***Official*** English Football Season 2020-21

[flibbertyjibber]

Golden Boys of Yesteryear: Michael Owen

An in-depth look at Owen’s early peak, and what made him such a phenomenon

moesquare.medium.com

Relates to what we were talking about before. I didn’t realise that his first permanently debilitating injury was in April 1999, so he literally peaked at 19. I think sledger was remembering him as the pure striker from just after that, when he was still very good, but in the first compilation there his dribbling looks terrifying to face.

You think of what him and Rooney were like as teenagers and you wonder what might have been, they were exceptional and I think many thought they would have careers like Ronaldo and Messi went on to have but for whatever reason it wasn't to be. Mad to think they were so good and we still think they underperformed.

 

[Uppercut]

You think of what him and Rooney were like as teenagers and you wonder what might have been, they were exceptional and I think many thought they would have careers like Ronaldo and Messi went on to have but for whatever reason it wasn't to be. Mad to think they were so good and we still think they underperformed.

Yeah I think it’s just that Rooney’s potential was always a bit overrated. He was a more effective player than C Ronaldo as a teenager, but Ronaldo was clearly the one who had another level in him. Much faster, sharper turn, technically in a whole other league.

I don’t think Rooney wasted his talent at all really. Ferguson used him as a tactical pawn a lot, especially in big games, so he didn’t always look like a world-beater. But it did mean he won loads and loads of trophies. OTOH I can see why someone who supports England but not United might see things differently.

 

[wpdavid]

Yeah I think it’s just that Rooney’s potential was always a bit overrated. He was a more effective player than C Ronaldo as a teenager, but Ronaldo was clearly the one who had another level in him. Much faster, sharper turn, technically in a whole other league.

I don’t think Rooney wasted his talent at all really. Ferguson used him as a tactical pawn a lot, especially in big games, so he didn’t always look like a world-beater. But it did mean he won loads and loads of trophies. OTOH I can see why someone who supports England but not United might see things differently.

That last bit would be me. I suppose we're using the 2004 Euros as his benchmark, and I don't think we ever saw anything quite like that from Rooney again.

 

[Jarquis]

Wasn’t there an analysis a little while ago which showed that Rooney had played more minutes by the time he was 27 than other players did in basically their whole careers?

 

[Uppercut]

That last bit would be me. I suppose we're using the 2004 Euros as his benchmark, and I don't think we ever saw anything quite like that from Rooney again.

Not for England, but that’s just because of unfortunate timing. He was playing injured in 2006 and 2010 and they botched qualification in 2008.

2012 was the season where he scored 25 in the league while looking like he’d never seen a football before 99% of the time. By 2014 he shouldn’t have been starting for England.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

That last bit would be me. I suppose we're using the 2004 Euros as his benchmark, and I don't think we ever saw anything quite like that from Rooney again.

As far as tournaments went we never saw anything from Owen or Rooney after their first ones as teens when they made a huge impact.

 

[BoyBrumby]

As far as tournaments went we never saw anything from Owen or Rooney after their first ones as teens when they made a huge impact.

Owen had his moments in 2002, tbf.

Nothing like the wing-heeled teenage demigod he was in 98, but he still had enough pace to "earn" the penalty against the Argies and gave us the lead versus Brazil in the quarters.

 

[grecian]

I think Rooney had a lower bar than Owen or shearer but was still ultimately disappointing for England. Like Gascoigne before him though, tend to have less sympathy with him as he clearly did not live the life of an athlete, and that is what footballers should be nowadays, you can't smoke drink bucketfuls, stumble out of night clubs and expect to ever be close to full-recovery, and in fact almost certainly caused the next injury, so you got players basically diminishing themselves in talent as their career goes by.

Kane certainly isn't one of those types, hopefully he'll get a move from stagnant Spurs and can show he may have another gear.

 

[Furball]

You think of what him and Rooney were like as teenagers and you wonder what might have been, they were exceptional and I think many thought they would have careers like Ronaldo and Messi went on to have but for whatever reason it wasn't to be. Mad to think they were so good and we still think they underperformed.

Some players just peak early.

Rooney would have done well to learn from Ronaldo off field though. There's a reason one was still playing elite club football at 35 while the other was a washed up Championship player.

 

[grecian]

This season is ****, title race done months ago, Relegation is just one parade of awfulness after another (yeah I know this is always a bit of the case, but fans do make these matches tense and fun, I mean Newcastle getting relegated would have half the fun without panning across to fat Geordies in an XXXL Mike Ashley shirt, the man they hate, weeping uncontrollably). Champions League racet top 4 is obviously no one seriously cares about if you aren't feeding in that trough.

Oh and Exeter are meh. Move on to next season, crowds and hopefully better atmos. Still watching tons because there's little else to do. Oh and genuinely looking forward to the euros, which is unusual, but it'll be something different.

Champion League may be fun....

 

[wpdavid]

Not for England, but that’s just because of unfortunate timing. He was playing injured in 2006 and 2010 and they botched qualification in 2008.

2012 was the season where he scored 25 in the league while looking like he’d never seen a football before 99% of the time. By 2014 he shouldn’t have been starting for England.

Broadly agree, but there were umpteen qualifiers either side of the 2006, 2008 and 2010 tournaments, and I don't remember anything from him as good as we saw in 2004. But that could easily be my ageing memory letting me down.

 

[wpdavid]

Oh and Exeter are meh. Move on to next season, crowds and hopefully better atmos......

Surely you're looking forward, in all probability, to playing Sutton United next season. My local team as it happens, where one of my kids plays colts football too. I was going to invite you to let me know if you make the journey for that one. Ditto GIMH if Tranmere aren't promoted. One point of interest is what happens to Sutton's 3G pitch if they are promoted as I gather that the Football League aren't keen on it.

 

[GIMH]

Surely you're looking forward, in all probability, to playing Sutton United next season. My local team as it happens, where one of my kids plays colts football too. I was going to invite you to let me know if you make the journey for that one. Ditto GIMH if Tranmere aren't promoted. One point of interest is what happens to Sutton's 3G pitch if they are promoted as I gather that the Football League aren't keen on it.

I actually made that very journey in December 2017. A fine afternoon it was too.

If we do stay down and they go up then I'd imagine I'd make the trip, assuming away days are a thing again by then

 

[wpdavid]

I actually made that very journey in December 2017. A fine afternoon it was too.

If we do stay down and they go up then I'd imagine I'd make the trip, assuming away days are a thing again by then

Well, if all those things do happen, please feel free to message me and we'll see what can be done.

 

[Niall]

Raiola and Haaland's father asked Barça for 20 million each for the Norwegian forward to become a Barça player, in addition to a net 30 million token per season

According to online reports, obviously negotiations etc, but think even City and PSG would probably say "no thanks" to those sort of numbers.

No idea how Barca would even begin to find money for that.


Brighton played very nicely against Utd, arguably the better team and lost. You got to love how consistent they are.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Wouldn't believe any report about numbers from any publication. They're almost always completely made up.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Comfortable win against a very poor Plymouth side today. First half was dreadful but we were much better in 2nd half. Safe now or as good as having 49 points. SCBA

 

[grecian]

0-0 against Mansfield, it's what it says on the tin.

Honestly just throw in the yoof, can't do any worse and may energise us.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I chose today to use iFollow for the first time. If that’s the usual broadcast quality I’d be happy with it in the future. It’s a shame the team were so wretched, but we can’t go up or down so it doesn’t matter too much.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Bellingham absolutely robbed there, insanely bad from Ederson.