Michael Owen Scores a Hat-Trick for Man Utd. Should Fabio Capello Care?

December 9th, 2009 | by: Daryl |

Yep, Michael Owen bagged a hat-trick for Man Utd vs Wolfsburg in the Champions League. A pretty nice mix of finishes too: One header, one tap-in, and one burst of speed before beating the keeper one on one. It was in many ways vintage Michael Owen. Especially the burst of speed part. So is it time Fabio Capello started thinking about Micky Owen again?

Probably not. Or at least not yet. This was one hat-trick in one game. A game Owen only started because Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were unavailable. When they’re available again, it’s more than likely that Owen will find himself back in those big comfy racing driver chairs the subs sit in at Old Trafford.

But if Owen somehow forces his way to the front of the Old Trafford striking queue and starts banging in hat-tricks regularly? Well then Fabio Capello will actually have a decision to make.

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Danny Salford Red

“Probably Not?” Are you real? Who would you rather went him or Darren Bent and if you answer is bent you must be a Sunderland fan? I would take Owen over bloody Heskey too as he’s crap and does not score.
Aidan

Completely agree with Daryl. Owen is way past his best, whether he got a hat-trick last night or not. If he does this regularly then I, and Capello, may have to change their mind, but not yet.

@Danny Salford Red – who said it was a choice between Owen and Bent? I wouldn’t take either to the World Cup – neither of them are good enough at the moment. I agree with you that Heskey is hardly a goal threat, but Capello loves what he brings to the team in link up play and giving options to others, the players love playing with him, and unless injured he will be going to the World Cup so whether you agree or not you may as well get used to the fact that he is going.
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

The way I see it, Capello has a system: Heskey as target man, Rooney playing behind him. Seems if that doesn’t work, then Defoe comes off the bench to offer a different approach. So you could argue that Owen is in direct competition with Defoe right now, as they are somewhat similar and there’s probably not room in the squad for two players who don’t fit into the system used for the starting XI. Unfortunately for Owen, Defoe is in better form right now, mostly because he’s getting more games.
riprock

Defoe and Rooney for me should be straight on to the plane.Owen needs to get a run of form together to have any chance.I can’t stand this obsession England managers have with Heskey.If we take him to South Africa we have no chance,apart from the fact he doesn’t deserve it he is utter pants!
riprock

I totally agree with the Danny-Salford Red as well,I would much prefer Owen than Heskey.Anyone but Heskey,even Bent.Other teams just seeing Owen’s name on the teamsheet should put a bit of fear into them.Imagine seeing Heskey’s name,you would be thinking one thing-what a result.Why should we get used to the fact he is going anyway?Is there some sort of secret rule we don’t know about that Heskey is definately going?I pray your’e wrong.
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

I think it’s all about getting the best out of other players, and Heskey definitely does that. I know it’s becoming a cliche, but the way I see things is that having Heskey as the unselfish target man is the reason we’ve been so successful recently, and the reason Rooney has been so deadly. If we switched to a Defoe-Rooney or Owen-Rooney partnership, we’d be a lot less effective.

Re: Heskey going, I’d say that even if you’re not a fan, you really do have to get used to him going to South Africa, mostly because Capello has consistently picked him and started him.
http://www.thismydearisengland.co.uk robert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C_NcVDG4VI this link will bring together all englishmen from every corner of the world to unite behind our team and show the world the passion and pride we hold for the little island we call home good luck england
Aidan

Surely it’s about how many goals the team scores rather than how many goals any one individual can get. When Heskey plays the team score more and do better. Simple as that. He doesn’t score them himself so lots of people instantly think he brings nothing to the team, and yet the team (in Capello’s system) plays better with him there.

As for getting used to it – well Capello has consistently selected Heskey as first choice with Rooney. It seems pretty clear that he will go to South Africa unless injured.

I’m not syaing that I would originally have chosen Heskey myself, but Capello did and it works and it is clearly his preferred system with Defoe and Crouch off the bench if a change is needed later in the game.

I agree that Owen is in direct comeptition with Defoe, and is currently behind him in the pecking order. That may well change though – Defoe may lose form, get injured, or Owen may continue good form and force his way in, but it won’t be at the expense of Heskey.
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

The one thing that genuinely concerns me is if Heskey gets injured. With the system (correctly in my opinion) built around him, it all falls apart if he’s unavailable. Seems that Crouch is Capello’s current second choice for that role, but he’s a very different player. Tall yes, but much much less of a target man because he’s not as physical.
Spiderman22

I agree with you Daryl on crouch. I’d rather see a defoe/Rooney or owen/Rooney pairing should heskey get hurt