{"id":296556,"date":"2023-11-29T11:25:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T11:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=296556"},"modified":"2023-11-29T11:25:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T11:25:04","slug":"haaland-called-out-as-michael-owen-claims-prem-stars-arent-good-footballers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/soccer\/haaland-called-out-as-michael-owen-claims-prem-stars-arent-good-footballers\/","title":{"rendered":"Haaland called out as Michael Owen claims Prem stars aren’t ‘good footballers’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guardiola praises Haaland after latest landmark for Man City forward<\/h3>\n

Michael Owen believes Thierry Henry and Ronaldo would score as many goals for Manchester City as Erling Haaland. In a passionate rant, the Liverpool icon insists that Premier League players no longer need to be \u2018good footballers\u2019.<\/p>\n

Owen, who struck 150 Premier League goals for Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester United, claims he would score the same amount as this era\u2019s most prolific stars. The former striker says top-flight players are simply elite athletes, and do not need to be technically outstanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the day there were loads of great players that were absolute ballers, properly talented footballers,\u201d Owen told Up Front With Simon Jordan.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, if you can just run a bit further than everyone else and pass the ball from A to B, then you can have a decent career in the Premier League. You don\u2019t even have to be that good anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou used to have to have real skill and attributes to be a top player \u2013 you had to be a footballer. Now you have to be an athlete. If I was playing in today\u2019s game I would be scoring at the same level as all of the top strikers. I absolutely believe that.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Arsenal duo Gabriel and Saliba ‘best in Premier League’ as rivals overlooked[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look at some of the players in my generation, Brazilian Ronaldo for example \u2013 is Erling Haaland really better than him? Thierry Henry is another.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Haaland but can you really say that if you put Henry or Ronaldo in this Manchester City side, that they wouldn\u2019t score at the same rate? Of course they would.\u201d<\/p>\n

City hotshot Haaland scored 61 goals for club and country in 2022-23, having joined the Premier League champions from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. He broke the record for most goals in a top-flight campaign, with 36.<\/p>\n