Topic: Downing admits embarrassment

[TheTeflonJohn]

with all our history,  have we ever had a player who had a poor first season but was great from then on ? You wont need a long memory.

Come on Geoff, the suspense is killing me here.

[geoffstrong]

TBF he had two ave seasons but Lucas, also perhaps Skrtel, also for the older ones  Ray Kennedy, amongst others , not saying Downing will be better but you should not get rid too soon in football!

[Z e u s]

but you should not get rid too soon in football!

I knew we should have kept Gonzalez, Kromkamp, Leto, Nunez etc who all left after one season. 

[And Could He Play]

I knew we should have kept Gonzalez, Kromkamp, Leto, Nunez etc who all left after one season. 

Yeah great, Lucas should have deffo went as well.

[Z e u s]

Yeah great, Lucas should have deffo went as well.

No because he always had talent and showed potential, unlike the others who were just poor and rightly sold.

If people are happy having Downing as one of our wide players, then we really have lowered our expectations and standards.

[higuaintolfc]

No because he always had talent and showed potential, unlike the others who were just poor and rightly sold.

If people are happy having Downing as one of our wide players, then we really have lowered our expectations and standards.

As one of 3/4 wide players I would be happy but not as the single wide player in the team like he was last season. We can't go into next season with only 1 winger, too much pressure on the guy.

[Gitsy606]

No because he always had talent and showed potential, unlike the others who were just poor and rightly sold.

If people are happy having Downing as one of our wide players, then we really have lowered our expectations and standards.

Depends which Downing turns up next year, if he can replicate his form of 2010 - 2011 he would be a different prospect altogether.

Id give him at least another season before writing him off. On occasions he looked very good last year only problem was doing he wasnt doing it anywhere near often enough.

[Appreciator of former strikers]

You guys do know that if he scores a goal or actually has an assist (instead of chance 'created'), statistically, his numbers would have improved by 100%...

actually its infinite percent

[Appreciator of former strikers]

Depends which Downing turns up next year, if he can replicate his form of 2010 - 2011 he would be a different prospect altogether.

Id give him at least another season before writing him off. On occasions he looked very good last year only problem was doing he wasnt doing it anywhere near often enough.

this.

[IamSpartacus]

Stewart Downing
Quotes of the week

"I hit the post and the bar many times and missed a few chances so I was disappointed, especially when I scored goals for Aston Villa the year before.

If he is aiming for goal and hitting post. Why not aim for the post?

[rowan_d]

I knew we should have kept Gonzalez, Kromkamp, Leto, Nunez etc who all left after one season. 

We could do with Leto to be fair. And its not like Rafa wanted rid of him

[kermit^^]

If he is aiming for goal and hitting post. Why not aim for the post?

Then he would have missed the goal. He should just aim at the keeper.

[CaptainSuarez]

I may be wrong about this, but seem to remember when we we're about to sign Downing, Jen Chang saying that he was 'average at best' and 'worth nowhere near £20million'. That has to be a bit arkward doesn't it?

[Zlenpasha]

I may be wrong about this, but seem to remember when we we're about to sign Downing, Jen Chang saying that he was 'average at best' and 'worth nowhere near £20million'. That has to be a bit arkward doesn't it?

Why?
He was right, those who thought different aren't employed by LFC any longer.
Downing is seriously average and he himself knows it, why would it be awkward to hold that opinion.

[Discipline]

Why? He was right, those who thought different aren't employed by LFC any longer. Downing is seriously average and he himself knows it, why would it be awkward to hold that opinion.

'cause he's currently working at LFC.

[Zlenpasha]

'cause he's currently working at LFC.

He wasn't working for us then and Downing would really struggle to come up with a valid argument as for why he shouldn't be considered anything but average. I'm sorry but if that sort of thing would offend him then I'm glad he's a footballer as the real world would eat him alive.

[CaptainSuarez]

He wasn't working for us then and Downing would really struggle to come up with a valid argument as for why he shouldn't be considered anything but average. I'm sorry but if that sort of thing would offend him then I'm glad he's a footballer as the real world would eat him alive.

I agree with you to a certain extent mate, but this was always going to be an issue with hiring someone like Chang. His job as a journo was to give opinion on signings and he was quite vocal in his opinions on not just Downing. I just think it's a bit of an odd situation.

[Zlenpasha]

As I said, if after the season he had Downing's looking at what some employee of LFC said way before, then he has mental issues that require professional help . I see no potential for problems here, Chang stated when he got employed that his twitter account approach will change due to his position, as long as he does that there's really no problem anybody can have with him or what he as a journalist said before.

[Discipline]

He wasn't working for us then and Downing would really struggle to come up with a valid argument as for why he shouldn't be considered anything but average. I'm sorry but if that sort of thing would offend him then I'm glad he's a footballer as the real world would eat him alive.

It's still going to be awkward regardless...

[Zlenpasha]

  Now I'm imagining some shoegazing moments and Downing stalking Chang in corridors with hatred in his eyes, etching the date of his infamous tweet with a knife on the side of Jen's car etc.

[CaptainSuarez]

  Now I'm imagining some shoegazing moments and Downing stalking Chang in corridors with hatred in his eyes, etching the date of his infamous tweet with a knife on the side of Jen's car etc.

My money's on Chang any day. Can see DJ Downing being much of a fighter....

[wonderboy]

Shit player with no heart. Get rid.

[IvanDobskey]

If he is aiming for goal and hitting post. Why not aim for the post?

It'll go wide then 

[IvanDobskey]

Shit player with no heart. Get rid.

This in a nutshell. He just hides when things aren't going well. We don't need passengers like downing in our team.

[And CouldHe Play!]

Getting rid of a player after 1 season is idiotic. He has been good in...slim...patches. Give him a chance

[red_til_i_die]

Getting rid of a player after 1 season is idiotic. He has been good in...slim...patches. Give him a chance

Wasn't a bad move with Robbie Keane. He was Shit while he was here and he's been shit since he left.

If it isn't working why persist hoping that he might come good? I've found Downing a major disappointment because he's not even done the basic things I'd expect any winger to do right, plus he'll be earning a fortune.

I don't think Rodgers will get rid of him yet but I don't see him being able to play in the style that's going to be expected of him.

[El_Pistolero]

I don't think Rodgers will get rid of him yet but I don't see him being able to play in the style that's going to be expected of him.

Yet to here reasons as to why people think this. You'd think he was Sincl- wait a minute...

[Nessy76]

Wasn't a bad move with Robbie Keane. He was Shit while he was here and he's been shit since he left.

If it isn't working why persist hoping that he might come good? I've found Downing a major disappointment because he's not even done the basic things I'd expect any winger to do right, plus he'll be earning a fortune.

I don't think Rodgers will get rid of him yet but I don't see him being able to play in the style that's going to be expected of him.

Makes sense for the new manager to at least have a good look at the player before he makes his decision. Not like there's a long queue offering silly money for him.

[Zlenpasha]

Getting rid of a player after 1 season is idiotic. He has been good in...slim...patches. Give him a chance

It really isn't, if he is deemed a mistake and there is a chance of offloading him for a decent fee (main reason he'll probably stay).
Stewart has been given more chances then he deserved, he was pampered and supported by Kenny and all he gave back was the same old lukewarm piss. Sure, he has more in him then he's shown, but he might never display it under burning bright spotlights of a big club, he might quite simply not be the man to do it.

We'll get to see him next season almost certainly, what I do know is that he won't get khis starting place given to him on a plate.
He'll be given competition and expected to perform in every game he plays if he is to remain a first team member.
I can really only see him failing in that sort of enviroment, so we might be left with a 20M bench warmer who's a year older then now and even less confident of making it in a big club.

[And CouldHe Play!]

It really isn't, if he is deemed a mistake and there is a chance of offloading him for a decent fee (main reason he'll probably stay).
Stewart has been given more chances then he deserved, he was pampered and supported by Kenny and all he gave back was the same old lukewarm piss. Sure, he has more in him then he's shown, but he might never display it under burning bright spotlights of a big club, he might quite simply not be the man to do it.

We'll get to see him next season almost certainly, what I do know is that he won't get khis starting place given to him on a plate.
He'll be given competition and expected to perform in every game he plays if he is to remain a first team member.
I can really only see him failing in that sort of enviroment, so we might be left with a 20M bench warmer who's a year older then now and even less confident of making it in a big club.

I'm all for giving him competition. Maybe having a younger lad in there showing him how it's down might rekindle some fire in him or something and get him to perform. Who knows. I just don't think we should label him a mistake as of yet.

[Zlenpasha]

I'm all for giving him competition. Maybe having a younger lad in there showing him how it's down might rekindle some fire in him or something and get him to perform. Who knows. I just don't think we should label him a mistake as of yet.

He'll probably get it and it will be what kickstarts or ends his days in a Liverpool shirt.
I honestly can't see him staying here and being a third-fourth choice for the winger positions, we're not that rich nor is it helpful to the team spirit to have someone paid so well and be allowed to put out average performances. He's not yet a full blown mistake, he's shown more then that, but he will need to do much, much better if he is to justify us keeping him.

[red_til_i_die]

Yet to here reasons as to why people think this. You'd think he was Sincl- wait a minute...

From what i've observed of Downing last year i don't think he's got a good enough footballing brain to play pass and move.
I think his movements bad as well the amount of times he moved into a position last year taking him out of play to receive the ball back by following the ball towards the player he's passed to rather than move into space to receive it back and I don't think he works hard enough and presses the ball when we haven't got it as much as he should.
Those are two things I think Rodgers would expect from his players.

[red_til_i_die]

Makes sense for the new manager to at least have a good look at the player before he makes his decision. Not like there's a long queue offering silly money for him.

We won't get silly money for him because of his age and his wages and because of how bad he was last season. Like I said I don't think Rodgers will get rid of him next year purely because he's only been here a year and the owners wouldn't let him go so quickly after the stupid money we've invested in him on wages and his transfer fee.

I'd like us to get rid of him but i don't think we will mainly because i don't think any sides with money would want him.

[Matt8Pie]

I still can't believe we paid £20m for him. I think he'll have a better season this season mind, not that it'll be that hard for him to improve on 0 league goals and 0 league assists.

[filopastry]

We won't get silly money for him because of his age and his wages and because of how bad he was last season. Like I said I don't think Rodgers will get rid of him next year purely because he's only been here a year and the owners wouldn't let him go so quickly after the stupid money we've invested in him on wages and his transfer fee.

I'd like us to get rid of him but i don't think we will mainly because i don't think any sides with money would want him.

It's a tough judgement, ultimately if the Rodgers doesn't think he can get any more out of him, he should probably be shipped out now, however low his transfer value is now it will only be worse if he has another disappointing season this year, at least at the moment a few clubs may be willing to look back at what he did before we signed him and write off last season as being the "blip".

I accept that its tough to write a player off and get shot after a year and can look a bit like a knee jerk reaction, but he's in the prime of his career and has played in this league all his life, I struggle to justify why he'll be much better this season given he should have had an easy transition in the first place, comparing to a young player like Lucas coming here from Brazil is meaningless.

At the moment he's just another underperforming player we have a large wage commitment tied up in, and we already have enough of those.

For what its worth I think he will get another season albeit fortunately because the new manager may want to see if he can turn him round.

[KirkVanHouten]

I'd buy another two wingers and start both of them at the beginning of next season and tell Stewart if he wants to play then he has to want the fucking ball.

[red_til_i_die]

I'd buy another two wingers and start both of them at the beginning of next season and tell Stewart if he wants to play then he has to want the fucking ball.

I whole heartedly agree

[bigbear]

I still can't believe we paid £20m for him. I think he'll have a better season this season mind, not that it'll be that hard for him to improve on 0 league goals and 0 league assists.

The 0 league assists is not really down to him, we need to be balanced on that. He put in plenty of crosses that should have been scored, what he did wrong in that respect was let it affect him as the season went on.

I think he will do better this year. He may never be worth 20m quid but he can be an effective part of the squad.

[ArgImAPirate]

I thought for the first month and a half of the season he was very good, but very unlucky. He was taking players on, putting pinpoint crosses in, and his shots were dangerous. And then he stagnated and was largely shite for most of the season, with a few specks of positivity but again no end product. I don't know how much of that's down to confidence or lack of quality. Either way, whether he stays or goes I see the rationale in both views. I'm about as on the fence as you can get about it.

[lorenzo23]

From what i've observed of Downing last year i don't think he's got a good enough footballing brain to play pass and move.
I think his movements bad as well the amount of times he moved into a position last year taking him out of play to receive the ball back by following the ball towards the player he's passed to rather than move into space to receive it back and I don't think he works hard enough and presses the ball when we haven't got it as much as he should.
Those are two things I think Rodgers would expect from his players.

You know whats funny, go in downing thread before we signed him one off his biggest pro's was that he has footballing brain and one of babels worst deflects was he did not. Funny part is comparing them both first season is sad sad sad site for Downing.