Topic: Downing predicts bright Reds future

[JohnHobbes]

I would never have put Stuart in the bracket of "Class" at any time during his career John. He`s been a decent left winger at times during his career. Nothing more. Never been class.

Heh, I think you're being a little pedantic with my choice of phrasing. It was a lot more succinct and catchy to write that then something along the lines of "Form is temporary. Ability, whether normally great or small; and good but not top end so far in the case of Stewart, is permanent."

Stewart did well enough at Villa to want us to buy him and to play for England. Kenny choose to play him for a lot of the season. The problem I think is his confidence is shot and that's a real psychological issue for him. One bad season does not make a bad player though. If you saw Morientes when playing for us then you'd never have guessed his real skill. Same for Torres now, he's not even a shadow now of the most feared striker at his peak.

Hopefully Brendan can give him his confidence back and he can start performing again. If the strikers start converting the chances he creates (he was right up there last season) then that'd be a huge boost! We shall see though, I think and hope he will come good but until the season starts we'll not know.

[smicer07]

Best fans in the world. With supporters like us, who needs Mancs eh?

[eireboy1]

Stuart Downing would need to start proving his worth, I dont think he will be afforded the luxury of another season like hes just had!!

[firing squad]

Best fans in the world. With supporters like us, who needs Mancs eh?

it's an internet forum.

[Twelfth Man]

Best fans in the world. With supporters like us, who needs Mancs eh?

London football fans.

[Kovai Red]

it's an internet forum.

You cant give internet forum as an excuse if you really support. It is an LFC forum.

[ArgImAPirate]

I'm not happy with Downing's contribution in a red shirt so far... but I'm not going to slate him for talking the talk. He's still one of us. So I hope he does what he says and has a better season.

[kapil08]

Best fans in the world. With supporters like us, who needs Mancs eh?

What does 'Stewie' think about us? That's the burning question.

[NOTBORNIN1982]

What does 'Stewie' think about us? That's the burning question.

Well, if he ever comes on here... probably not a great deal.

[Kopitian]

i'm not good with words..

but hes not good enough.

am i still a liverpool fan?

[doc_antonio]

I like him, i hope he pull's his finger out and actually starts doing something useful next year, he was good for villa and i think he'll reproduce his form eventually for us.. we just need another winger on the other side... its to obvious that were gonna put it out the left for downing or enrique they swing it in for carroll... if we have wingers either side then we have either option and not just looking for downing to put it in the box everytime.

[gb096]

I think some people need to look up support in the dictionary!! If you do not support the players that make up the team then fuck off and support someone else. There is enough hate in the world!!!

[Rouge]

I love it when people start spourting out rubbish like support him because he plays for the team, I bet they are the first to single out and complain on other players who have played for the team like Babel, Riera even El Zhar - players who have performed much better then Stewie, but have never been given as much slack - does my head, how hypocrtical people are.
He is not good enough and I want him ti be sold.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

If he stays this summer i'm going with the mindset that maybe Brendan can get something out of him with more rigid instructions as to what he has to do. Tell him his job and drill it into him what's expected and you never know he may come good.

[stewy17]

I love it when people start spourting out rubbish like support him because he plays for the team, I bet they are the first to single out and complain on other players who have played for the team like Babel, Riera even El Zhar - players who have performed much better then Stewie, but have never been given as much slack - does my head, how hypocrtical people are.
He is not good enough and I want him ti be sold.

If you seriously think El Zhar has performed better for LFC than Downing then your opinion is void.

[Fat Scouser]

Makes me laugh this, people getting on their high horses, spouting off about supporting Downing. It's not about Downing. It's not about any individual. I haven't even read his comments. I don't give a toss what he says. I only care about his performances for LFC. The same goes for all of them. And, yes, I know football has became a media driven circus. But, if I had my way, LFC wouldn't be taking any part in it.

I'd like Rodgers to put an end to this continuious tub thumping. It makes us a mockery. I'm trying to think of the last time I heard Paul Scholes saying how good he was and how United would win the league. I can't think of one, that's probably because he's never said it. I don't remember any of our players doing it back when we used to win league titles. Maybe, they did. It's been a long time. So, I don't know. But I can remember plenty of big up statements since the last time we won a title. So, maybe it's time to stop blowing our own trumpet and time to put in the sort of effort that's required to win a league over 38 games. Because, I honestly don't remember Downing, or any one else, doing that last season.

[jooneyisdagod]

Looks like he may be a better clairvoyant than a winger.  Chances are we are going to improve given how we under-performed in the league. So Downing's prediction is going to come true and he may be about to hit the target for once.

[Eeyore]

Heh, I think you're being a little pedantic with my choice of phrasing. It was a lot more succinct and catchy to write that then something along the lines of "Form is temporary. Ability, whether normally great or small; and good but not top end so far in the case of Stewart, is permanent."

Stewart did well enough at Villa to want us to buy him and to play for England. Kenny choose to play him for a lot of the season. The problem I think is his confidence is shot and that's a real psychological issue for him. One bad season does not make a bad player though. If you saw Morientes when playing for us then you'd never have guessed his real skill. Same for Torres now, he's not even a shadow now of the most feared striker at his peak.

Hopefully Brendan can give him his confidence back and he can start performing again. If the strikers start converting the chances he creates (he was right up there last season) then that'd be a huge boost! We shall see though, I think and hope he will come good but until the season starts we'll not know.

Did he do well enough at Villa to make us want to buy him or was it just a case of him ticking the boxes on Comolli's spreadsheet about chance creation. Did he really earn the move to Liverpool or was it a case of him being a client of Wasserman Media Group the agents who look after Gerarrd, Carragher, Henderson and Enrique. Did he really earn the move or was it a similar situation to Robbie Keane another Client of WMG in which we had been made aware that the player was fully prepared to demand a move.

Funnily enough the two Strikers we were heavily linked with in January Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe are also clients of WMG. Do we really go out and scout players or do we just sign the players we are offered by WMG.

[stewy17]

Makes me laugh this, people getting on their high horses, spouting off about supporting Downing. It's not about Downing. It's not about any individual. I haven't even read his comments. I don't give a toss what he says. I only care about his performances for LFC. The same goes for all of them. And, yes, I know football has became a media driven circus. But, if I had my way, LFC wouldn't be taking any part in it.

I'd like Rodgers to put an end to this continuious tub thumping. It makes us a mockery. I'm trying to think of the last time I heard Paul Scholes saying how good he was and how United would win the league. I can't think of one, that's probably because he's never said it. I don't remember any of our players doing it back when we used to win league titles. Maybe, they did. It's been a long time. So, I don't know. But I can remember plenty of big up statements since the last time we won a title. So, maybe it's time to stop blowing our own trumpet and time to put in the sort of effort that's required to win a league over 38 games. Because, I honestly don't remember Downing, or any one else, doing that last season.

Tub thumping?

Come on FS? - "I thoroughly enjoyed my first season and I am sure we will be better next year."

He's hardly fucking william wallace is he? Most people would agree that the lad wasn't up to scratch last season, and I think most people would agree with your points about courting media and talking shite, but I can't see how this can be applied to the downing comments which were gleaned from him in what was probably an FA instructed interview.

[Fat Scouser]

Tub thumping?

Come on FS? - "I thoroughly enjoyed my first season and I am sure we will be better next year."

He's hardly fucking william wallace is he? Most people would agree that the lad wasn't up to scratch last season, and I think most people would agree with your points about courting media and talking shite, but I can't see how this can be applied to the downing comments which were gleaned from him in what was probably an FA instructed interview.

Read me post mate. I even said, I didn't read what Downing said. It's about us, as a club. How many years now have we seen our players issuing rallying calls before a new season, only to see it bollocksed by Crimbo?

I'd honestly put a gagging order on all of them.

[stewy17]

Yeah fair enough.

To be honest though I'd be very surprised and embarrassed if anyone related to the club was talking about the title next season.

[doc_antonio]

Read me post mate. I even said, I didn't read what Downing said. It's about us, as a club. How many years now have we seen our players issuing rallying calls before a new season, only to see it bollocksed by Crimbo?

I'd honestly put a gagging order on all of them.

can you blame them if they're asked a question by the press during an interview which is set up by the club/country?

what would you prefer they do? say 'no comment' then the press will take that whatever way they like 'downing not confident of liverpools future chances' etc.

believe it or not, the media can either be your best ally or greatest foe, and I for one would prefer them to be our ally's so therefore interviews would be essential.

[KirkVanHouten]

can you blame them if they're asked a question by the press during an interview which is set up by the club/country?

what would you prefer they do? say 'no comment' then the press will take that whatever way they like 'downing not confident of liverpools future chances' etc.

believe it or not, the media can either be your best ally or greatest foe, and I for one would prefer them to be our ally's so therefore interviews would be essential.

If you say no comment there are no quotes so they can't infer anything from what you haven't said.

[west_london_red]

Agree with FS, do your talking on the pitch where it really counts.

As for him being sold? We'd be lucky to get half what we paid for him, partially as we paid too much and partly beacuse he was poor last season so I cant seem him being ditched just yet.

[penga]

Did he do well enough at Villa to make us want to buy him or was it just a case of him ticking the boxes on Comolli's spreadsheet about chance creation. Did he really earn the move to Liverpool or was it a case of him being a client of Wasserman Media Group the agents who look after Gerarrd, Carragher, Henderson and Enrique. Did he really earn the move or was it a similar situation to Robbie Keane another Client of WMG in which we had been made aware that the player was fully prepared to demand a move.

Funnily enough the two Strikers we were heavily linked with in January Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe are also clients of WMG. Do we really go out and scout players or do we just sign the players we are offered by WMG.

Downing was their player of the season to be fair, they thought he performed better than Young.

[IamSpartacus]

If you do not support the players that make up the team then fuck off and support someone else. There is enough hate in the world!!!

Classic!!

[doc_antonio]

If you say no comment there are no quotes so they can't infer anything from what you haven't said.

other than you've dodged the question... the media can make up shit.. didn't you know?

[Fat Scouser]

can you blame them if they're asked a question by the press during an interview which is set up by the club/country?

what would you prefer they do? say 'no comment' then the press will take that whatever way they like 'downing not confident of liverpools future chances' etc.

believe it or not, the media can either be your best ally or greatest foe, and I for one would prefer them to be our ally's so therefore interviews would be essential.

Fuckinell, how many times have I said what I'd prefer them to do... say fuck all.

The tramp down the road refused to even speak to the BBC for years. It didn't seem to do that shower much harm.

We're becoming a fucking laughing stock. But this is probably only going to get worse. Make no bones, one of the biggest reasons Kenny got the sack was because of how he deal with the media. I'd have bollocked him for it an all. I'd have told him he was being too soft. Sadly though, FSG are being sucked into this notion of the big happy clappy, media friendly, football family, global entertainment business. They'll want Brendan Rodgers to be all smiley nice, to slimey bastards with agendas to push. I hope the man is big enough to fuck them all off and be his own man.

And that's me last word on it now. I think I've explained me stance enough, and I'll do me best not to say it again when the next idle bastard says he's going to try harder and starts bigging himself up.

[Eeyore]

Downing was their player of the season to be fair, they thought he performed better than Young.

I think Young running down his contract might of had something to do with that. Downing had a decent season for a decent side. He wasn't a young player about to burst onto the scene, he wasn't a top class player, he was a decent player who was prepared to come out and force through a move. In the same way other clients of WMG like Nick Barmby, Emile Heskey and Robbie Keane did.

None of them where world beaters but they were prepared to risk the wrath of their own supporters and push through a move to Liverpool. We need to get away from recruiting clients of WMG because they are prepared to do that and start bringing in real talent.

[bepoq]

aye, FS, but regarding that Scholes point, which I completely agree with, it may be part of the inferiority complex that comes with not being able to make that final step up to the title (or, at the moment, however many steps it might be) or even to the point of being confident you'll put in a challenge, versus the confidence of knowing that even if you don't win it this season, the other mob'll have to go some to beat you and you'll be in next. I remember Mal Donaghy arriving for them and giving it the "we're going to win the league" and us all pissing ourselves (actually, I even remember some of the papers sniggering at it)—while, as you say, I don't remember any of our mob saying owt of the kind. Shoe's well on the other foot now eh?

read something once about it only ever being the person who regards themselves as inferior who says "I'm as good as you." The person/team who actually believe they are superior never feel the need to say it.

Edited because I forgot to say: I wish they'd shut the fuck up too.

[Hinesy]

I'm supposed to leave a reason but its clear, the thread never got on the rails never mind off it. Liverpool player in press interview.