MICHAEL Owen insists he did
not criticise Fabio Capello's tactics
and has no problem with the
new England manager.
The Newcastle striker was left
on the bench for Capello's first
match in charge against Switzerland
in January and was a halftime
substitute against France
on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old, who has
scored 40 goals for England, was
quoted by a number of national
newspapers claiming he did not
know what his role was in Paris.
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But Owen insists his reply was
to a question about his role for
England in the future.
That's been misconstrued as
to mean you'll have to ask the
manager what my role is when I
came on to play','' he said. Of
course I knew my role, and everything
else, when I stepped on to
the field.
It's come out in the press like
this but I've never been critical of
the management. To make it look
like I was criticising the new
manager was totally wrong and
I'm very disappointed.
It's frustrating, having not
said anything in the first place,
you've got to come out and retract
and say your version of the
story.
The technology we've got
nowadays it's probably all over
the world - Owen having a go at
Capello. It's going to be a topic of
conversation when it's a nonstory.''
Owen has been an England
regular, when fit, for the last ten
years, but he insists he will not
lose patience if he continues to
find himself on the bench.
He continued: It's a team
game, no-one knows that more
than me, I've always been a team
player.
Only the manager knows
what team he wants to play,
what formations he wants
to play, all I can do is do my
best. I've never been one to
throw my toys out of the
pram.
I've started my share
of England games over
the years - I'm very
proud of my England
record and I'll continue
to give of my best
every time I pull on
the shirt, whoever the
manager is.''
England's performance
in France,
where they failed to
create a single clearcut
chance, has been roundly
criticised, but Owen felt
the team matched their illustrious
opponents and he
is optimistic for the 2010
World Cup qualifying campaign.
First half, I was watching the
game and I didn't think
they really entered our
half, let alone our penalty
box too many times,''
he said.
It seemed we were
d o m i n a t i n g .
Okay, we
w e r e n ' t
creating
chances
but nor
w e r e
they.
I n
t h e
second
h a l f ,
w h e n
you're 1-0
d o w n
against a
team full
of world
champions,
you've got
to almost force the game.
I thought it was a good game,
I thought we acquitted ourselves
well. By no means did they dominate
us.
We've got plenty of time to
prepare for the next qualification
campaign and I think we're moving
in the right direction.''
Capello tried two different formations
in Paris, with Steven
Gerrard supporting Wayne
Rooney as a lone striker in the
first half before a switch to 4-4-2,
and Owen believes the experimentation
could pay dividends in
the autumn.
All these different combinations
are to be tried,'' said the former
Liverpool and Real Madrid
forward.
They've been tried by previous
managers and they're to be
tried by this manager until he
finds what he believes is the best
formation and the best players to
play in it."
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