Ex-England international Michael Owen has questioned current standards in the Premier League and compared yesterday’s legends with today’s stars.
Michael Owen is nostalgic for football of yesteryear. The former England international has expressed his regret for modern football, which he considers too focused on athletics and less rewarding for talented players.
“Back then there were great players who were absolute, talented players,” said the 2001 Ballon d’Or. “Now if you can just run a little further than everyone else and pass the ball from A to B, then you can have a decent career in the Premier League. »
The former Liverpool and Manchester United striker believed that players of his era had to possess real skills and qualities to succeed. “Today you have to be an athlete,” he said. “If I played today’s match, I would score at the same level as all the best strikers. »
🎙️Michael Owen:
“Back in the day, there were loads of great players that were absolute ballers, properly talented. Now, if you can just run a bit further than everyone else and pass the ball from A to B, then you can have a decent career in the Premier League. You don’t even… pic.twitter.com/k3t8i5JZCq
— PurelyFootball ℗ (@PurelyFootball) December 1, 2023
The Chester boy then cited examples of players from his generation who he believes would still perform well in modern football. “Look at some players of my generation, the Brazilian Ronaldo for example: is Erling Haaland really better than him? » he asked. “Thierry Henry is another. I love Haaland, but can you really say that if you put Henry or Ronaldo in this Man City team they wouldn’t score at the same rate? Of course they would. »
