Fabio Capello should be hell-Bent on taking Michael Owen to World Cup
By Mark Lawrenson
Published 22:57 06/11/09
Fabio Capello will watch Darren Bent today when the England manager sees the Sunderland striker return to his former club.
There is no doubt that Bent is a prolific Premier League striker. But Bent lacks international class and that is why Capello chose to overlook him last time.
Bent will score goals for Sunderland and is a major factor in their flying start. But if he were still at Tottenham, he would not be a regular.
Capello should take seven defenders - one or two being versatile - and take five strikers. But Michael Owen would still get my nod ahead of Bent as the outside chance.
Owen doesn’t appear yet to be in the reckoning. He just needs to concentrate on playing and scoring ahead of anything else and stop thinking about England.
Maybe, just maybe, Owen blotted his copy book with Capello early on with that remark after the France game last year: “you’ll have to ask the manager.”
Capello is a manager who forgives rather than forgets. But if Owen can play regularly week-in and week-out then he has to have a chance.
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