Owen is a danger to Denmark.
MOLBY: OWEN IS A DANGER
By Ian Rodgers, PA Sport
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Former Denmark international Jan Molby has warned his countrymen to be wary of
a striker still seeking his first goal of the tournament when they face England
in the World Cup second round in Niigata tomorrow.
Liverpool forward Michael Owen has failed to scale the heights of when he
introduced himself to the world stage in France four years ago.
Owen has failed to find his true form in the group stages and has not yet
registered a goal against Sweden, Argentina or Nigeria.
But former Anfield midfielder Molby believes the lack of goals from the
22-year-old should serve as a warning to his countrymen alongside the prodigious
talent of Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes.
Molby said: "Michael Owen may not have scored yet but that will be a
massive worry for Denmark.
"He is a major player for England. He has trickery and pace and that could
hurt us through the middle.
"Paul Scholes is another concern for us. We dealt with Zinedine Zidane and
now we have to deal with Scholes as well.
"He is a massive player for England and is playing well and we have to keep
an eye on him. He can score goals from midfield, which could be vital.
"But there won't be too many surprises with a 4-4-2 system and that will suit
us."
The Hull City boss insists the Danes have created their own fluidity, with
coach Morten Olsen playing the game to the strengths of the squad.
Molby said: "The way we play suits everybody. We have got wide men with real
pace. There are two strong men in the middle - Thomas Gravesen and Stig Tofting
- and the system suits the way we play."
But Molby dismisses descriptions of Denmark's success as a surprise.
The Danes crashed out of Euro 2000, losing all three games against France,
Holland and the Czech Republic without scoring a single goal.
That capitulation saw Bo Johansson step down as national coach to be replaced
by Olsen.
Now it is the Danes who have cruised into the second phase at the expense of
the unexpected demise of World Cup holders France.
But, while Molby was left shocked by the spectacular implosion of the French,
the Danes' seven-point haul came as no surprise at all.
Molby said: "Everybody was surprised at what happened to France.
"I genuinely thought we would go into the last game against the French with
four points but that they would have had six.
"We would then have needed a draw for the two of us to go through.
"What has happened with France is a surprise but I don't necessarily think
Denmark have surprised anyone that much."
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