24 May 2019 14:33:43
Ed 001 I was a little too young to see Michael owen burst on the scene just wanted your opinion on how good actually was he? Like what mbappe is like the now? He won the balon d'or in 2001 he must of been pretty special.

{Ed001's Note - nowhere near Mbappe, but he was outstanding.}

1.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 15:06:53
He was brilliant. I was at all his early games. He was lightning and a top finisher. Maybe he took the cb's by surprise because they weren't fully aware of him. After he started with the injuries he was never as good. I really enjoyed watching at the time though. I remember sol Cambell always keeping him quiet.

{Ed001's Note - he was far from a top finisher, I remember how frustrating it was watching Houllier's team, which was built solely to get the ball to Owen in the box. Owen used to miss so many chances it would drive me mad. Everyone else would forget when he put one in but missing 5 before that was just not good enough for someone who was used to watching Rush.}

2.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 15:09:36
Ed, you also said someone with that raw speed is bound to get muscular injuries, do you see mbappe fading away before 27/ 28?

{Ed001's Note - no I didn't. I said explosiveness. Or at least I meant to say explosiveness if I didn't. Mbappe is not that explosive. He is smooth, it doesn't just come from sheer brute force. I don't think he will have a problem at all with his pace fading until over 30.}

3.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 15:26:24
I have to disagree on his finishing. He was of course not like Rush but was a better finisher than Firmino, Mane, Origi etc

Not fair comparing him to Rush. The seasons where he was getting 20 prem goals, I would like to see the stats for that period.

{Ed001's Note - of course it is fair, that is the role he played in the team, unlike Firmino, Mane and Origi. It is you that is not being fair, by comparing him to players who do not play the same role as he did.

His stats were clearly not that good as it was remarked by a number of people who did use stats that he was not a natural finisher based on those stats at the time.}

4.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 15:28:54
100% correct Ed001.I had more arguments with my mates about how good Owen was. They were saying outstanding but my argument every time was that he was capable of going 8 or nine without scoring and then score 5 in his next two games. This clouded theirs and a lot of other supporters judgment. Having said that his winner v Arsenal in the FA cup final was precision. I'll never get tired of watching the angle where he slots it home between Seamans finger tips and the inside of the post.

{Ed001's Note - no denying he was good but he was not as great as some people seem to think. He was a big game player, no wonder he ended up at Newcastle really as, like them in recent years, he only played to his best when the game was on TV.}

5.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 16:37:37
He was all pace and little else in my opinion. Not that great on the ball or strong but was lightening. Particularly over the first 5-10 yards which is enough to beat most defenders.
After the injuries he just lost that explosive speed from a standing start and so became quite average.
Although not the most talented his speed in his early years made him a great player though. Very difficult to defend against.

6.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 17:44:16
I don't think Owen was a particularly good finisher but he did have a decent positional sense. He just couldn't get into those positions once he lost his pace and didn't have the skill or passing game to be a significant threat further out. Still had an impressive career despite fading so young. That said as a Liverpool fan I don't personally consider him a 'legend' of the club. I've not booed him at legend games but he's never a player I'm excited to see.

7.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 17:45:57
Don’t think Owen ever got 20 premier league goals in a season. Agree that his finishing wasn’t a great strength but his pace and movement was frightening.

Can’t stand the guy though. I may have forgiven him for the way he left but never for going to United.

8.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 18:04:42
Sorry for the misquote ed01, you did say explosive force, I was just asking from memory.

9.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 18:34:06
God was the most natural finisher we had then, streets above Owen.

10.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 20:17:21
Mark, Comparing Owen to Orig, Mane or Bobbie is just dishonest, really. They don't even play the position that Owen played. As for if he was outstanding or not, I don't know BUT I do remember him having a good burst of pace, hanging on the shoulder of the last defender for the ball to be played thru or over the top. Owen had the same problem Torres had. All they both had was pace and/ or explosiveness. Once that goes, the muscle injuries start coming and all the best at that point.

IMO, Owen was NEVER a clinical finisher the same way Fowler was. Not even close. Fowler was a genius in front of goal. He had ice in his veins and never seemed to panic in such moments. Owen always seemed to panic and would miss a tonne cos he was just NOT a natural finisher. Just my opinion.

11.) 24 May 2019
24 May 2019 22:40:50
Agree with majority on finishing

Rush > Fowler > Owen

I actually think Torres was a better finisher than Owen.

12.) 25 May 2019
25 May 2019 00:23:20
I just think Owen was a massive waste. Such a phenomenon at such a young age but his career choice and injuries let him down. Maybe it says it all that even his FA cup final goals will never take precedence over that one against Argentina when he was just 18.

13.) 25 May 2019
25 May 2019 07:11:29
I think Torres had a lot more to his game than pace and explosiveness, RedWolf. He was utterly superb for a good five years and had strength, tenacity as well as clinical finishing. Owen was also better than just a speed merchant and both proved it regularly at international level too.

14.) 25 May 2019
25 May 2019 10:44:23
Like A Virgil, you are indeed right. Torres had strength, tenacity and was brilliant in the air and was a FAR better finisher than Owen on his worst day. I only used the pace/ explosiveness argument to compare them as that was the main point of the thread.

15.) 25 May 2019
25 May 2019 11:30:58
Also I think Owen came through when there were still a lot of big lump defenders that weren't v mobile and his acceleration was enough to whiz past them. His finishing was decent but nothing special. Lots of side footers. I was at sel hurts park when he made his debut against Wimbledon and scored.

16.) 27 May 2019
27 May 2019 02:51:54
Yeah owen thrived off his pacy runs off the defenders shoulder, his finishing wasn't the best, similar to salah, he was prolific due to the fact he'd have so many attempts per game. He was never capable of scoring from outside the box and needed to usually be in a position 1v1.

Mbappe is more like Henry, frightening pace but has a more smooth balanced stride. Torres like Owen lost that explosion. Djibril cisse too needed that and saviola also I think. Those guys didn't have much else strengths to rely on after injuries.