As Stewart Downing put pen to paper over the summer, there wasn’t a great deal of fanfare made about his signing, nor was there any real fuss in the media. It was an widely-known secret and probably the only signing of the summer that pretty much everybody inside and out of Anfield knew was going to happen.
Personally, I found the signing of Downing rather interesting and felt that he could bring a lot to the side; he could provide the genuine width that we haven’t had for many years (only some good performances from Riera breaking the left-sided curse short-term) and would undoubtedly offer us extra options and a different type of attacking style.
In the main, his performances have been very impressive – for the most part – he’s tricky, quick, with a relatively decent turn of pace and his crosses left-footed usually hit the spot every time, which make the following stats in all competitions all the more strange. Downing has had 23 shots, with 7 on target and has not scored a single goal. He has had second most shots only to Suarez and has not scored in 23 attempts. For a winger, you could normally forgive them not having a hugely prolific goal-scoring record but when a wide-player has managed not one assist from 9 starts and 1 substitute appearance it is worrying.
A quick glance across the whole squad shows that our top-scorer, Luis Suarez , also tops our assists tables with 3, whilst both Charlie Adam and Jose Enrique have both set-up 2 apiece. Perhaps of greater contrast to Downing though is that both Maxi and Raul Meireles have managed 1 assist each this season. In fact, Maxi has managed 1 goal and 1 assist and has only played in 2 games all season which raises the question of why in-form players aren’t being selected (but I’ll have more to say on that in future). As for Meireles, he only had 2 substitute appearances for the Reds before leaving for Chelsea but still managed to set-up Luis Suarez against Arsenal before departing.
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daglish is too sentimental in his team selection,and he js kiling the team.after wasting money on english overated players,he stil dont want acept his grosmisconduct and forge ahead.instead insist on plying them at the expence of our club.pls hav carrol,henderson and dowing that wort #75miln improve our team?daglish is short of footbal idea and should be sack.wht position is newcastle,and spurs?
Your comment is almost laughable. Although it does seem sentimental, we are 4 points from 3rd place. Sunderland, Norwich and Man U should have been victories and we are in 2nd place. Your comment sounds more end of the year wrap up. Gross misconduct is harsh as well. We got Swansea this weekend. I expect to be at 21 points. Season is awfully young.
“Downing’s name are symptomatic of Liverpool’s impotency in front of goal. Because while it came as a great surprise to me that he had notched up zero assists, I have seen him set up dozens of chances for his team-mates but they won’t ever count and will be consigned to history, no matter how impressive his build-up play; it is only the end-product that is remembered.”
Wrong! This doesn’t get consigned to history. To a fan, it could be consigned to history. To Commoli and Dalglish, this is what they remember and like about Downing. The crosses will connect, the goals will start going in. There is always a correction to stats. LFC has not even close to beginning their peak form as a team. 28 more games to go and everything is still in plain sight.
I’ve read somewhere that Liverpool is the team who have the most attempts to goal, but we don’t have the most goals.
So why?
Probably because our strikers are talented but still too young and not enough experienced, I hope in january we’ll buy a great striker to help Carrol to progress, to help Suarez to score and to help Downing to give assist
Come on REDS
YNWA