Arsenal told to ditch ‘flat-track bully’ Viktor Gyokeres by Michael Owen
Michael Owen believes Arsenal should get rid of ‘flat track tyrant’ Viktor Gyokeres because he lacks the ‘class’ to be a top player in the Premier League.
It’s only been five months since Gyokeres signed for Arsenal in a £55 million deal, but it already appears the London side have overpaid as the striker has scored just five league goals in 19 appearances.
He was anonymous again against Liverpool the Swede having just eight touches before being hooked just after the hour mark and it was this match which prompted Owen to suggest the Gunners were better without him.
“We were on the pitch four or five minutes before kick-off and we were talking about him,” Owen said on Premier League Productions. “I said then, ‘The jury is out,’ and I still feel the same way right now.”
“Luckily for Arsenal, they have plenty of other players capable of scoring goals.
“They wanted him to put the finishing touches on this team and they’re probably still looking for that person.
“If the Champions League final took place tomorrow night, I’m not sure he would start.
“They will continue and persist with him, of course, because they paid so much money, you want to give him every chance.
“And you know what? Against Burnley, against Nottingham Forest, against Everton, whoever it is, he’ll probably score a lot of goals, he can finish, he’ll be in the box.
“But to win these games (against Liverpool), you need a bit of class, you just need a bit of class and that’s exactly where he’s lacking.”
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Owen’s assertion that Gyokeres could score goals against teams lower in the rankings and not against the top flight led him to label Gyokeres a “flat track bully” and a player who would not make a difference in big matches.
“There’s a saying that a flat track bully, I think he might be that kind of person,” Owen said.
“Playing at home against inferior teams he will score one, two, maybe even a hat-trick, he will take penalties, at the end of the season you will look at him and you will probably think ‘You know what, he made a double figure, not a bad return’.
“However, when you look closely, has he made a difference in the big games, the ones where you really need your big players? And unfortunately so far only half the season has passed, it’s no, and like I said, the jury is definitely out yet.”
Owen continued: “They (strikers) are not easy to come by. You look at the Premier League who have signed over the last season, (Benjamin) Sesko, okay, scored a few goals last night but he hasn’t been very operational, Gyokeres, not really.
“Premier League teams bring together some of the best players on the market from around the world and few of them take to the field.
“There is a shortage of centre-forwards in world football at the moment. Players like Gyokeres who score dozens and dozens of goals in a season in Portugal, take it to the Premier League and it’s a different game. There aren’t many of those.
“I feel sorry for Mikel Arteta in the sense that he knows it was a problem and you look all over the world, you have a large amount of money to spend, what are the options… there are not many options as you can see very clearly. It’s not an easy position to fill at the moment.
“As we all know, Arsenal have done so well that it’s probably being covered up at the moment, but ultimately the jury is out, I’m not sure he’s the answer in the long term.”
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