Skirge -- are you saying you didn't think Owen gave his all v. Tottenham? He did a lot of hard work, dropping to pick the ball up, linking play, holding the ball up...I assumed Sam took Owen off because he looked knackered. After all, Owen's not exactly a big lad, not used to being asked to play link-up for his less-able partner (sorry, I've never been impressed with Oba's build up play, his passing is a major weak point and he has trouble with the ball at his feet, not off his chest) and I thought he worked his bollocks off for the team with little to show for it at the end of the day. If Owen doesn't score, people assume he's played poorly or doesn't give his all. He played very well, and I suspect he played exactly how he was instructed to play by Sam (dropping to get the ball, linking up...it's not Owen's instinctive play, I don't think). All that suggests to me that he was definitely giving his all -- and willing to swallow the fact that such play does not always flatter him or win him anything but backhanded criticism.
I'm not slating Martins, he scores some crackers. But I hardly think he was the "pick of the forwards" v. Tottenham. I think Owen is still the stronger option, if Sam decides to play with a big targetman (like Viduka) and I think Owen is simply the superior striker. Overall, I think Owen showed a versatility against Tottenham that could serve the club very well. Martins can and should learn a lot from playing with someone of Owen's class -- and that can only be good for Newcastle in the long run. Because we could conceivably keep Martins for another 10+ years, and if he develops well he could be the next legendary #9. In time.
Owen didn't really do that well against tottanham, he like martins lost the ball on 3 or 4 occasions. He got knocked off the ball, had a few bad touches and did a couple of misplaced passes, but then again so did Oba, they are strikers, they aren't supposed to have amazing passing etc, thats the whole point in a midfield. Everyone tries to big up his link-up play and stuff, when really its not as good as everyone makes out, he even said in that interview with tubes ages ago, "i know i don't do alot out the box, and i am not known for my work outside the box, more of my work is in the 18 yard area", sums it up really.
