Stewart Downing - West Hahahaham player

[Lecter]

He is also going to attend his daughters wedding, according to .no

Correct hes coming back for his daughters wedding

[Lecter]

Dalglish spends big and buys British, but are they worth it?

Liverpool manager has clear policy as he rebuilds club with capture of Villa winger – taking spending to £100m

By Tim Rich in Kuala Lumpur


Friday, 15 July 2011


Stewart Downing arrives at Liverpool's Melwood training ground yesterday. Kenny Dalglish is flying back to tie up the deal


Kenny Dalglish's last public act on Liverpool's tour of Asia was to engage in some public banter with Phil Thompson in front of 38,000 fans who had come to see his players engage in a little light training.


It proved that, however firm their place is in Anfield's pantheon, Thompson and Dalglish have a limited future as a comedy double act, although the reception they received would have flattered Morecambe and Wise. Then, the Liverpool manager was driven to the airport for a 6,000 mile overnight flight to Merseyside to meet his newest signing, Stewart Downing.

The chance to welcome the 26-year-old winger, who has never quite fulfilled the early promise he showed at Middlesbrough, was not the reason for Dalglish's journey. There was a family engagement to fulfil but, as a player and a manager, Dalglish has never been slow to seize an opportunity.

Since his return to Anfield in what was a bleak if emotional January, Dalglish has moved swiftly. The £20m fee Liverpool will pay Aston Villa brings his total spending to £100m in seven months.

Looking at the footballers he has brought to Liverpool, it is not hard to see where he imagined the deep fault lines that undermined his predecessor, Roy Hodgson, lay. There have been two very different centre-forwards in Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez and now three midfielders. If Charlie Adam has been recruited to provide the telling through ball for Suarez, then Downing's role is to deliver the crosses that were often absent in the narrow teams Hodgson and, in his last season, Rafael Benitez oversaw.

At Blackburn and Newcastle, two clubs where Dalglish also spent big with differing results, the most common cry on the training pitches of Brockhall and Chester-le-Street would be Alan Shearer's voice demanding crosses into the box. At Melwood the Geordie accent is similar but it belongs to Carroll.

Jamie Carragher, for one, understood that this is something Liverpool have long lacked. "It's a terrific signing, there's no doubt about that whatsoever," said the man who has flung himself into the role of pressing the flesh in China and in Malaysia.

"He's been a top player in the Premier League for the last six or seven years and he will make a difference, with his ability to go outside and down the line to get quality crosses in.

"He was Aston Villa's player of the year and he will give us something that we have been lacking, genuine quality on the left hand side. Every team looking to compete needs quality players in each position and that is what we are getting back towards."

Suarez apart, the one common link in Dalglish's spending is that it has been focused on British footballers, which underpinned his success at Blackburn. In his brief, sometimes tortured, tenure at St James' Park he often shopped abroad with mixed results.

British players are relatively expensive – the £35m that took Carroll from Tyneside to the shores of the Mersey was enough for Barcelona to bring Alexis Sanchez to the Nou Camp. However, they bring with them a certain togetherness.

"I know him, so does Stevie; he knows Andy Carroll and Johnno from playing for England, so he is not going to be walking into a dressing room and be on his own," said Carragher. "He will get a great welcome because he's a good lad and a top player as well."

It is easy to feel optimistic when you are a Premier League footballer in Asia. At last night's training session Dalglish's squad were cheered and the flashbulbs glittered when they passed into an empty net. Their manager's every press conference was book ended by the kind of applause Dalglish does not expect in England, not even among his own journalists at Anfield.

Nevertheless, Dirk Kuyt, who 12 months ago was toying with a move to Internazionale, said he felt the kind of genuine optimism missing when he returned to Melwood from the World Cup. And it was not just because, for the first time in five years, he had been able to have a proper holiday.

"When I arrived at Liverpool, five or six years ago, we seemed to have two very good players for almost every position," said Kuyt. "I have just got a feeling we are getting back there. There is more rivalry, more competition but it gets the best out of you.

"The start of pre-season last year was very strange for all of us. We didn't know where the club was going with the owners but since they [Tom Hicks and George Gillett] have gone, there has been a lot of change. A change of manager and a couple of good signings like Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

"It all looks very positive. It is what I want and what the players want. We have to challenge with the best and it looks like we are getting there."

Canny Kenny: Will his Famous Five prove good value?

Luis Suarez

Bought from: Ajax

Fee: £22 million

Verdict: A forward obviously from the top bracket, and a bargain at £22m.

Andy Carroll

From: Newcastle United

Fee: £35m

Verdict: An inflated price which Carroll (two goals so far) will struggle to match.

Jordan Henderson

From: Sunderland

Fee: £16m

Verdict: Expensive given his experience, will have to grow into role at Anfield.

Charlie Adam

From: Blackpool

Fee: £7m

Verdict: Given Adam's technical quality, a good fee, if he can step up to a big club.

Stewart Downing

From: Aston Villa

Fee: £20m

Verdict: Perhaps £5m more than market value, Downing will have to produce at Anfield next season to justify it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/dalglish-spends-big-and-buys-british-but-are-they-worth-it-2313852.html

[Alex]

On the subject of that article, they will all have to produce this year with the exception of Henderson. Think he is green enough to need a season to grow into the league.

[Lecter]

On the subject of that article, they will all have to produce this year with the exception of Henderson. Think he is green enough to need a season to grow into the league.

Saw this elsewhere and its pretty interesting and backs up something I've been saying and thinking for awhile (that the players were bought based partly on their goalscoring chances stat)

OptaJoe Opta Sports
56% - Downing, Adam & Henderson created 239 chances in the PL last season, equivalent to 56% of Liverpool's 2010-11 total (429). Blueprint. <= Blueprint indeed!
9 hours ago

421 - Since Aug 2004, only 4 players (Lampard, Fabregas, Gerrard & Giggs) have created more PL chances than Stewart Downing. Craftsman.
9 hours ago

31 - Last season Alberto Aquilani featured in the starting lineup for more than 20 Serie A games for the first time in his career. Recovered
11 Jul

2 - Maxi Rodriguez is the only player to score multiple hat-tricks in the PL without ever ending a game with a brace (2 goals). Treble.
10 Jul

34.4 - Stewart Downing has averaged 34.4 appearances over the past five Premier League seasons. Reliable.
10 Jul

110 - Jordan Henderson, Luka Modric & Samir Nasri have all created 110 PL goalscoring chances since Aug 2009. Transferable.
10 Jul

8 - Stewart Downing has provided eight PL assists since August 2009, one fewer than Theo Walcott in the same period. Target.
10 Jul

135 - Stewart Downing has completed more crosses in open play than any other player in the Premier League over the last three seasons. Whip.
9 Jul

10 - Maxi Rodriguez scored more goals than any other player in the Premier League who did not record any assists. Solo. @JackHawkins23
7 Jul

5 - Five of Charlie Adam's eight assists in the Premier League last season came from crosses. Delivery.
6 Jul

29.6% - Charlie Adam's shots-to-goals conversion rate after the close of the January transfer window, compared to 7.7% Aug-Jan. Contrast.
6 Jul

7 - Charlie Adam scored more penalties than any other PL player last term (7) & also netted twice from direct FK's. Threat. @VictorChandler
6 Jul

1.87 - Liverpool averaged 1.87 points/game with Steven Gerrard starting in the last three seasons & 1.69 points/game without him. Leading.
5 Jul Favorite Retweet Reply

1.4 - Liverpool averaged 1.4 points per game with Steven Gerrard starting in 2010-11 and 1.67 per game without him. Skip. @IamAWatka
5 Jul

40 - Since August 2004, Stewart Downing & Steven Gerrard have both assisted 40 Premier League goals. Homologous.
2 Jul

20 - Now see which Premier League teams were most susceptible to corners in 2010-11. Tracked. #optacornersday http://twitpic.com/5i5oq7
28 Jun

20 - See how reliant the 20 Premier League teams were on corner goals during 2010-11. Overview. #optacornersday http://twitpic.com/5i40tb
28 Jun

66 - Raul Meireles created 66 goalscoring chances for Liverpool in 2010-11, the same amount as Luka Modric at Spurs. Unsettled.
26 Jun

172 - Lucas Leiva made more tackles than any other player in the top five leagues in Europe this season. Cult. @TheGuySho <= Well in Lucas!
24 Jun

4 - The best run of consecutive clean sheets in the 2010-11 PL was 4 (by Arsenal & Liverpool), the lowest amount since 2001-02. Shutouts.
20 Jun

RT: @oilysailor Alberto Aquilani has provided more Premier League assists (6) than Luka Modric (5) since August 2009.
18 Jun

6 - Liverpool have played away from home in six of their last seven Premier League opening day fixtures. Journey.
16 Jun

30 - Fernando Torres' goal v Wolves was 30 passes as we don't count Aurelio's clearance which started the move. Trust!
15 Jun

RT @acogden 3 - Downing, Rodallega & Taylor-Fletcher all scored their team's 1st & last goals of the Premier League season. Rollercoaster.
15 Jun

172 - Lucas Leiva made more tackles than any other player in the Premier League & completed 83% of his 1794 passes. Cult. @Ridi_L <= b-but he hardly ever passes forward does he?
13 Jun

5 - Liverpool scored five goals from corners in the 2010-11 Premier League, only two sides netted fewer. Nap. @Hoarly1989
13 Jun

101:48 - Dirk Kuyt's penalty against Arsenal at the Emirates was the latest goal in the 2010-11 Premier League. Dramatic. @chralie
12 Jun

00:32 - Maxi Rodriguez's goal against Fulham after 32 seconds was the fastest in the 2010-11 Premier League. Swift.
12 Jun

20% - Just one in five of Xavi's passes in La Liga went forward. Crab. @BarneyBarron <= What a cr*p player he must be, that sounds just like our Lucas
12 Jun

1 – Blackpool’s Charlie Adam was the only opposition player to score in the first half at Old Trafford in the league in 2010/11. Unique. <= May there be many more!
11 Jun

18 – Liverpool scored in 18 successive matches between Jan 1st – May 9th 2011; the longest such run in the Premier League this season. Form.
10 Jun

H2H - Downing v Young Goals 7-7 Accuracy 42%-48% Scored 11%-10% Assists 7v10 Created 85-78 Pass 78%-72% Cross 24%-31% Dribbles 43%-21% Wide.
9 Jun

55% - Rafael Benitez won 55% of matches as Liverpool manager in the Premier League. Candidate.
8 Jun

40 – Charlie Adam fired in 40 shots off target from outside the box in the 2010/11 PL campaign, the most of all players. Waste. <= I bet Riise was worse though
8 Jun

39 – In the 2010/11 PL season, Jordan Henderson created 39 more chances than any of his Sunderland teammates. Loss.
8 Jun

68% - Pepe Reina saved a below PL average percentage of shots on target faced & 15 other 'keepers had a better rate. Exposed. <= We were more or less **** for the first half of the season, hardly Pepe's fault was it.
4 Jun

82 – Only four players created more goalscoring chances in the 2010/11 PL season than Sunderland’s Jordan Henderson (82). Target.
2 Jun

24 – 24 Liverpool players were shown a yellow card in the 2010/11 Premier League campaign, the most of all teams. Caution. <= Wow, I didn't realise that! Talk about frustration, eh?
2 Jun

[Alex]

Some great stats there. Especially the one about 5 of Adam's assists were from crosses. Clearly he was brought for more than one reason.

[SB]

He looks chuffed to bits.

That's cause Dunc's standing on the wheelie bin lookin over the gate and blocking his way

[Mike]

RT: @oilysailor Alberto Aquilani has provided more Premier League assists (6) than Luka Modric (5) since August 2009.
18 Jun

[Trippendicular]

He is also going to attend his daughters wedding, according to .no

He needs to get his priorities right

[SB]

He needs to get his priorities right

Too right he should

[Bender]

[Alex]

I always used to refer to him as "Clowning" in my wittier days. He used to frustrate the life out of me when I watched him for England. Seems more assured now. At least he seems consistent.

[SB]

I always used to refer to him as "Clowning" in my wittier days. He used to frustrate the life out of me when I watched him for England. Seems more assured now. At least he seems consistent.

Must have been before you started posting here mate

[Alex]

Likewise

[Mostar]

Downing arriving at Melwood yesterday

[Alex]

Downing arriving at Melwood yesterday

Thanks Bender