FOCUS ON: OWEN
- REPORT (C) LIVERPOOL ECHO

FOR someone who is only supposed to have three limbs, Michael Owen is standing as upright as ever. And not even the pot-shots in the Press will knock him down.The view expressed that the Liverpool striker doesn't have a left foot conjures up thoughts of a young man hobbling around Melwood on crutches with a parrot on his shoulder. The accusation is as ludicrous as the image.

This, though, is the season for Owen hunting; a chance to tarnish the reputation of our golden boy, whose only "crime" has been to suffer from the effects of a serious injury. The mystery of the disappearing left foot, therefore, shows just how petty criticism can be. And it's the least of Owen's concern. He told the ECHO today: "I think it stemmed from an incident in the England-Scotland game when I tried to scoop the ball over to the back post. "I've set up many a goal with my left foot and I've scored goals with it, too. I'm not Zola, of course. I can't do all kinds of tricks with my left foot, but I can definitely kick the ball with it." Owen is bearing up well in what is a difficult season as he works to overcome the hamstring problem which sidelined him for five months, prompting some observers to declare that he is not the player he used to be. And while no-one is suggesting the England striker, who turns 20 a week today, is an angelic figure beyond any reproach, some of the stick is unwarranted.

Just as well he was prepared, then. "I said all along this sort of thing would happen at some time," he said. "But you can't do much when you are out for five months. Some people say that it takes as long to get back to your peak again, and I hope it doesn't. Sure, I'm not firing on all cylinders yet, but it's coming and everyone's got to be patient ­ me included." Owen is man enough to accept his game will always be analysed and that certain critics may not even consider him as talented as most of us do. What he won't tolerate, however, is having his professional integrity questioned. He said: "If someone's got an opinion of me as a player, that's up to them and they are entitled to it. It's the other part that annoys: when someone calls you a cheat or calls you certain names. "Half of these people don't know you and haven't kicked a ball in their lives before, and yet they think they have such knowledge about the game.

My dad probably takes it to heart because he brought me up and is responsible for me. "He couldn't understand how people could call me a cheat without knowing me. I have never gone over in my life without being touched, but some people do and yet I'm the one who is called a diver." Of all the football critics, there is none greater than Owen himself. The Reds' ace is always seeking perfection but his honesty makes him more than capable of passing a realistic assessment on his game. Yes, he's pleased, but there is much more to come.

"Admittedly, I'm not the best header of the ball in the world and I'm not the strongest boy in the world, either. I'm 5'8" and 11 stone. There are far stronger people than me, so holding the ball up is a problem because I've got 16-stone people trying to get it off me. "I've got to keep improving. I'm the first one to admit that I can improve on my left foot, heading and holding the ball up. I've never said anything differently. I'm not scared to say that I'm not the finished article ­ not by a long way. "I'm not playing as well as I was a year or two ago ­ I admit that.

But people said the same about Robbie Fowler when he came back from a bad injury. He proved people wrong and he'll do it again because he's a great goalscorer and a great player. "I think I'll do the same. There's no doubt in my mind that as soon as I get a few more games under my belt I'll be scoring the goals again and these people won't be saying these things any more."

Does Owen feel that his status as a high profile, high earning and, indeed, popular figure makes him an obvious and unmissable target? "I'd hope not," he said. "I'd like to think most people would be on my side. "When I play for England I'd hate to think people would want me to do badly just because they could think up a good headline. If people want English football to succeed then they should get behind every player in the Premiership and not criticise them.

"Look at Joe Cole. He has only been playing for about a month in the first team at West Ham and he's already saying that people will be having a go at him after he plays a bad game. It doesn't make sense to me that a young lad of 17 can't go out and enjoy a game of football and do what he's best at without thinking: 'If I try this and it doesn't come off, who's going to have a go at me?'

"If I play well, then half the time I get embarrassed about the plaudits I get and the way people go over the top about how good I am. That's the way this country is: you're either the world's best or the world's worst. There is no grey area. You can't hide for one minute. "In people's eyes I'm always going to be brilliant, leading England to the World Cup and win Liverpool the title, or I'm going to be rubbish and not deserve to be in the team. Being a top flight footballer means I am always going to be in the papers, so everyone's going to have an opinion of me." Owen's fibre is such that he doesn't require backing to help him through any difficult spell.

His confidence and self-belief is unshakeable, but that's not to say that the support he receives from his family and colleagues is not appreciated. He said: "The players here, the manager and the fans all know what I'm capable of because I've scored a lot of goals in two years. When you've had a bad injury, you begin to realise that it takes a bit of time to recover. I've no doubt I'll be fine. I'm already feeling sharper, and although I didn't score on Sunday I thought my performance was improved. I'm looking forward to each game." So he's still enjoying his football? "Yes, because it's not the Liverpool manager or supporters who have had a go at me. I've had the brunt of the criticism from the England-Scotland game, so things can only get better." Not just that, Owen believes he will be even stronger from this experience."Definitely," he said. "It had all been rosy in my career, and now everyone's knocking me. But there are still a lot of people who believe in me and a lot of those are connected to the club. "Even though I don't feel I've had everything thrown at me, I've still had a lot. I'm just looking forward to silencing the people who say I'm not the same player."

OWEN: I WANT TO BE LIKE FOWLER!
MICHAEL OWEN insisted last night that he will use the inspiration offered by Robbie Fowler
to prove his critics wrong. The Liverpool striker is smarting from the first turbulent spell of his career, after being singled out for criticism following England's poor display against Scotland recently. Owen admits that he is not playing as well as he did a year ago, but he puts that down to the hamstring injury that sidelined him for nearly six months. And he believes that, just like Fowler, he can regain his fitness and show that he will eventually return to his world class best. He said: "I'm not playing as well as I was a year or two ago, I admit that.

But people said the same about Robbie Fowler when he came back from a bad injury a year ago." "Robbie was criticised strongly, but when he got his fitness back, he proved people wrong by playing some great football. He's injured again now, but I'm sure he'll come back strongly again because he's a great goalscorer and a great player. "I think I'll do the same. There's no doubt in my mind that as soon as I get a few more games under my belt I'll be scoring goals again and people won't be saying these things any more."

HOME