Fulham - AJ Outshines Owen

I must have looked at the Premier League table a good dozen times this morning and it still surprises me, pleasantly, to see Fulham sitting in tenth place.

Yesterday, even though Joe Kinnear is still spitting feathers, we just about edged it and much of the credit must go to Andrew Johnson.

His quick reactions saw the first goal buried before the Newcastle defence could react to their shambolic cock-up and the second was won, despite what Kinnear bleats, on the back of some nifty pace and footwork in the box.

With Fabio Capello sat watching, and with a friendly in Berlin against Germany looming, Andy picked the ideal time to outshine Michael Owen.

However, whether Fabio selects Andy is another matter but in his after-match interview, Roy Hodgson put forward his case for Johnson to be re-instated as an international remarking,

"It took Andy a while to get off the mark, and he`s still looking for his real sharpness."

"He`s a wonderful finisher. That was a fortuitous rebound, but he seemed to dispatch it so quickly with his left, not his favoured foot."

"And the penalty too was a sharp piece of movement, brave enough to get the ball in the right area and provoking the defender to put his foot in."

"If I was still a national team manger, I`d be interested in what I saw out there."

With Emile Heskey having already withdrawn, could Johnson get the nod?

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