If the rumours are to be believed, then Andrew Johnson may soon be shown the door at Goodison Park, with former Liverpool hitman Michael Owen lined up as a replacememt.
To some, this may represent lack of forward thinking - it is truet that Owen is past his best and does not have the blistering pace he once possessed as a teenager. However, he still has one attribute that Johnson sadly lacks - a striker’s natural instinct. If you give him a chance in the box then nine times out of ten he will take it, whereas you simply do not have that condfidence when a chance falls to Johnson. Owen most definitely has a far greater reading of the game than the former Crystal Palace striker - he still knows where the goal is as well as he ever did, despite the loss of some pace.
Of course there is also the matter of public image to consider. Owen is a huge name; he is recognized globally - if the shirts kids in countless foreign countries were buying were Everton shirts then imagine the rise in profits - they would justify his transfer quickly in my opinion. It would also send out a message to the rest of Europe - Everton are going places, signing players of proven quality, and if it emerged that he had taken a pay cut to come to Goodison (which would be necessary, considering the current size of his pay packet) then that would do the club’s reputation no harm either, and would help attract more big names to the club. People would start thinking “Everton must be a club on the up, Michael Owen took a pay cut to play for them” instead of thinking “There go Everton looking for bargins from the Championship again while Tottenham and Man. City look for big name players”.
In my opinion, this move would represent great business by David Moyes, for Johnson clearly does not possess the required quality to take Everton to the next level and Owen has the finishing touch in abundance. And, like I’ve already stated, the move wouldn’t only be about the football - it’d be about the image. Sign him up Moyesy, you won’t regret it.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Totally Agree - Sign him up Now.
Yakubu and Owen 40 + Goals and Fear in Opposition Defenders and Supporters.
Get in there Moyesey !
May 29th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I cannot argue with the principle, however I believe the loss of Johnson would be detrimental to the squad. Owen has natural scoring ability but when we are under pressure Johnson offers us the option of blistering pace, meaning that the opposition cannot push on too much. Yakubu doesnt have the speed to break quicky enough and defenders are aware of this and move 15 yards forward closing our midfield dowm. With Johnson we have the over the top or into space ball which relieves the pressure and allows us to move up the field. I’d love to see Owen in blue but not at the expense of Johnson.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Allan i am not sure what you are saying? Pace is nothing if you don’t know how to use it in effectively running off the ball. Johnson’s running off the ball is quite simply rubbish, and it becomes apparent when you consider how many chances he gets during the course of any game - not very many.
Yakubu is still quick and Owen is not as slow as you are making out. However he has other attributes that will get defenders worried, such as finishing, his first touch and as previously mentioned, movement.
Sell Johnson, get a replacement (not neccessarily Owen), as one is needed badly to add impotus into a one dimensional frontline.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Sorry I can’t agree. To me Owen is an ageing, injury prone, has been!!
May 29th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I’d like to have both, but Owen’s wages are way beyond our current means. Also Owen works best with others doing his work for him, Yak works best with others doing his work for him…… ?
Finally AJ didn’t get many chances last season, because when he was fit he spent half his time running to the corner flag chaing long balls. With a settled squad I expect to see him and Yak score planty of goals between them next season.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Owen is a crock, has been since he played for the others. The points made about AJ are valid but “Mr. England” is not the answer and I believe his signing would be detrimental to our progress.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
The thing is Johnson gets an undeserved hard time, his goal scoring record is just under 1 in 3 in terms of games started to goals. Ok I think your right in the sense that AJ has found his level and to move on enforcments are needed. Yet I don’t think we should sell him. Our squad is small, he gives 110% every week and I think he has been very unlucky with decisions this season (e.g Blackburn away) Everton score a lot of goals from set pieces which many times Johnson wins. Yeh buying Owen could be a good move for us but there is no need to sell Johnson.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Owen is too injury pone, slow and not as good as he thinks he still is.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
he is permanently injured, lost his pace and needed to be moved back into an attacking midfielder at the geordies. He may take a wage cut but would be top of our earners, and I can guarantee you he will be out for at least 12 months for every 3 years he is signed if not more.
not a good investment, id buy santa cruz or arshavin instead