The above pic (but in reverse) would have been a welcome sight for England fans as the World Cup draws ever closer. Wayne Rooney, the single most important factor in England’s challenge (despite what that dickhead Tony Cascarino says) has made it through another game, with Michael Owen seeing it out.

Or even better, as with the League Cup final, Rooney is rested and starts on the bench.

No more. Michael Owen has been ruled out until the end of the season, increasing the already intense burden on Wayne’s fat shoulders. Ferguson is now down to Rooney and Berbatov as genuine first team players.

He has some back up – Macheda is due to return imminently from injury, Mame Diouf is (apparently) promising, and Fergie could easily recall Danny Welbeck from Preston (although still unconvinced about him).

But without Owen, Ferguson’s options are undoubtedly reduced, proportionally increasing Rooney’s game time – and risk factor. If he gets injured, even the pipe dream can be extinguished.

Owen’s injury has, indirectly, affected our World Cup chances – though probably not as England’s fourth all time goalscorer would have wished.

Much has been written of Michael Owen’s shock transfer to Manchester United. It seems bizarre that he was linked with the likes of Stoke and Hull before moving to the Premiership champions; but it actually makes perfect sense. For Phil Brown or Tony Pulis Owen would have been a massive risk, likely to blow their wage structure and be the focal point of their side, a signing they would live or die by. At United he will be anything but; Ferguson will in all probability use him as a Solsjkaer-esque impact sub, and it’s doubtful he will start many games. With United’s huge budget and enormous wage bill he will be merely a footnote – not a risk at all.

Furthermore, Owen is the type of player who needs good players around him. Whatever anybody says, he is still a world-class finisher, and although undoubtedly his pace has waned he retains the poacher’s instinct that once made him European Footballer of the Year. At United, he will have the chance to finish opportunities created by Carrick, Rooney, Berbatov, Valencia and no doubt a couple of other close season acquisitions; with all due respect to Stoke and Hull, that’s a different ball game.

As a low risk, high impact player Owen could flourish – as his time at Newcastle showed, surrounded by mediocre players he will struggle, but at United he will once again have the chance to show what he can do amongst the very best.

Luke Moore – Aston Villa reject, but more damningly a failure at West Brom – has written this piece – http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,13320_5129821,00.html – entitled ‘Is Owen a Relic of a Bygone Age?’. His point being, football has moved on and there is no place for an out and out goalscorer anymore. Ok, it’s probably not that Luke Moore… but we take issue with his less famous namesake.

Michael Owen is a goalscorer – nothing more, nothing less. I am not claiming there is more to his overall game than that because, despite baffling attempts by Kevin Keegan to play him in the hole (and even midfield) he is a predator, a poacher, a fox in the box. Yes, he has lost a lot of his pace, he’s lost that ability to instill fear in the heart of defenders by attacking them with the ball at his feet – but he is still a constant, potent, reliable source of goals.

As his pace has wained, his intelligence, his movement, his footballing brain and his goalscoring instinct have sharpened. He will probably never score a goal like the one against Argentina again – but he will, and does, continue to score prolifically. Look at his record:

26 goals in 64 games for a struggling side like Newcastle is a fantastic record; compare that to Obafemi Martins, still lightening – he has 27 goals in 81 matches, significantly inferior. Pace is not the mark of a great goalscorer. Of course it helps; but Owen is scoring goals without it, and Martins does not score goals with it. Scoring goals is the mark of a great goalscorer – and Owen continues to do that. What he has lost in pace, he has gained in nous, and his goal output (considering the supply) has remained relatively constant.

To go to the heart of Moore’s argument – he not only claims that Owen is on the wane, less effective than he was, but that his entire game, his footballing role – that of the goalscorer – is becoming redundant in the modern game.

A few players I would throw at him that immediately refute that statement; Filippo Inzaghi, still going strong at Milan at the age of 52; Eduardo, darling of the Croatia national side and one of the most exciting strikers in the Premiership; Jermaine Defoe, effectively a poor man’s Owen who has had two multi-million pound transfers in as many seasons; Ruud Van Nistelrooy, record breaker for Man United and sorely missed for Real Madrid; need I go on?

Goals win matches. It is as simple as that – and as long as that remains the case, players you can rely on for goals will remain an invaluable commodity. Owen scores goals for Newcastle – imagine what he could do for United, Arsenal, or even Liverpool.

Players who score goals prolifically and have more to their all round game – Lampard, Gerrard, Henry, Messi – are even more valuable, but the poacher, the goalscorer, the fox in the box, will always be in demand – as long as goals win football matches. And we don’t see that changing any time soon.

As we now all know, David Beckham earned his 109th cap against Slovakia at the weekend, taking him past Bobby Moore’s outfield record. He will now have his sights set on the all time England record, held by Peter Shilton with 125. If he does stay around for the 2010 World Cup, as he is intent on doing, there is every chance he can break it.

However, if he does, it may not last long; thanks to a certain Wayne Rooney. Wazza earned his 49th cap in the same game; and is only 23. At his age, Beckham had only 21 caps. And though Rooney (probably) won’t go on as long as Becks (unless, perhaps, he assumes more of a Sheringham type role?) he has a huge headstart on him. Furthermore, in that time he’s missed around 20 games through injury and suspension!

There is every chance Rooney could break that record – but also every chance he could break another, that of England’s record goalscorer. It currently stands at 49 (Bobby Charlton) – and three or four years ago Michael Owen looked certain to break that. However, his international career has very much gone off the boil since then – more so since Capello ignored him in the wake of the current injury crisis, instead calling up Darren Bent (oh the ignominy). Rooney currently has 21 international goals in his 49 caps – it took Owen 50 caps, one more than Rooney, to get to 21.

As we have seen with Owen, nothing is certain – Rooney’s body may become ravaged with time, as Owen’s has – but Wayne does not rely on pace, and as long as he keeps his strength, desire, drive and ability, he could become England’s record goalscorer and most capped player. Achievements indeed.

England take on Slovakia in a friendly on Saturday (17.00, Setanta Sports 1) then the Ukraine in a World Cup Qualifier on Wednesday (20.00, ITV1).

Here is the England squad in full (since the withdrawal of Ledley King):

Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham United), Ben Foster (Manchester United)
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur).
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), David Beckham (AC Milan), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool).
Forwards: Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

Our weakness is our strikeforce. Carlton Cole? Really? Heskey is an able foil, Crouch an impact sub… and Rooney is yet to find his best position or arguably form for his country. That is a severe paucity of options. Where are the world class English forwards? They are not abroad; are they being overlooked in the Premiership? Let’s have a look at the top scoring Englishmen…

Steven Gerrard 13

Peter Crouch 11

Kevin Davies 11

Gabriel Agbonlahor 10

Darren Bent 10

Frank Lampard 10

Carlton Cole 9

Jermain Defoe 9

Wayne Rooney 9

Michael Owen 8

Matthew Taylor 8

Andrew Johnson 7

Jason Roberts 7

Marlon King 6

James Beattie 5

Of these, those not included are Davies, Agbonlahor, Bent, Defoe, Owen, Taylor, Johnson, Roberts, King and Beattie. Let’s have a look at them…

Kevin Davies - What does he offer that Emile Heskey doesn’t? Well, goals, for a start. Heskey is arguably a better link man, better at providing and laying on chances – but Davies is good at holding the ball up, a real pain in the arse for defenders, and is scoring goals. He suffers from playing for Bolton; perhaps he would get more of a chance at a more fashionable club?

Gabriel Agbonlahor – He was included for the last game against Spain, as well as several other of Capello’s squads. However, he is on a long barren streak at the moment, and probably deserves his demotion to the U21s.

Darren Bent – Going by Capello’s maxim (which he seems to have abandoned in the case of Ben Foster) players will not play for England without playing regularly for their club. And as Bent is far from first choice at Spurs, he will suffer. His total of 10 goals is impressive for a bit part player, but his all round game is just not good enough for international football.

Jermaine Defoe – Injured – but assured of a role if fit. Who would have envisaged a time when Defoe was so sorely missed?

Michael Owen – Capello clearly doesn’t fancy him – and he’s not fully fit. And he’s lost most of his pace. But for my money he is still the best finisher England have, and should be in the squad. If he’s fit, who else would you rather throw on with twenty minutes remaining and needing to nick a goal?

Matthew Taylor – He is a midfielder. Which says a lot for the English strikers.

Andrew Johnson – There is perhaps a case here, but 7 goals in 26 appearances is hardly setting the world on fire. He is essentially a poor man’s Defoe (or Owen) and is different to our other strikers – just not good enough!

Jason Roberts, Marlon King, James Beattie - They are simply not international class. All big, bustling strikers they are already behind the likes of Davies and Cole who themselves are short of international class.

So there we are – we just don’t have any good strikers. It’s not Capello’s fault – aside from possibly Owen, and only when he’s fit, it’s difficult to make a case for anyone who’s been excluded.

At the back we look extremely strong – if a player with the quality of Jonathan Woodgate does not make it you know you have strength in depth. Likewise in midfield, where although the perennial Gerrard/Lampard debate is yet to be resolved they are both indisputably great players, and are ably supported/backed up by Barry and Carrick in the middle. Wide you have a multitude of options right, with SWP, Lennon, Walcott, Beckham, and Gerrard – one of whom may play left.

But Capello must have a big headache up top. It’s likely he will play Gerrard off Rooney, which is potentially exciting – but other than that combination (and that will obviously remove Gerrard’s dynamism from the midfield) there is little to whet the appetite. Heskey and Cole? No thanks.

Oh how we long for the days of Shearer, Sheringham, Owen, Fowler, Ferdinand, Wright, Collymore, Le Tissier, Cole – at one stage they were all available for England selection. That seems incomprehensible now; with that embarrassment of riches Carlton Cole would be seeking a second nationality.

Fortunately the likes of Slovakia and the Ukraine should not expose our lack of stirking options – but we need to find a potent pairing in time for WC 2010.

Joking Here – Joe Kinnear? No? Ah well.

In any case, his contract has been extended to the end of the season – his mediocrity has been rewarded. Read the full story here on Sky Sports.

Spare a thought for Michael Owen. A couple of years back he was playing for Real Madrid and a mainstay of the England side, now he’s playing for Joe Kinnear and can’t even get in the squad.

Capello obviously doesn’t fancy Michael Owen, that is clear. He likes strikers with more to their all round game, more complete players, who will create as well as score goals, and contribute to moves as well as finishing them off. Admittedly, Owen is not this. He is a goalscorer, a poacher pure and simple. So he is going to have to accept he probably won’t feature heavily in Capello’s plans (despite there begin few in Europe you’d rather have coming off the bench with a goal needed).

This is fair enough – he doesn’t fit the style of play or player that Capello is going for.

But how do you explain the inclusion of Jermain Defoe?

I understand Heskey, Rooney, Crouch, Ashton being ahead, as more rounded footballers. But Defoe? He is a really similar player to Owen with a much inferior goalscoring record. An inferior version, if you will. Compare their records, Owen first:

This, in anyone’s book, is a great record. His club football record is 152 goals in exactly 300 games, which considering all the injuries he has had, is just phenomenal. Not to mention internationally, where his 40 goals make him the 4th highest goalscorer in England’s history, coming in 89 matches.

Now Defoe:

Certainly not shabby – 124 goals in 308 games (interestingly he has played more games than Owen despite being a couple of years younger) but not as good as Owen.

Internationally:

Which is poor, worse than 1 in 5.

So the question is this: Whilst not disputing your choice of a more complete striker, Fabio, if you are looking for a poacher, a goalscorer, someone to come on and nick one – the type of player both Defoe and Owen are – why Defoe?

International defenders will be asking the same question gleefully.