Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Even the worst pundit predicts something correctly every five years.
Michael Owen was an enthralling footballer. He was sharp, he was direct, he was deadly. He scored goals like they were going out of fashion and he can look back on his career and be proud. It means absolutely nothing in this new world he finds himself in though.
Just because he could play football and just because he could run where others told him to, it doesn’t mean he can talk about football or even think about it.
It’s safe to say that his abilities on the field have not translated to the studio.
https://twitter.com/DaveNorton90/status/699697165950697473
But, whilst Michael Owen might never be capable of having the last laugh in this role, he can certainly afford a wry smile to himself right about now.
He told them all and they all laughed. He called it right and they strung him up.
Back in February of this year with Leicester riding high and making no plans to slow up in search of what would eventually be an astounding Premier League title success, Michael Owen was able to cut through the fairytale and predict exactly what could happen in the 2016/17 campaign.
“Leicester, conceivably, could go down next year,” Owen claimed to a few raised eyebrows.
“They could. They could win the league and they still could be in a relegation fight next year. They could. They could.”
But with the nature of all of this – all of this, of course, being Michael Owen talking about the imminent champions being relegated (or just Michael Owen talking about football), he copped flak for his foresight. A lot of it.
No-one believed him and they certainly didn’t believe what they were hearing.
From the head-shakers.
https://twitter.com/JohnBennettBBC/status/698461121477529600
To the sarcastic.
Michael Owen: "Leicester could go down next year" pic.twitter.com/Sus4QFbmHS
— Coral (@Coral) February 13, 2016
The outraged.
Michael Owen seriously needs to think before he speaks. Saying that Leicester may go down next year is completely laughable!
— Jay Herrington (@JayHerrington2) February 13, 2016
The ones demanding answers.
https://twitter.com/Benjamin_Atkins/status/698449512285732864
The insult-hurlers.
https://twitter.com/whole_punch/status/698450760946864129
The ones above all of this nonsense.
Oh Michael…
Michael Owen has just said that Leicester could go down next season.
— Ryan Heatly (@RyanHeatly) February 13, 2016
10 months later, Michael Owen’s beliefs stand up and the jibes and sneers have disappeared (for this topic at least).
10 months later and Leicester lose another game at home to Everton.
10 months later and the champions are lingering one result above the drop zone.
10 months later and Michael Owen – MICHAEL OWEN – was right. The rest of us are the fools.
