from the newspaper before. If you missed a chance, you can have your picture on the front page with a turnip on your head or worse. You had no choice. Now players can choose whether to participate in social media or not. There is a switch off.You have seen Man United has been fighting for years. What is happening from the player’s point of view?How long have you been? (Laughs) It’s been over ten years since they were the powerhouse that we all knew. They changed managers, directors, recruitment policies, facilities, players, everything. Spent over a billion pounds. So what else should change? Every time the results dive, the conversation shifts: first he was a manager, then players, then the system, now it’s a formation. People behave like a change from three on their backs to four, suddenly everything will fix everything. It won’t. When the club flies, everyone looks like a genius. When he fights, even great managers and players look average. That happened in United. Take a look at Liverpool in the last decade, almost every signature worked. Now name United players who left the club with a better reputation. Almost none.
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Who do you think would win the Premier League this season?
Who are your favorite for the Premier League title this season?At the beginning of the season, I said that Liverpool would win it, with Arsenal as their biggest threat and third place Manchester City. I still think so. Arsenal looks a little stronger right now. They had a heavy run of accessories, but they did it well. Liverpool has several question marks.When you follow young English attackers as Phil FootAnthony Gordon, or Cole Palmer, does any of them remind you?Frankly, no. And that’s not arrogance. They are all brilliant. For example, Cole Palmer has a better touch, vision and skills than I have ever had. But things I was great for – speed, timing, instinct – are completely different. There are not many 5’8 ”centers ahead that are now lightning fast. If I play today, I could be used more like Salah or Gakpo, coming from the wide areas that create inside the run.
