Stewart Downing (Liverpool -> West Ham)

As far as the "shush" thing is concerned I'd bet a pound to a penny on that Downing doesn't even know now why he did it. He was probably just as surprised as anyone else when he scored and in that split second of euphoria people do stupid stuff which is unexplainable afterwards. He's probably seen Arshavin do it every time he scores at Home or Away and just did it without thinking. He doesn't seem like the type of lad to me at all who would have a kind of "up yours" bone in his body (more's the pity in many respects), and I cannot believe he meant anything by it.

 As for his performance yesterday, he threatened to turn one in like this against Villa where he was just about our only bright spark. From somewhere somehow he's got his confidence back, and if he continues to hit it off both feet with such cleanliness, and continues to go past people both ways as well as working hard, then he is a very decent player indeed. As I said yesterday I'm not sure about 20 million even at his very best, but he is good when he's on his game there is no doubt about it. For me he is a player who does his best work when he allows himself to drift into spontenaeity, either going at his man or switching at hitting it without giving it too much thought. His biggest asset is the fact he can go both ways and can genuinely hit it off both feet, and when he's on his game the defender is in a real quandry trying to second guess him. When his confidence was gone, there was no pace and no zip to his approach to a defender. He allowed himself to be cowed into being backed into areas he didn't want to go and then he'd just release it back.

 Long may it continue for him, he seems like a nice fella and a good pro. No point quibbling about the fee now, we've already paid it and we've already got him. We ain't gonna get the fee back, but if he continues as he is we might just get the player back which would be excellent.

Fair play to you Mick and if Stewart can kick on and get his arse in gear job's a good 'un, it could be tho' that his previous has sealed his fate and in spite of the spontaneity or otherwise of the shush gesture future events have been mapped.
If he does get his arse in gear consistently and performs as he did yesterday, obviously if plans are in place some serious re-assessment would be required.

Just seen Gerrard goal.

What a pass from Stewart for that one.

Seems to have played well.

Watched the highlights and had to do a double take on that pass, it was brilliant. I thought Gerrard passed it to himself at first.

Well done Stewart. Kinda makes you want to keep him and see if he could continue to do that on a regular basis. Just wonder why he didn't take more opportunities like that in the last year and a half.

A great game yesterday. Who is this Downing boy? I wonder how many games, this season, we have won and/or he has scored in when he's started wide right? Who'd have thunk it? 

Gomel away.

Think about it though. Stewart has 3 goals and 2 assists this season when you include his Europa appearances. Throw in Stewart's numbers, offensive production from Hendo, Cole has a few goals, and you get Brendan Rodgers: Miracle Worker

All kidding aside, Downing has looked better this season IMO. I think some of that criticism leveled at him by Brendan has created a positive response.

What if he doesn't have an "excellent" two games by 3 January but is truly brilliant in the following fifteen Alex? 

I mean that he must be bound to leave in January unless his form considerably improves and that he has more impact on the games more times.
Otherwise, he should be sold in January and he himself said he can leave in January.

I mean that he must be bound to leave in January unless his form considerably improves and that he has more impact on the games more times.
Otherwise, he should be sold in January and he himself said he can leave in January.

Oh right. Sorry. My mistake.

To be fair tho' I thought you meant; unless he produces two excellent games by 3 January you would still think he is of no use to the squad. You can see where I got confused. Thanks for clearing things up.

When Kenny signed Downing, that was the player he thought he'd get, a quick winger, intelligent and could score goals. Where that guy went, nobody knows, but we saw a glimse of him yesterday. Also had some other good shots on goal too, and whereas in the past his shots have looked non-committal, he looked confident against Fulham. Maybe Fulham were so brutal, made him look good. Either way, could be too late for him, one swallow does not a summer make - but BR shouldn't be under pressure to sell, so Stew could get till the end of the year to prove he is the player we thought we'd signed.

Finally grew a pair and decided to take on his player was good to see. Go on and make it lad.

As far as the "shush" thing is concerned I'd bet a pound to a penny on that Downing doesn't even know now why he did it. He was probably just as surprised as anyone else when he scored and in that split second of euphoria people do stupid stuff which is unexplainable afterwards. He's probably seen Arshavin do it every time he scores at Home or Away and just did it without thinking. He doesn't seem like the type of lad to me at all who would have a kind of "up yours" bone in his body (more's the pity in many respects), and I cannot believe he meant anything by it.

 As for his performance yesterday, he threatened to turn one in like this against Villa where he was just about our only bright spark. From somewhere somehow he's got his confidence back, and if he continues to hit it off both feet with such cleanliness, and continues to go past people both ways as well as working hard, then he is a very decent player indeed. As I said yesterday I'm not sure about 20 million even at his very best, but he is good when he's on his game there is no doubt about it. For me he is a player who does his best work when he allows himself to drift into spontenaeity, either going at his man or switching at hitting it without giving it too much thought. His biggest asset is the fact he can go both ways and can genuinely hit it off both feet, and when he's on his game the defender is in a real quandry trying to second guess him. When his confidence was gone, there was no pace and no zip to his approach to a defender. He allowed himself to be cowed into being backed into areas he didn't want to go and then he'd just release it back.

 Long may it continue for him, he seems like a nice fella and a good pro. No point quibbling about the fee now, we've already paid it and we've already got him. We ain't gonna get the fee back, but if he continues as he is we might just get the player back which would be excellent.

You could make a nuns nipples stand Mick, +1 for you there.

Rodgers may have found the slot where Downing could excel, loved how he kept cutting in from the right,reminded me when Gerrard was moved out right and produced one of his best performances for the team.

Fear of Liverpool axe spurred me on, says Stewart Downing
• Being told I could go was a kick up the arse, says Downing
• I had to go for it. I had nothing to lose''

Even a £20m England international with 34 caps needs a clear sense of direction in his game. Steven Gerrard's blindside run showed Stewart Downing where to deliver his first Premier League assist for Liverpool. The basic errors that still litter John Arne Riise's defending presented the way to his first league goal since leaving Aston Villa 17 months ago. And being informed his Liverpool career was in effect ending in January may, just may, have rescued it.

Downing was the stand-out player of an exemplary Liverpool performance against a sorry Fulham team – with the exception of Dimitar Berbatov – that are destined for a fraught struggle for survival. The calibre of the opposition should not detract from Downing's recovery at Anfield, however. He was Liverpool's best player in the preceding defeat by Villa, while out of position at left-back, and there has been improvement in each of his seven starts in the last eight games. The reason? As the 28-year-old admits with brutal honesty, he had to attract a new club.

As an expensive recruit under Kenny Dalglish, and one who concedes he has lacked consistency since the move from Villa, Downing's face and salary has not appeared to fit with Brendan Rodgers's designs for Anfield. The Liverpool manager told the midfielder to look elsewhere in January if he could not cement a place in a team short on options and experience. "If he keeps playing like that he is going nowhere," was Rodgers's position on Saturday.

Downing said: "After our conversation I just thought: 'I have to go for it.' I had nothing to lose. It looked as though I would be on my way in January so basically I had to play well to get a new club. It seems to be coming together now and I am pleased. It has been hard work at times but you have got to keep persevering, stay strong, and I got my reward against Fulham.

"Being told I could go was a kick up the arse. The moment that happens you are playing for a new club and looking for a move, while trying to play well at the same time. It seems to have gone well but I have never wanted to leave Liverpool. But it was out of my hands. The only thing I could do was play well and try and make the manager change his mind."

The England midfielder only heard of Rodgers's reappraisal as he was walking out of Anfield on Saturday night. "If he wants me to stay now that just shows how quickly things can change in football," said Downing, with an element of surprise that was surpassed when Rodgers initially announced he could leave.

Downing said: "The manager was pleased with me at the start but then things changed very quickly and I was told I could go. I don't know who makes that decision but one minute I was told I was doing well and the next I was told I could go, so it was a bit confusing.

"It was confusing that I was in the team and then I was told I could leave but all a footballer can do in that situation is try to change the manager's mind. If it was a gee-up for me to tell me I could go, if it was meant to be a kick up the arse, then maybe it has worked because the performances are coming now and hopefully it continues.

"I want to stay. I never wanted to leave but obviously I was out of the team, I was frustrated as a result of that, and in that situation you have to look at something if it crops up. The only thing I can do is play well and make him keep me here. I am pleased it has come together because I have worked hard to get to a club like this and I don't want to leave in a hurry."

Liverpool were in a rush to remedy mistakes against Villa too. A dominant start on this occasion produced an early goal as Martin Skrtel converted Gerrard's corner with a finish unusually composed for a central defender. The breakthrough was not the only contrast with the Villa defeat as Fulham's makeshift central midfield gave Gerrard licence to control the flow and their lack of conviction once behind, and lack of quality, was marked. Gerrard ended the contest with a low finish from Downing's exquisite pass before, with Anfield expectant, the winger was shown on to his stronger foot by Riise and beat Mark Schwarzer convincingly.

Fulham would have been flattered by 3-0. In stoppage time Luis Suárez converted José Enrique's cut-back from the byline to provide a more accurate reflection of Liverpool's superiority.

Man of the match Stewart Downing (Liverpool)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/dec/23/liverpool-fulham-premier-league-report

Oh right. Sorry. My mistake.

To be fair tho' I thought you meant; unless he produces two excellent games by 3 January you would still think he is of no use to the squad. You can see where I got confused. Thanks for clearing things up.

It's certainly my fault,  in fact, I speak French. Merry Christmas people!

A far bigger news story than some old bollocks about the end of the world, Stuey (the player that is) has seemed to take on board what he needs to do. Hope he doesn't get too carried away.

As far as the "shush" thing is concerned I'd bet a pound to a penny on that Downing doesn't even know now why he did it. He was probably just as surprised as anyone else when he scored and in that split second of euphoria people do stupid stuff which is unexplainable afterwards. He's probably seen Arshavin do it every time he scores at Home or Away and just did it without thinking. He doesn't seem like the type of lad to me at all who would have a kind of "up yours" bone in his body (more's the pity in many respects), and I cannot believe he meant anything by it.

His temperament is one you would expect of an inexperienced youngster and he had a F***ing cheek shushing the supporters after 18 months of nothingness!!

His temperament is one you would expect of an inexperienced youngster and he had a F***ing cheek shushing the supporters after 18 months of nothingness!!

Maybe he meant "Shussh, don't be cheering, I don't deserve it." 

So basically he's admitted in that interview that he's worked hard to get to "a Club like Liverpool", then thought he'd made it so didn't need to work hard any more.  He then admits "I had to play well to attract a new Club". 

What about playing well for the Club who paid stupid money for you Stuart? 

Really pi**es me off that.

So basically he's admitted in that interview that he's worked hard to get to "a Club like Liverpool", then thought he'd made it so didn't need to work hard any more.  He then admits "I had to play well to attract a new Club". 

What about playing well for the Club who paid stupid money for you Stuart? 

Really pi**es me off that.

Yeah I know what you mean, he admits working hard to get to our club and also to attract interest from some other club, but never worked that hard for LFC.

Like HR said, his attitude is one I would expect from an inexperienced youngster, not a seasoned international, so childish to think he is silencing anyone because of one decent performance...

I just hope it was enough for some other club to overreact and bid a decent sum for him, Downing simply doesn't have the mentality to succeed for LFC

Should start based on form

So basically he's admitted in that interview that he's worked hard to get to "a Club like Liverpool", then thought he'd made it so didn't need to work hard any more.

Wow! That's a world class player's mentality. World class players do not need further training. He may as well not show up at Melwood. Just appear at Anfield on matchday will do.
Does he even deserve to put on the red shirt?

I suspect Andy Carroll is another of these.

So basically he's admitted in that interview that he's worked hard to get to "a Club like Liverpool", then thought he'd made it so didn't need to work hard any more.

Damn it Stewart Downing! You make sure you train till you get your crosses, corners, free kicks, passes and whatever to your target inch perfect each and every time. The best players are the ones who work the hardest. If that's your attitude, you don't deserve to be our player.

Very good game tonight and probably one of his best for us.

Keep it up!

He played an excellent game tonight. Don't think he put a foot wrong all night. Well done Stewart!

Stewart had another good game in a winning team. That's all we can ask for - the players who are selected playing well and the team winning. I particularly liked his run to draw the defender away from Luis, making Stevie's pass that bit easier.

Well in lad.

Another good performance from Downing, who's been excellent for a number of games now, on and off the ball.