World Cup qual - Murphy: Owen deserves recall

Eurosport - Fri, 05 Jun 16:45:00 2009

Fulham captain and Eurosport-Yahoo! blogger Danny Murphy believes a fully-fit Michael Owen still has a lot to offer Fabio Capello's England.

2008 England Michael Owen - 0

I don't think Fabio Capello needs to worry too much about motivating England for the games against Kazakhstan and Andorra.

Playing for your country and ensuring qualification to the World Cup next year is motivation enough, whoever the opponents are. Every player in the squad is dedicated to achieving that when they are with England.

They are also the elite guys and they will have no problem getting fired up. Capello shouldn't have to do too much because the players know the reward will be playing at the World Cup in South Africa.

Fabio has a strong squad and a lot of players with confidence, and he has a style that seems to suit everybody. He has also found a good balance in the team and there seems to be a genuine belief that they can go to the World Cup and win it.

The Premier League's strength is such that I certainly think we pose a genuine threat at the finals next summer.

In terms of stand-out players, Glen Johnson of Portsmouth has been great. He has really made that right-back position his own. Steven Gerrard has been fantastic at adapting to the new role on the left in which Fabio Capello has been playing him. Gareth Barry deserves credit as well.

I think that Fabio ensures that, if a player is knocking on the door of the squad, they get a chance, whether that is in a friendly or a competitive game. So I don't think there are players who should be in there who haven't yet been given a chance.

I would like to see Michael Owen back in the squad when he is fit. He has been very unlucky with injuries but the manager seems to have taken a different direction with the strikers. But, in my opinion, when he is fit Michael deserves a recall.

He is a wonderfully gifted big-game player so I would always have him in, and I am a bit surprised that Capello didn't choose him even when he was fit. He has been a wonderful servant to his country and he can still offer a lot on big occasions. He has proved that for years.

Danny Murphy is off on his summer break, and will return in August.

Danny Murphy / Eurosport

Comment 56 - 75 of 75

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  1. Owen a recall to the England squad, you must be joking,­ prefer Bobby Charlton making a comeback.

    From , on Mon 8 Jun 2:08AM

  2. MURPHY. WHY IS THE AREA AROUND YOUR MOUTH BROWN? YOU­ AND YOUR BEST PAL OWEN BEEN UP TO IT AGAIN

    From SHAUN, on Sun 7 Jun 4:19PM

  3. oh! how the armchair critics forget. Owen has been­ outstanding for England and deserves to pull on an­ England shirt again...

    From Julie, on Sun 7 Jun 3:18PM

  4. totally agree Owen for England, he can make the tea at­ half time

    From toon 1, on Sat 6 Jun 8:25PM

  5. who gives a @#$% about London United (england)..its­ only you southern fudgers who care,and those boring­ yorkshire nobs who bang drums!!

    From leetwangers, on Sat 6 Jun 4:16PM

  6. Michael who?

    From Bobby Robson A Legend, on Sat 6 Jun 1:39PM

  7. Unfortunately for Owen he has assumed the title of­ 'the Jonny Wilkinson of football' and this may­ be why teams like City and Everton have gone quiet.

    From Gizmo1, on Sat 6 Jun 1:18PM

  8. Owen needs to leave Newcastle first and concentrate on­ reestablishing himself as a top player, never mind­ calls for him to get an England call up. He still needs­ to do alot of work in order to get back in an england­ shirt. Trouble is none of the top clubs want him­ because of his injury record at Newcastle. He could do­ worse than head abroad again...steve mclaren is a­ fan...and if Sven becomes pompey boss it's not­ impossible that he (Ericsson) might try to sign Owen.­ Even Pompey and FC Twente right now are better­ prospects for him than sticking around at Newcastle.

    From Gizmo1, on Sat 6 Jun 1:16PM

  9. Yea he deserves a recall, i hope England do recall him­ so he can sit on the bench with injuries :P hahaha­ please recall Owen and fail miserably once again

    From nibirufc, on Sat 6 Jun 11:22AM

  10. MURPHY. SHUT YOUR MICEY LITTLE MOUTH. GREEDY B@S TARD­ OWEN IS FINISHED. HAVE YOU BEEN LICKING HIS HOOP FOR­ HIM AGAIN?

    HOW COME YOU'VE GOT SO MUCH TOO SAY­ FOR YOURSELF ALL OF A SUDDEN ANYWAY? SHUT IT YOU FU@@­ KING NOBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From SHAUN, on Sat 6 Jun 9:14AM

  11. owen is by far the best natural striker produced by­ england over the last 10 years. his injuries have­ turned him into one of the saddest footballers and lost­ sven and the rest of us the chance to celebrate the big­ one. Capello is a top man and will know that a fit­ Michael Owen is as good as you can get at scoring­ goals. Unfortunately, I too think he has lost a yard or­ two of pace which, like Shearer after a big injury, was­ never the same player again. Unlike a lot of you lot I­ wish one of our greatest strikers all the best whether­ he is fully fit again or not and would love to see him­ fully fit next year and back into the squad for the­ world cup. Failing this I'm hoping Walcott or­ anyone else will come through and prove to be a top­ striker as it is something we will need when crunch­ time comes again in the quarter finals - RB

    From Richard, on Sat 6 Jun 8:41AM

  12. OWEN!!! please please be fit for the next season score­ a tone of goals earn an England place and win the world­ cup you where my childhood hero and it hurts to see­ people slate u in this way bt u need to PROVE to­ everyone that u wanna put the ball in the back of the­ net and not putt the ball u need to PROVE u wanna race­ the worlds top deffenders n not horses. sign for a good­ team dont worry bout the wages n do it 4 the fans!!!

    From Matt, on Sat 6 Jun 5:12AM

  13. THE CURTAINS HAVE COME DOWN ON OWEN .THERE ARE TOO MANY­ STRIKERS NOW FOR ENGLAND TO CHOOSE FROM.SO I DONT THINK­ HE IS MISSED.YES IN HIS DAY HE WAS TOP QUALITY BUT FOR­ NOW NO. JUDGE FROM HIS LAST SEASON AND ASK URSELF IF­ FABIO WILL BE FAIR ON THESE NEW STRIKERS IF HE PUTS­ OWEN

    From efozia, on Fri 5 Jun 11:05PM

  14. yes. he single handedly relegated newcastle. thumbs up­ for his "work" this past year.

    From maggimagg.rm, on Fri 5 Jun 10:45PM

  15. I don't know if Danny Murphy is taking the mickey.­ How much football did Owen play the whole of last­ month? Why doesn't he talk about himself? If he­ thinks Owen deserves to be in the team, he must think­ the same of himself. Danny stop being dishonest, be­ real.

    From PAUL B, on Fri 5 Jun 10:02PM

  16. WHY CANT SOME ENGLISH FANS AND MEDIA ACCEPT THE FACT­ THAT OWEN IS FINISHED AS A TOP PLAYER.VERY ANNOYING­ HEARING PEOPLE SAY HE WILL SCORE GOALS WHEN HE IS FED­ BY OTHER TEAM MATES.NO SANE CLUB WILL EVEN SIGN HIM AND­ PAY HIM THAT RIDICULOUS WAGES. TOP FOOTBALL IS PLAYED­ BY PLAYERS IN FORM AND NOT PAST PERFORMANCE.

    From valach, on Fri 5 Jun 9:42PM

  17. You have to pick players on form not on reputation from­ a few years back. Owen has hardly ever been fit enough­ to play at Newcastle and when he does he looks a shadow­ of his former self. It's time to stop dusting off­ stars from the past - Beckham, Owen - and give the­ young players that are available a real chance to­ develop at the highest level.

    From DAVID, on Fri 5 Jun 9:39PM

  18. Think Owens form on the run up to the end of the season­ was so poor because he didn't want to get stuck in­ and risk getting injured. He will sign for a Prem club­ this summer and play his socks off.

    From david k, on Fri 5 Jun 9:35PM

  19. a fully fit jimmy greaves could take the place of Owen­ ffs, owen been s.,t for at least the last 2 0r 3 years

    From Brett, on Fri 5 Jun 9:32PM

  20. why would england want him back we have raised him and­ up made his head big and kicked him right back down to­ add insults to injury , what you guys forgget is if­ there is a million people around you telling you are­ god you will begin to hear it, the press have done this­ and then blame him for having a big head , lets put it­ this way you cannot overfeed a dog and blame him for­ being fat can you , but why point the finger on­ yourself , also he is brokenhearted after injury after­ injury ,Sweden v England 20th June 2006 in the 2006­ World Cup is where it all started you would be­ brokenhearted, but so called england fans dont care put­ yourself in his boots it must have been ground zero for­ him , lets not forget he has scored 40 international­ goals in 89 matches for his National Team including­ goals v argentina germany and brazil a good record by­ anybodys standings there is also a case he has played­ better in his international carrer than for his clubs­ at sometimes cases , surely he should be getting more­ than a big up because if england are to win a world cup­ a goalgetter is needed that can score against big teams­ like argentina and germany and brazil as no one has­ stood out in the england team who can do this rooney­ cannot score like him lets face it he has other skills­ to bring to the table, owen has done so good when he­ came into the england team, he MUST do it every game or­ else it seems people expect all the time
    in england­ the enemey within is always the biggest killer,this­ will soon happen to rooney also and already has­ happened the press and england had said he was the new­ pele , when anybody calls you the new zidane pele­ beckham or whatever it becomes a milestone which some­ players can never carrry around their necks
    because­ they will never size up to this player or be allowed be­ their own player
    so instead of a big up it becomes a­ cross to carry, like once again over feeding a dog and­ blaming it when it cannot do tricks

    From , on Fri 5 Jun 9:25PM
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