Numbers add up but Owen still odd man out

FOOTBALL, as we are so frequently reminded, is a game of opinions and in the Premier League, there is no better example than in the debate surrounding Michael Owen.

Manchester United coasted to this victory with embarrassing ease yet, for long stretches, they were devoid of ideas and inspiration, typified in the displays of Owen and Wayne Rooney up front. It was no coincidence that all three goals came from midfield.

The simple fact was that United never rose out of first gear but thanks to a performance lacking in character, effort and ability from the visitors, that was still more than enough to secure all three points.

And, thus, we turn to Owen. On one broadcast, former England winger Chris Waddle commented that Owen looked short of sharpness and pace while, on a rival network, former Republic of Ireland defender Mark Lawrenson waxed lyrical about Owen, complimenting him on his sharpness and prompting his sidekick Gary Lineker into adding his voice to the Owen-must-go-to-the-World Cup debate.

Football, a game of opinions.

Yet, the very foundation of the argument for Owen being recalled into Fabio Capello’s squad is his goal ratio, which stands at international level at a staggering 40 goals on some 89 England appearances.

Turning that argument against Owen, however, and for a United side that bullies inferior opposition with such tedious ease in the majority of games, the 29-year-old has four goals in 17 games this season.

Complicating the issue further, Owen himself points to the fact that, given his frequent use as a substitute, his goals per minute ratio stands at one every 158 minutes — more than respectable in that it means he is averaging better than one goal for every two completed games.

“In Madrid it was a similar story,” said Owen of his time with Real. “I didn’t start every game but I ended up with the best goals-to-minutes ratio in the league. You can twist stats any way you want.

“A goal every one-and-a-half games sounds good but four in 16 isn’t quite so impressive. All I’m concerned about is scoring as many times as I can.”

Perhaps this is Owen’s subtle way of reminding Alex Ferguson that his first-team starts have been limited to three this season and, given that both Nani and Ben Foster were left out of this United matchday squad for, presumably, complaining in public about their lack of playing time, this may not be an advisable step.

Then again, perhaps this is Owen, a few days short of his 30th birthday, acknowledging that his future in top-level football will now be limited to that of impact striker off the substitutes’ bench.

In either case, it is doubtful whether Capello sees him as having value in that role and if, nearly four months into the season, he is still struggling to convince his club manager of his worth as a starter, that does not augur well, long-term, for a Manchester United team still desperately trying to locate some of the 67 goals the departed Cristiano Ronaldo scored for them over the past two seasons.

Fortunately, for a United team still struggling to find their most lethal form and five points behind Chelsea, one player whose career trajectory is heading in the opposite direction to Owen’s is the Scotland international midfielder Darren Fletcher, whose stunning first-half volley set United on their path to victory.

Second-half goals would follow from an excellent Michael Carrick shot and a deflected Antonio Valencia effort but, as has been the case for so much of this season, Fletcher stamped his impression on this game in admirable fashion, even when he went back to right-back in place of the young Brazilian Rafael, who looked woefully out of his depth for once.

“It was a stunning volley,” said Carrick of Fletcher’s goal. “I thought it was going to be a bit too high but he got his shoulder over it. His technique was spot on and it meant a lot to him to score.

“It’s nice for the midfield to chip in and help the strikers out. Without a doubt he’s playing as well as I’ve seen him. His performances are at the highest level now. He’s one of the best midfielders around at the moment, really on top of his game and it’s great to play alongside him.”

Fletcher’s moment of brilliance was always going to be enough to defeat an Everton side who, frankly, did not look remotely interested in the task in hand.

The Merseysiders have been hampered by an appalling injury list all season, as manager David Moyes never fails to mention at every available opportunity, but that was still no excuse for their perfunctory performance at Old Trafford.

Perhaps Moyes’ consistent complaints about injury problems are now being used as a crutch for his players to lean against and a ready-made excuse for pathetic performances like this.

If so, that could mean trouble with Everton just four points above the relegation zone and facing games this week against relegation candidates Hull and the Mersey derby with Liverpool.

“We’re trying to get back to winning ways,” said Moyes.

“Our expectations have risen greatly, about how we are and where we should be. And at the moment, I feel we’re not reaching that.

REFEREE: Steve Bennett (Kent) 7: There was so little fight in Everton that Bennett had little to control although a couple of early bookings did a good job of setting a tone in the game.

MATCH RATING: ** An uneventful game in which United did enough to win and little more, and Everton were considerably below that perfunctory level.