The only thing you know is how to blow smoke up Brendan Rodgers' ass. So, "judging after a year" what did you make of Lucas? Or Jan Molby? Or Ronaldo at Utd? But more than a year has gone and I'm already on the record as saying it's over for Downing, not because he's ****e - MotM when we won the cup and better recently - but he hasn't realised his potential and that's because he's a confidence player whose confidence has been ripped apart by fans who do judge within ten games and after a season sell them on. Bye, Lucas. Bye, Molby. Was it unfair? It happens in the media from media-savvy managers. Some players need it, as Rafa knew, but some players need a loving arm around them and a bit of encouragement, which Rafa also knew because he had Gerrard to work with. A good manager knows when to do it in the media and when to do it at Melwood. I have noticed Fergie tends to build up his players in the media, especially when he knows he's going to have to depend on them.
Good to see Rodgers wont let passengers get an easy ride, if your gonna sit there, pick up your paycheck with out a shred of fight to get back in the first 11 then you ARE gonna be called out...in public. In the old days players would be sh1tting themselves that they will be sold if they didnt perform, now its just so easy to shrug the shoulders and say "so what, im still picking up 60/70 grand a week for doing sod all"...how can you possibly counter that sort of attitude which is so common place these days !
Rafa didn't give a loving arm to Gerrard. He has publically come out and stated Rafa never got that close to his players and was not a man manager. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19836945 Downing is not a new player. He's been here for over a year now and yet to even provide an assist. It seems to me that you use every opportunity to have a pop at Rodgers. Perhaps you should give him a bit more time - like you always suggest you did with Lucas.
I've been fairly restrained towards Downing in my comments as I think all players deserve a chance to prove themselves. This was enhanced by the fact that he'd never gone whining to the press about it and seemed keen to work hard to break into the first team. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I don't doubt Downing could be a decent player within the right system, he showed that in the FA cup and briefly in the Udinese game (cross for Shelvey). Decent but not any better than that, unfortunately. The real question is whether a fully fit and firing Downing is better than Sterling or Assaidi? I think all perfomances this season have both players far above Downing in the pecking order, and rightly so. Downing has no complaint, really. Picking Downing over these players would be like England sticking with the same players because of age and reputation. And, lets be fair, Downing doesn't really have that good a reputation, does he? I really don't think Downing works in the system we have and never will. We just need to offload him and move on. The comparison with Lucus hold water in that Lucas wasn't immediately a fan favourite, this is true. But his potential was always there: he was young, rated-highly and showed glimmers of what he could do. Lucas could adapt to the system and had youth on his side. Downing has age against him, and has clearly stated that he won't change his game. That will not endear him to any manager. I think Downing will leave and I wish him all the best. Sometimes clubs and players don't mesh: us and Poulsen / Konchesky; United and Forlan, etc. I just want a resolution to the whole Downing thing, as it's getting tedious now.
If Downing didn't like it, then Rodgers shouldn't have done it. Why would you want to piss off a player, if you wanted him to stay. That talk belongs on the training ground. It's OK to say someone was not good enough on the say or over the season they have not performed. But to talk openly about what is actually going on with his career at the club. That I would have thought would be between Rodgers and Downing. It serves noone to come out and publicly say they're sh!t.
Exactly, its hardly like he's covered himself in glory or proved to be indispensable since he joined us. The sooner January comes around the sooner we can get shot
Sorry, but Lucas and Molby were not 'confidence' players. And you talk about confidence being 100% to blame here, it is not. When Downing was first brought into the club, myself and many other fans weren't exactly jumping with excitement. I couldn't even understand him being picked for England let alone a move to Liverpool for £20m. Yes he had a good season or two before, but so do a lot of average players. It's so ****ing boring and predictable when you pull out the 'patience' and 'Lucas' cards like everything is the same. I heard that Rodgers didn't have over 50% win rate in hist first season in the PL and a Championship season in which he got promoted with a SWANSEA team. Rodgers out! He's to blame for Kenny getting sacked too. I'm sure Rafa had a fantastic win rate before he got the Valencia job, especially that season he got relegated with Extremadura. I also bet he wasn't sacked after only 9 games with one of his first Clubs either... oh yes, he was! P.S Downing is ****.
Downing was a moneyball buy. His stats on paper paint a much better picture than his actual effectiveness. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WE BOUGHT A PLAYER THAT NEEDS PLAYERS IN THE BOX TO AIM FOR AND WE'VE BEEN FOOOKIN AWFUL AT GETTING BODIES IN THE BOX TO AIM FOR SO WTF DID WE BUY HIM FOR.
I am sure his stats on paper read well. But they don't tell of your actual impact on those games tbh which is where moneyball fails in soccer. Individual stats do mean a lot in Baseball and give a more complete picture of a player but in soccer this is not at all true. I think Adam was one too
How many times has he actually put an accurate ball in? The one midweek was good - but more often than not is goes too far over, behind the strikers, behind the goal. Or more often than not he'll tuck in side and pass backwards.
Downing needs to shut up, shape up and do exactly what Rodgers has asked of him to improve. If you disagree with the manager, don't say it publicly.
This^! It's like trying to debate a ref's decision. Or the drunken equivalent of arguing with a bouncer about being thrown out of a nightclub when drunk. When are they ever going to say: 'Do you know what? I was a C*nt. Totally out of order. I will put you back in the starting line-up/ rescind your red card / let you back in this night club.[delete as applicable]' Stupid move in all cases. Testosterone getting the better of logic.
Bottom line is Downing is not good enough, a fact brought home more by our style of play under BR were we do not have a big centre forward for Downing to aim for on the odd occasion he gets past his man to put a cross in. I think he will be gone by the summer if not in January.
I've got a funny feeling you lot are stuck with him, on massive wages, for the remainder of his contract Another situation Rodgers has mishandled. You'll be getting **** all money for Carroll and Downing. See if I'm wrong.
Lucas always showed little hints of talent (pass vs Newcastle for example). Downing? For his price and position, and his age, not enough.
Nista brate, jesi li nas? And no he didn't, but it's quite obvious that he means Downing and Enrique. Also his earlier comments about their having a few months to prove themselves was directed at those two. Enrique's been injured and possibly overplayed for a year, so that leaves Downing knowing, and the rest of us knowing that it means him. So by saying WE were lazy (because a lot of our players weren't lazy) he means Downing and a couple others. Like everyone else has said, **** him. He should leave, he hasn't been good enough and these comments don't help. I am just worried about the clubs reputation to future players. I don't want anyone thinking that we leave our players out to dry in the media. Even if we don't, Downing's comments make it seem like we do.
