Stewart Downing - West Hahahaham player

[Buzzo]

He was fairly dire today, but it's the result that counts at the end of the day.

Enrique has all the tools to be a fab left back but holds onto the ball much too long and often plays the wrong ball. Today his defending also wasn't as good as it has been.

Feels wrong when we won but there you go. Must do better, Jose!

Aye, his distribution can be ... hesitant. But other than that I reckon he's been ok.

reckon he's probably feeling the pace first season at a big club (due respect Geordies )

[Craig_H]

I didn't think Enrique was that bad? Not as good as early in the season but far from ****e?

Thought both Enrique and Glen were very poor today. Sloppy, careless and lucky not to be punished for it.

[Buzzo]

Thought both Enrique and Glen were very poor today. Sloppy, careless and lucky not to be punished for it.

Really? I didn't think Enrique was all that, but I had GJ as my no.3 in the MotM thread. Just goes to show eh. I thought he looked good (allbeit I was watching on the telly), was involved a lot, and one of our most consistent out balls and looked a threat. But you can't tell positioning etc so well if you're not at the game

[Zapater]

I thought enrique was putrid in the first half, but improved in the second, still well below his usual level.

[Craig_H]

Really? I didn't think Enrique was all that, but I had GJ as my no.3 in the MotM thread. Just goes to show eh. I thought he looked good (allbeit I was watching on the telly), was involved a lot, and one of our most consistent out balls and looked a threat. But you can't tell positioning etc so well if you're not at the game

Yeah, both of them honestly pissed me off today, Johnson just far too casual on the ball and looked like he wasnt paying attention and Enrique's usual "play yourself out of everything" tactic which put him into bother a couple of times. He too was sloppy in possession and casual IMO.

[Rich]

Yeah, both of them honestly pissed me off today, Johnson just far too casual on the ball and looked like he wasnt paying attention and Enrique's usual "play yourself out of everything" tactic which put him into bother a couple of times. He too was sloppy in possession and casual IMO.

x 100

[danperkins]

Want to leave out any negativity but I was pulling my hair out at Dalglish for sacrificing our best player's position to accommodate Bellamy. Downing was roasting their their old-man right back for fun, why not keep him there all game?? And why was Kenny not kicking the midfield up their arses for not getting into to the box when Downing had the ball?

Downing went right, then mostly central and as usual cluttered up Gerrard and Adam's ball retention space. And that's as much KK's fault as Stewart's.

completely agree he was giving McNaughton an awful time and had beating of him every time.

[-V-]

Finally.

[ric.williams]

he was really good today. put in some great crosses that our strikers should have been busting a gut to get on to. attacked the full backs and he was decent on the right as well.

plus most of all he had the bottle to take a pen

[Lee]

Yup, that's two good performances on the spin for him now.

Needs to do it in the league though. Hopefully his confidence is higher after the last week and he'll kick on.

[Shaggy]

Played well again. Taking responsibility shouldn't be so difficult for him. Run at your man, shift it to make yourself a yard of space and whip it in. Did it to good effect yesterday.

[destinydude]

I hate it when he comes centrally and tries to have a pop from distance. He needs to work on that part of the game along with releasing the ball sooner when there's a counter attack going on.

[Lecter]

Hats off to Downing yesterday at least he had a go at the fullbacks

He needs to be doing that EVERY game

[cream]

He did what he should be doing all the time, was nothing outstanding. Needs to do it against PL opposition.

[Muddled]

Enrique and Downing had a lot of freedom down that left flank yesterday and the latter had his best game for us. What I would like to see is some variation; quite often when Enrique and Downing are exchanging passes, Downing spins his man and goes for the space behind the full back, whilst Enrique seems unable to make his mind up and ends up working the ball from left to right.

Without wanting to drag Enrique in to this thread, it was great to see Downing want the ball yesterday and drive *at* players. It was also good to see him get his shot away, there have been times previously when he's come across the penalty area and kept on working it, this time, he had a pop and tested the goalie - long may it continue.

One thing I would like to see is him mixing up his delivery; he flashed a great ball across the six yard line in the first half, but sometimes he could do with standing one up for Carroll to attack.