Friday, June 16, 2006

Owen prepared to sit on the bench

England striker Michael Owen accepts he could be left out of the starting line-up for the final World Cup group game against Sweden.
The 26-year-old was substituted early in the second half after another below-par performance. He said "I'm not worried. If I'm sat on the bench, I'm sat on the bench. I've been on the bench in my career before. If the manager thinks it is the right thing, he'll do it. That's football."
Owen, who missed the last five months of the Premiership season with a broken foot, came off after 55 minutes of the opening win over Paraguay. Against Trinidad and Tobago he lasted just three minutes longer as England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson opted to bring on Wayne Rooney to partner Peter Crouch up front.
With Crouch getting on the scoresheet against Trinidad and Tobago and Wayne Rooney seemingly fully fit after his broken metatarsal, Owen's place in the side is under threat. He added: "We've got 23 players and if I'm on the bench then so be it."
He added: "I've been training well and scoring goals in training. I've never shirked responsibility and if I'm given chances then I'm sure I'll score goals. I've only had one chance in the last two games, and one rebound that was blocked, and I kicked myself because I didn't score it. But I'm still a decent finisher, I won't lose that. I'm feeling fine and feel like I'm playing well. If it means bringing me off and putting Wayne on, as it was against Trinidad, then that's the manager's decision. I wouldn't say I've played the best two games of my career but I'm quite content. I'm not that type of player like Wayne Rooney who is always involved even when we are playing bad. My job is to get on the end of crosses."
With England already through to the knock-out stages, Eriksson could opt to rest some of his first choice stars, although they still need a point against Sweden to win the group.
Posted by Samvit :: 2:35 AM :: 0 comments

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