Soccer Central

Having scored nine times in fifteen appearances for Newcastle this season; Fabio Capello has stated that Michael Owen does still have a future with England. England played four World Cup qualifying matches in 2008; Capello not selecting Owen for any of them. It would seem that he does still have a future with England though, and Capello will surely recall him to the squad when he sees fit.

Michael Owen has suffered with injury throughout his career, but is fit again now and is therefore a definite option for Capello in 2009. Owen has a good scoring record with England; 40 goals in 89 appearances to be precise, a far greater record than any of the other options available to Capello at current.

It’ll be interesting to see who Capello selects in his line-up for England’s February friendly in Spain. If Michael Owen continues scoring freely though then he may well figure in Capello’s plans.

So Owen is still an option for England, the Newcastle United player is not to be written off at international level just yet, and in 2009 we could well see him recalled to the squad. Michael Owen could make it to 100 England caps yet, he only has eleven to go until he makes the huge milestone, and should he continue to prove himself in the Premier League then I believe that reaching 100 caps is a definite possibility for the 29 year old striker from Chester.

Despite some excellent performances from Heurelho Gomes in recent weeks; Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will still be looking to bring a new goalkeeper into the club in January. After a poor start to the season for Gomes, I’m sure it’s nothing more than a safety measure from the experienced manager; he knows that Tottenham can’t afford anymore goalkeeping inconsistencies, and if Gomes does begin to falter again then it’s obviously better for Tottenham to have cover there than to take the needless risk.

So it’s likely that a new keeper will join Spurs in January; it’s what Harry Redknapp wants, and I’m sure it’s what he’ll get too. Gomes can put in some exceptional performances at times; he can pull off some absolute world class stops on a good day, a backup is required for the bad days though, and that’s why it’s Redknapp’s wish to bring in a new keeper in the transfer window.

Come January Heurelho Gomes will have to fight hard for his place in the first team; if he can keep performing like he did against Manchester United at the weekend however then he should have no problems whatsoever in keeping his place as first choice Tottenham keeper. Gomes was exceptional at White Hart Lane on Saturday, he’s gone from zero to hero in a matter of weeks, and fans will be hoping his good form continues as the season progress.

A place in Europe next term is still very much achievable for Tottenham; they’re now only three points behind 9th place Wigan, and if Gomes can continue stopping shots as he did against United then he could play a key role in Tottenham’s push for a place in Europe next season.