Fantasy Football: Should you persist with Michael Owen?

15 September 2009 09:34
"But I don't have Owen" I hear you cry. Not so - L'il Mickey is in the top ten most selected strikers, so a fair few Telegraph Fantasy Football managers must have him in their ranks. Their faith is yet to be rewarded though, because as it stands Owen has added only two substitute appearances and one goal to his solitary start - not exactly Super League winning form. And it doesn't look like things are going to better any time soon as his manager Sir Alex Ferguson has told the former England striker to be patient. "Owen doesn't come in to the equation because we are trying to get a blend of Berbatov and Rooney. "He will play plenty of games, but just maybe not in the early stage of the season. Will he start tonight [versus Besiktas in the Champions League]? No, I wouldn't think so, but we may change formation a wee bit." Doesn't make for good reading does it? That said, it does seem that once the European season is in full swing, Owen will be United's dependable weekend Premier League man, which could equal goals galore - but don't put your house on it. So if Owen's off limits for the time being, who are the hotshots in the same price bracket (the ex-Liverpool man is valued at £6.2m) worth transferring in? Jermain Defoe (£6m) - this is probably a case of preaching to the converted since near on a third of all managers have the Spurs star, but with 38 points he is on fire. Darren Bent (£5.6m) - it's been raining goals for the Spurs flop, now at Sunderland, and not that many managers have cottoned on yet, so try and get a slice of this action. Gabriel Agbonlahor (£6.1m) - It's been a slow start to the season for Villa, but the Midlands club looked to have corrected that and this young man is profiting with two goals in two. This could be the start of a rich vein of form. And in about three or four games..... Emmanuel Adebayor (£6.2m) - exactly the same price as Owen, but over three times the points. Up until about 71 minutes into the Manchester City - Arsenal clash he would have been an ideal replacement. But now you might have to wait a couple of weeks.

Source: Telegraph