LAST season Stewart Downing was set to be Liverpool’s supply line for £35m target man Andy Carroll – this season Downing is set to fight the likes of Jose Enrique for the left-back spot.
After a season of 36 league appearances, no assists and no goals – with the only statistic of real note being that Downing became the first Premier League player in seven years to miss three consecutive penalties – new boss Brendan Rogers is set to take drastic action.
He said: “I think it is a big possibility that he can play left back. If you look at the modern-day full-backs, Alba, Ashley Cole – Ashley Cole was a centre-forward.
“When Middlesbrough reached the Uefa Cup final against Sevilla, he played left-back on that run. Sometimes it can release the pressure on players. His job at the top end of the pitch is to create and score goals.
“Time will tell. I don’t like to just give up on players.”
In other news, Carroll has been given a security job, while Charlie Adam is to take up a new role in catering.
stewart downing
Summer Signings XI
THE summer fun is almost over, and the league is about to kick off once more.
But there’s been plenty of transfer activity to keep us football types ticking over – so I thought I’d pick out my favourite signings snapped up by Premier League clubs ahead of the new season.
Hopefully there’ll be a few more big names to add to this XI before August is out…
GK – Ben Foster (WBA)
DEF – John O’Shea (Sunderland), Jonathan Woodgate (Stoke), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Wes Brown (Sunderland)
MID – Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Charlie Adam (Liverpool), Ashley Young (Manchester United), Charles N’Zogbia (Aston Villa)
ATK – Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Gervinho (Arsenal)
Can we play Ghana again soon please?
AFTER flat track bullying a limp Wales side in a “competitive” qualifying match at the weekend, the much-derided Ghana friendly reared its head tonight for England – and it was a humdinger.
A 1-1 draw, a fair result on the night, both teams played to win and didn’t pull their punches when it came to tackling.
Plus both goals were sublime to boot – England’s much-impoved approach play rewarded with an Andy Carroll thunderbolt, and Asamoah Gyan’s superb solo effort which owed as much to his persistence as his close control.
However if England can take one thing away from this match, it’s not that a we now have a usable 4-3-3 formation or that Stewart Downing has a chocolate teapot for a right boot – it’s that to succeed at playing football you have to PLAY at football, not work at it.
Ghana’s World Cup campaign was a joy to watch last Summer, and their convivial-yet-combative attitude to the game has carried through even to these ‘meaningless’ friendlies – the Africans may not have any silverware from South Africa, but they were among the biggest winners.
If England can enjoy playing Switzerland as much as they enjoyed the match tonight and carry on enjoying our football, we may yet get the tournament monkey off our backs.
Double Downing
AFTER just one Guinness I was seeing double this Boxing Day.
Because watching Aston Villa’s limp performance against 10-man Spurs, it seemed that England winger Stewart Downing was covering every inch of the pitch.
However this was no illusion – it seems Villa have actually employed a doppleganger to line-up with him, uncanny American defender Eric Lichaj.
Goaltastic 