Another mammoth weekend of Premier League action and, if you believe the tabloids, potentially a defining one for Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.
Michael Owen needs no help in hyping his return to Anfield, and with Wayne Rooney potentially absent, the former Kop hero could even find himself starting at his former employers.
Liverpool’s injury list appears as challenging. Their two big doubts are Torres and Gerrard, but with the pressure mounting after four straight defeats, they need a performance.
If anyone can step up to the plate it’s bound to be Jamie Carragher. His Adidas Predator Powerswerve XTRX football boots have looked every bit the attacker’s boot in recent weeks given the way his side have defended – a cleat that has been criticised when found on the ‘plates of meat’ of defenders, it offers all of the strength and resilience that is required of tough-tackling centre-backs, but question marks remain over its usefulness as a passing weapon, in contrast to the direct passing ability of, say, the Nike Air Legend II football boots or Adidas adiPure II TRX football boots.
Owen meanwhile has been an Umbro man for a good while. The Umbro Speciali football boots may not win any prizes for aesthetics, and in technological terms it might be the musical version of Paul McCartney, but it’s a consistent performer, a reference back to more successful times, and even now a threat to the goalscoring/pop charts.
With a new version of the boot due out on November 1, this could be just the showcase that the Speciali needs, with supple leather combining with the ‘fast flex toe’ feature to place added purchase on shots.
Ransacker Prediction: Liverpool losing five in a row is unthinkable, but they’ll have few tougher tests this season, and with confidence at an all-time low, a revitalised Owen and his Umbro Speciali football boots could profit. But the Adidas Predator Powerswerve XTRX football boots has a reputation for giving its wearer’s the best performance, even if to see the cleat on the foot of a defender remains a step towards the unconventional. This Boot Wars could well end up finishing all square.
Other Recommended Reading
- BOOT WARS RESULT: Jamie Carragher vs Michael Owen
- BOOT WARS RESULT: Ricardo Fuller v Frederic Piquione
- BOOT WARS RESULT: Brede Hangeland v Stephen Hunt
- Boot Wars: Michael Carrick vs Stephen Ireland
- Boot Wars Result: Michael Carrick vs Stephen Ireland
About the author
James is an experienced football journalist who edits two leading Premier League club mags. He has worked for Sky Sports and is endlessly complaining about shin splints. And Mark Lawrenson. His favourite boot is the Adidas Predator Powerswerve. Although it's rumored that he once owned a pair of Nicks boots!
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