Will Michael Owen Ever Regain Goal Scoring Form?

Having scored a goal to lift Newcastle to their first win under Kevin Keegan last week, Michael Owen underlined his return to goal scoring ways. His confidence was further boosted when he played for England under Fabio Capello for the first time after being brought on as a second half substitute against France in Paris. Despite not having a chance in the game, as with the rest of the England team, there were some bright moments from Owen's play that suggested the little man might have found a fresh new lease of life after a tumultuous time at Tyneside when injuries and a succession of managerial changes threatened to consign the player's career to the bin.

However, has the player indeed regained his past form? There is no doubt that Michael Owen still lacks full match fitness and the sharpness that comes with it. But the ex-Liverpool player has always relied on pace as his main weapon in the English game. Many of his goals have been the result of outpacing opposing defenders with a resulting clear run at goal. His finishing had also been top class, confidently dispatching each opportunity that came his way. There might still be an over reliance on match fitness as an excuse to disguise what the facts might truly show - that the deadly pace which was such an important feature of his arsenal, is now missing. This then begs the question of how Owen can change his game to cope with this, in order to once again dominate scoring charts the world over.

Without relying on speed to provide him with an edge in games where space is at a premium, Michael Owen might soon find himself an extinct species in the English Premier League unless he learns to develop other aspects of his game. The man who scored one of the most memorable World Cup goals in history has always had a poor first touch, and based his game on being an out and out forward that pounced on half chances or defenses which gave up too much space behind their lines and could never stop him without tugging him as so many have done with Ronaldo soccer jerseys. As age and injuries have caught up with him, Owen has yet to display a maturity in his game which many evergreen strikers learned to develop. And if the Newcastle striker desires to continue getting selected and playing for England, he must wake up to the reality that a makeover of his playing style is required. Fabio Capello suffers no fools and with so many younger and more skilful players waiting in the wings, Michael Owen could quickly find himself redundant on the international stage.