STEWART Downing has left Liverpool.
With Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam having departed already, Brendan Rodgers is continuing to get rid of the expensive flops signed during Kenny’s second reign.
Many fans have been harking on about selling Downing for a very long time, though, now he’s gone, some are querying whether selling him, and in particular selling him now, is a wise idea.
Stewart Downing’s travails have been much publicised. He has never been a prolific wide player, and a shockingly paltry return of 3 goals in 65 Premier League games has been testament to that. One would expect an international attacking wide player, who had signed for circa £20m, to produce more than zero goals in all 36 games of his first Premier League campaign at Liverpool.
In his second season Downing had improved. Some key goals in the Europa League, and some important assists looked to have stayed the axe that Rodgers had hidden behind his back ready to wield.
Encouraging pre-season form looked like he may give the young starlets of Sterling and Ibe a run for their money this season, but a £6m offer from Big Sam Allardyce, and Downing will join his North Eastern chum Andy Carroll amongst the Hammers.
Some players who arrive at Anfield and fail never look like they could have made it. The likes of Torben Piechnik, Paul Stewart or Istvan Kozma looked doomed from the start. But Downing, when he joined, had a lot going for him, and still does.
Downing has pace (more than Coutinho or Suarez), a technically good left foot (better than Enrique), solid weaker foot (better than most in our squad), has power in his shot (though usually shoots high and wide), works very hard defensively (even being deployed at left-back when Enrique suffered a loss of form) and really wanted to play for the Reds (unlike some).
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The immense frustration is that he is simply unable to put everything together on a consistent basis at a top club. His greatest weakness is where he is most needed – making decisive impacts in the final third. Downing doesn’t make natural movements into goal scoring positions, so rarely gets chances, and when he is in such positions hasn’t the composure to take advantage.
Stewart grew up playing a brand of football where his job was quite simply to get a yard of space away from the fullback and whip in a cross (hence the reasoning behind his signing to provide ammunition for Carroll), but with a woefully stationary Carroll and other limitations to Downing’s game the former Middlesbrough player wasn’t able to deliver.
I’d have been happy to see Downing leave if we were getting a top quality winger in replacement, but he has been sold late in the transfer window and we haven’t signed a replacement. I wouldn’t want to rely on width being supplied merely by Sterling and Ibe. They are both talented but very inexperienced and are likely to blow hot and cold.
Aspas looks a good signing, but I had hoped he had been signed to add additional strength to our squad. Selling Downing, if we don’t get a replacement in, with our failings to get some of our other top transfer targets and with the Suarez situation further depleting attacking numbers, looks a risky move.
However, £6m for a player who is nearly 30 and is not going to get better is probably too good a deal for the club. In the far smaller surrounds of Upton Park, Downing is likely to thrive, where the immense scrutiny he had been under will immediately dissipate. Allardyce will give him the tender loving care that Rodgers never would, and the papers will lay off him.
Downing never caused any problems at Liverpool, he was a solid professional, if only he had caused more problems for opposition defences.
You can catch more from me on my own blog: http://taintlessred.blogspot.co.uk/
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Liverpool our feeder club, will be back next year for some more..
No problem…anyone else doesn’t cut it in our squad then you can have them. If you choose to feed off our scraps then that’s up to you.
Next year you’ll be in for Suarez!!!! lol!!!!
Next year,you’ll be in for Couthino and Suarez!!! Lol!
Its a bad decision if we fail to sign someone as a replacement on the left, he was probably on pretty good wages which we can use to land a superior player (hopefully Willian). For me Downing failed to deliver, did things too slow and was very very predictable and keeping him wouldn’t be beneficial considering we have young wingers who need more game time.
I think there is alot better of players you can pay 70/k a week too he simply wasn’t good enough he skill set is like Carroll he’ll thrive at a mid table simply not good enougj for a top side
Your mid table quality now me old son !! The days of Liverpool crowing at the top of the table are long gone.
Had a great attitude but if your not good enough u have to accept your place in a mid table team
The scouse make me laugh…you are a mid table side!
Liverpool is NOT a big club… You are at best near the top of the middle group of teams. STOP fooling yourselves and be prepared for another mid table finish. Other teams are getting stronger and soon they will take over. You history means nothing if you can not compete today.
YES !!!!!
Downing was never good enough for Liverpool . Don’t know why Kenny and Rodgers continued to pick him
Glad he is gone
What’s wrong with giving sterling and ibe regular games? Would be happy with that. Clearly both are talented with lots of potential. Speedy with an element of surprise so let them play. I know they are young and we shouldn’t play them all season. Why the hell do we not trust our youngsters especially if they are english?
I think Rogers is going to bid for Scott Sinclair with the Downing money, Sakho will be singned funded by the sale or Skyrtl , Willian, Erriksen And a Left back before the transfer window closes… I think if we do sign those players and with Suarez staying we will be good to go! YNWA
Lfc should add physically strong mf dat can also hold ball
Yes, completely right decision. He may have had a better year last year but it was only better because the only comparison we had to make was against the mediocrity that was his first year.
I’m just glad we took the supposed £6 million and ran. We should just be thankful that we’ve been able to offload so much tosh to West Ham. I for one will be eternally grateful to Sam Allardyce for that..
Here, here. A quality winger should be adding over 10 goals from wide positions. When Stevie played right wing for a season he scored 25. Ronaldo scores a goal a game from wide left!
Shocking signing but unless someone comes in as replacement quick, this is a shocking decision.
Rodgers was stupid for not selling him last Sumner . Would have got way more than 6m and we would have had a better season
How do you know anyone actually wanted or made an offer for him last season? That’s a really stupid comment.
Don’t be silly jack . A English international at 27 years old.. Previously 20 m ….they would easily have got 10m
Maybe 10m&£1 might have been needed 😉
“smaller surrounds” that maybe, but anfield is a morgue nowadays and soon your dated stuck in the 80’s club will have a smaller ground by comparison.
Great deal for westham to bring in your £55 mil partnership for £21 mil, lets just hope the pair of them make liverpool suffer this season.
COYI!!!!!
Just because someone once valued that pair at 55mil doesn’t ensure performance at Wet Spam. In fact you still got conned at 21mil. That pair are worth about 8mil between them.
They should have signed a replacement first, FSG have learned nothing from past mistakes.
Fsg are clueless about football…the appointment of Rodgers proved that
PPL STOP picking on BR…. give him time, time will prove his decisions stop judging and lets hope all together for a better season ahead.(like how we always do ). As a true liverpool FAN we must always back our team up , this includes the manager. SO IN BR WE TRUST!!!!!!!!!!! YNWA
Kop on lad . Rodgers has had time . Only completely deluded fools would trust a second rate manager like Rodgers
What time has he had? How long before Ferguson was successful.
Maybe manure were deluded fools too!
Need to get a grip and grasp reality, Sturridge and Coutinho were considered sound rate and subsequently sold by their clubs, 2x gain for us. Only after ACTUAL REAL TIME, can someone be judged and as a mighty Liverpool fan that’s what I’m prepared to allow Rodgers.
besides….. Some really nice performances last year. The press have not used phrases like ‘ another turgid performance from Liverpool’ or ‘ Liverpool really don’t know they’re doing’ for a long time. As a pained fan, that, at least is some solace.
Second rate not sound. Sorry
“In BR we trust”, it just sounds delusional to me, trust him based on what?, for a start he tells to many lies for me to trust him.
FSG and BR brain remain One bar.i.e achieving not in 2013/2014 season. Before they could be able to learn from previous mistakes.
Happy that at long last Drowning is gone. Hope he does better at West Ham. I have a feeling that West Ham are getting all the flops from Liverpool .
Fortunately Carroll and Downing suit Allardyces style. I’m very grateful for it, £17m for the big lad is more than I expected.
However we lost money on these 2 deadwoods. Carrol was bought for 35 million and Drowning for 20 million pounds. The only consolation is that we cut our loses on tehes two deadwoods. Now left Henderson . Hoe the lad does more in the new season if not I fear he will be the next one leaving too .
http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/138428-br-why-i-signed-another-keeper
This article condemns BR as a liar. Read it you Rodgers fanboys.
Apart from a few dumb asses , most of us know what Rodger is – a disgrace to LFC
Seriously I now totally ignore what he is saying or has said . His words are so different from his actions.
And I suppose you are 100% saintly and have never lied about anything in your entire life ever?
Football managers are managers and if there were no press they would be able to manage free from intrusion. As it is they have to explain every small detail and can sometimes be caught out trying to protect a player or the club in any way they deem fit.
unfortunately in the days of blogging etc now us fans chew over the scraps and see whatever we want to in the ink blot.
Reina would BR at Barcelona now if their keeper had left. Players lie managers lie, that’s why it’s called a game!
Do bears sh1t in woods? Off course is the right decision . His overall contribution was 0 .
He played well in pre season matches..but it was too late..so if anyone question if should we have sold Downing. .The answer will be very loud and clear..YES.! So now theres only two players left from KD’s signings. Watch your backs Jose and Jordan..