Michael Owen: Hero or Twat?

Michael Owen has today announced his retirement from football at the end of the season. Most of you probably thought he retired 5 years ago judging by the amount of games he's played.

What bugs me is the way the media are gushing over him like he was some English hero. Personally I think Michael Owen typifies the modern day footballer - he'd rather sit on the bench on big wages than drop down a division on lower wages and play ever week.

He's no hero, he's a twat of the highest order.

typical of an English player, vastly overrated.

Top finisher in his day, for Liverpool, a nice moment for England against Argentina.

but world class? As he was often credited, i think not.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:typical of an English player, vastly overrated.

Top finisher in his day, for Liverpool, a nice moment for England against Argentina.

but world class? As he was often credited, i think not.

Please stop posting messages I agree with. Makes my job very difficult.

I am in the middle of both answers

Twat.

I see why people think he's a twat, but I think he fell out of love with the game after so many frustrating injuries.

He was a top quality player before the injuries, he wasn't world class but in his Liverpool years he had the potential to be. Injuries stopped that and it's a real shame because he was a brilliant striker, and would have been an England legend too.

I think people are too harsh on him, he clearly doesn't have a passion for the sport anymore - that's not his fault and I don't think that makes him a twat.

But he may as well have retired once he left Madrid, he's not played regular football since Liverpool so he's not a hero either.

He's a man whose career was ruined by injury, and that's how he'll be remembered.

I wouldnt say hes a hero or twat. Doesnt bother me but he is massively overated. Could have been an exellent player bit wasnt due to unfortunate injuries

Neither. When he first broke onto the scene he was unplayable with his pace and finishing.

Injuries have taken their tole on him and he has failed to adapt his game after he lost his pace.

At least Fergie and Pulis got their moneys worth out of him.

I was going to say neither, but then I remembered he's currently at Stoke and is ex-Manure. So I voted twat.

He's always been my football hero.

Never heard of him.

Awesome as a teenager but he has done absolutely nothing since leaving Madrid. It is a shame injuries ruined his career. I mean Messi never ever gets injured, Owen was always injured, injuries ruin players.

He was a top finisher, but also a top twat.

Being a Liverpool legend, then going to play for utd is all the proof you need.
And also, he took all that money from Newcastle when he was injured, then when they got relegated he jumped ship.
in fact he's probably one of the biggest twats ever to set foot on this planet come to think of it.

I hope he get's run over by a horse.

He always gave me the impression that he played for himself and would have been perfectly happy to play a bit part at a club and take the wages especially if he could get back in the England team, which was always his main aim.

Like many players he never fulfilled his potential, but still ended up scoring 40 goals for England (more than Sir Nat) and was the last British European Player of the Year. Could have been a great but as mentioned, injuries did for him as he was entirely dependent on pace at his best - when that went, he was half the player he was.

I feel indifferently towards him, and even more so towards the fact he's retired.

I think the media should just announce these things, then move on.
Granada Reports did a 15 second report on a dramatic East Lancashire derby the other day, and a thorough dissection of Michael Owen's career as well as interviews the next. I was really keen to hear about the Blackburn game. Didn't give a shit about Owen.

A good player when he was injury free, but those times didn't happen very often - not a hero and not a twat...

doffcocker wrote:I feel indifferently towards him, and even more so towards the fact he's retired.

I think the media should just announce these things, then move on.
Granada Reports did a 15 second report on a dramatic East Lancashire derby the other day, and a thorough dissection of Michael Owen's career as well as interviews the next. I was really keen to hear about the Blackburn game. Didn't give a shit about Owen.

I fucking hate Granada Reports when they cover the lower leagues football on a monday night, they squueze all the local lower league games highlights into about 30 seconds and only showing one goal per match regardless if it was a 5-5 thriller.

They didn't bother showing the bolton and blackpool highlights on Monday just because we lost!....Tossers.