Perfect time for Owen to find sharpness

Feb 14 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

STEVEN Taylor has admitted Newcastle United desperately need Michael Owen’s hot streak in front of goal to continue if they are going to recover from their recent collapse in form.

Owen’s lack of goals had been a major concern for United this season and he controversially failed to make the starting line-up in Fabio Capello’s first England squad against Switzerland last week. But the striker has answered his critics in the best possible way with two goals in as many games against Middlesbrough and Aston Villa.

It was Owen’s all-round performance against Villa which really impressed and it seems as though Kevin Keegan’s decision to appoint him skipper has had the desired effect.

The 28-year-old was a constant threat to the opposition defence, despite the 4-1 defeat at Villa Park, and is looking sharp and clinical when United do manage to create chances for him.

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing last week when people were writing Michael Owen off,” said Taylor, who has plenty of experience of trying to mark United’s record goal-scorer in training.

“But he is a very, very strong character and he just gets on with it, he doesn’t let it get to him. It was unbelievable because we all know what a good player Michael is and what he brings to the team. He is a goal machine and we are going to need his goals between now and the end of the season.

“He has been flying in training and he was always going to start scoring again. He has done that all his career so it doesn’t surprise me one little bit that he is back on the scoresheet again for us.

“His performance was probably the only big positive we could take from the Villa game and it was great to see him get another goal for us after what happened with England earlier in the week.

“I was surprised when he didn’t get on against Switzerland because he has been England’s leading goal-scorer for a long time now.”

Owen could be paired with Obafemi Martins for the first time under Keegan when Manchester United are the rather ominous-looking visitors to St James’s Park next week. The partnership has operated with limited success so far for Newcastle, although Keegan does believe the two can be paired together in the Premier League, despite the lack of height that the partnership brings to the front line.

Nevertheless, in the 14 games they have played together, they have scored only five goals between them – three for Owen and two for Martins.

But, after Keegan had voiced his pleasure at the prospect of working with Martins in The Journal on Wednesday, Martins responded in a similar manner when asked what he thought about the prospect of playing for the new boss.

“He did a lot for Newcastle and all the fans love him,” said Martins, who has not added to his tally of seven goals this season since he scored the first goal in the 2-1 win over Birmingham City on December 8. “That’s why they brought him back here. They call him the king, so I think it’s very good. It’s very good for him as well, and the players are going to try to play for him and try our best just to make him proud.”

Martins’ lack of goals was also a worry for the Nigerians in the African Cup of Nations and he was dropped by coach Berti Vogts after failing to score in the first two group games, against Ivory Coast and Mali.

He said: “We played very well in our last game with Ghana, but I think what was wrong with us was about 10 minutes before the end of the game we relaxed a little bit and Ghana took their chances.

“But I will return to Newcastle now. Everything has changed. We have a new manager and he’ll have changed a lot of things. I think it’s not a problem for me to go back and focus on starting playing.”

Martins is due to return to training before the end of the week after he was forced to miss out on making his debut for Keegan against Villa last weekend with an ankle injury.

The problem, though, is not serious and, barring any further mishaps, he will be involved against the Red Devils as Newcastle look to avenge their 6-0 hammering at Old Trafford last month.