By Myles Palmer
“He’s one of the best in the world, but I’ve taken
notice of what he likes to do. It’s a split-second thing when you’re put through whether to shoot high or low, but he stands up a lot.”
– Michael Owen on Kahn.
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I THINK Gerard Houllier has built the England team round Michael Owen.
Houllier has signed Heskey, developed Gerrard, signed Barmby – and,sadly, marginalised Fowler.
So he has done half of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s job for him.
All Sven had to do was play Rio, take a chance on Ashley, and find a goalkeeper.
Unfortunately, he has NOT found a keeper, so has to persevere with David Seaman, who is 37 and six years past his best.He was at his best in Arsenal’s Cup Winners Cup runs of 1994 and 1995 and he was still good in Euro 96.
Seaman will be under the microscope on Saturday night after Sepp Maier rudely said he is past it.
Mentally, Seaman is stronger and calmer than Martyn (now 35 himself) but his decline has been masked by the phenomenal defending that Arsenal have done in front of him for the past five years.
Any keeper would want Dixon, Bould, Adams, Keown, Winterburn,Vieira, Petit and Parlour between him and his opponents.
Seaman was a stupendously great goalkeper in his prime, but he was also the luckiest because he had Europe’s best defence in front of him.
I’m still dangerously gung-ho about this game. I still fancy England to win 1-0, although 1-1 is the next most likely score.
It’s certainly a big one for young Adam Crozier. If we win 1-0 Adam will fly back from Munich without a plane.
I’m sure England will get free-kicks. Because the Germans won’t be able to stop Owen and Heskey legally. They will use Rehmer and Linke as markers, and Nowotny as sweeper. Nowotny is a giant, but very one-paced. If he sits too deep, England will have plenty of space round the box.
If Deisler is running the game I would bring Hargreaves on to man-mark him.
That’s about it , really. I can’t wait for kick off. But I don’t wish I was there.
Ive never been to Germany but I’ve been to Munich three times. In 1973 to review Traffic at the Deutchesmuseum for The Times. In 1975 for a semi-final against Real Madrid when Gerd Muller had three chances and scored two goals and Amancio was sent off by Clive Thomas. And in 1985 to interview Elton John for the cover of Radio Times.
Happy memories, but the stadium is my least favourite in the world. You are so far from the pitch. A nightmare for journalists and commentators. The only good thing is that all the taxi-drivers go to the match, so you can come out, jump in a Mercedes and shoot off quickly.
Hope I’m right about this one. They say it will rain. That’s good. Heskey is a beast on a wet night.And free-kicks bounce and skid….
31st August 2001.