h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4179194.stm

Thoughts? Comments? Abuse?

B

We will see...

One thing I cannot understand is why have Arsenal not gone in for him?

I mean they really could do with another top class goal scorer and one who would give them a plan B, which IMHO Owen would do in spades.

Or is it just another case of Wengers pathological fear of english players.

I can't see Owen and Henry on the pitch together. Their playing styles are too similar, and you would have to play Bergkamp (bejesus, that man is a good footballer) in the hole behind them both.

Anything else means putting Micky on the bench, which is what he's trying to avoid. At St James he'll be guaranteed a starting place to take the weight off Shearer. Last I looked, Newcastle didn't really have any other strikers.

B

Arsenal need (at least the option of) a big striker who can head it. Owen isn't that - as you say, he's too similar to Tel in the way he plays.

You reckon?

I think that Owen and Henry could work really well, I think what would happen is as one dropped off the other would find space in the middle.

I also think that it would be virtually impossible to mark them both.

Lastly I think it owuld give Arsenal another option, namely the first time ball from deep into space behind the defenders. They could do with at least one CF who doesn't feel that they need to play at least 156 passes before shooting!

"namely the first time ball from deep into space behind the defenders."

Is that what they're calling the Wimbledon long-ball these days?

B

Yup , but it works well when used as part of a plan rather than the plan.

I have seen Man U, Chelski, Milan, Juve, Barcelona, and Bayern using it.

The Arsenals problem (as I see it) is as of the last couple of years in Europe, and the last Year in the UK is the top teams have worked them out.

They only have one plan agianst the likes of United and Chelski, which is to keep on playing 1-2s until they can roll the ball into the net. They need something different.

A strapping "Header" type striker wouldn't work for them I think because the team isn't set up to play that way. On the other hand the way the team is now could easily play to Owens strenghts. Plus he is a pretty good "six yard box" striker in a way that TH for all his amazing talent never really will be.

In the past there have been times when I thought that we should sign Owen but now I am not so sure any more. I think the plan is for TH14 to morph into Dennis Bergkamp and for him to both score goals AND make goals for (choose any 1 or 2 from) Jose Antonio Reyes, Robin van Persie, Arturo Lupoli, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, David Bentley (IF he stops demanding to play every match in the 1st team or he's off) and maybe Anthony Stokes (17 years old and 12 goals from 17 U17 matches) and Nicklas Bendtner (17 years old just joined the club).

As for that old "Wenger doesn't like English players" comment ..... It is not the player's Englishness but either their lack of skill (e.g. Jeffers was completely out of his depth) or their very dodgy temperament (e.g. Pennant's tendency to get drunk and drive, the as-yet untested allegations against Stack). Ashley Cole does not suffer from either of these faults and is doing very nicely!

Which (available) Englishman would you suggest should replace Fabregas or should Arsenal just accept a lower standard of player "because he is English"?

I am not saying that every one of Wengers players (or even most) could be replaced by better english ones.

However he does seem to have a bit blind spot in relation to young home grown talent.

Cases in point Almunia vs Stuart Taylor and Cygan vs Upson.

Would that be the same Stuart Taylor who still can't get a first-team game at Villa, and the same Matthew Upson who conceded three goals last night?

B

Yup,

And on the Pespsi challenge I would say that both of them beat hands down their alternative.

Almunia was a joke, and IMHO Cygan is probably the worst player at Arsenal. Upson may not be world class, but he is a darn site better than Cygan and despite conceding a few goals last night is a very consistant performer in the Premiership.

Well not this round of matches - I get how many points for 2 (yes 2) goals from a defender? I probably lose most of them for the goals Upson and Voltz let in though!

Seriously though - I agree, Upson is a far better player than Cygan BUT he was always crocked when we needed him most which is even more useless than Cygan normally is! Taylor is in a similar position - too often crocked when most needed. Almunia is definitely NOT GOOD ENOUGH but Arsene is supposedly buying a goalie before the deadline.