Just heard that one of the rumours concerning Enrique's dropping from the team at the weekend was down to Downing not liking to play with him because he doesn't release the ball early enough. Anyone think there could be any truth to that?
There doesn't seem to be a connection/relationship developing between the two. Enrique looks a lot better (attacking wise) when he's playing with Maxi or Bellamy.
Rather have Enrique in the team than the useless Downing..Hope we cut our losses and sell him in the summer.
Maybe the only reason Downing is useless is because of the relationship with Enrique. You don't become a premier league teams player of the season to utter rubbish in one year
He's not useless, just has a poor season which you could say for 3/4 of our team. I think he will come good, even if it's for a squad player he will make us stronger in depth.
To be honest, I think Kenny was desperate to play Carragher at CB and he also wanted to play Agger because the defence is a lot stronger wherever he plays. I would be surprised not to see Enrique start in the coming games with Skrtel and Agger and Johnson.
you don't honestly believe that, do you? Downing won player of the year last year for the accuracy of his crosses (best in the prem), how is Enrique in anyway accountable for the woeful accuracy of Downing's crossing and the fact he can rarely beat a player this season?
Not heard it but it has concerned me before now. To me enrique always looks good going forward but his whole reason for doing so seems to be just that ie looking good.
Well; This type of thing IS something the manager can control (if true). Should be a fairly simple process for the players: "you play in this position exactly as I tell you & play in the way I tell you" if they don't want to or can't (no matter who they are) they get dropped. Personally I'd sooner drop a player that straight out won't obey me than one who's form temporarily means they can't. But these kind of stories crop up. It means nothing serious is actually going on with the club when mild player annoyances become the story. This pleases me lol!
He wouldn't even of won player of the season for Villa if the voting was done before Young had come out and said he wanted to leave. And lets be honest last year if you took Young out the frame it wasn't exactly hard to win player of the season for Villa.
Sounds irrelevant to me. Certainly not a reason to drop a player. Especially if it means putting Agger out of position. I think he was left out so that Carragher could come in.
A good player should adapt and form a good relationship. Also, what was his excuse on Saturday when Enrique wasn't playing? We looked much livelier when Maxi and Bellamy came on.
I agree. I do hope we don't see it happen again, it was a risky and silly move and luckily for us Everton weren't anything special and didn't make us pay.
The trouble is, if Kenny would put sentimentality before the team in order to let Carra play in the semi, would he do the same thing for the same reason in the final? Jamie's been a great servant to the club, and it would be fitting for him to be in the side that lifted the cup (if we do), but we need to put out the strongest side we can, and unfortunately he's no longer a part of that.
I think he only did it because we were playing Everton and Carragher would understand the importance of the rivalry, more so than a 'foreigner'. It is a stupid move to make but it paid off in the end. I don't expect to see Carragher starting many more games unless there is another injury to Agger.
Furthermore, I don't know too much about Kenny's first stint as LFC manager but I was told that Kenny was quite ruthless with his players, even thoughthey were his ex-teammates and good friends? So I'd be surprised that he would let sentimentality come in the way.
I believe that Enrique did get a knock in the Blackburn game - hence his non-appearance in the semi. If Downing was complaining about playing with Enrique then I would expect Kenny to tell him to grow up!
I agree, Carra is no longer a starter and shouldn't be. I'd even argue that him being in the squad is hindering Coate's progression, i'd like to see Coates before Carra. He surely can't play him in the final as i'm sure unlike Everton, Chelsea can make us pay so we must play our strongest defence and that is Johnson, Skrtel, Agger and Enrique.
