Blackburn Post-Match

[Slinky Skills]

I've stopped making individual footballers scapegoats but I have to say today Downing had so much time and space and was just wasteful. Imagine Silva, Nani or even Valencia getting that freedom

It's "Escaped goats" not "Scapegoats"

They don't need to be very good to win do they? They are ****ing ruthless in front of goal.

Spot on - as much as it pains me they are absoloutly ****ing ruthless as Nij has pointed out, they've been pretty much ruthless for the last 10-15 years and that is pretty ****ing depressing **** tbh.



Need to sign a creative player and a ****ing finisher. As for Carroll he will come good, they all will but they need more quality around them and needs more games. Yes the depth is there but the quality isn't.

Good to see Gerrard back.

[danperkins]

Nah, I'm with Exiled_Red on this one.

I think his strike against Sunderland goes in and a we put away a few of the chances he has put on a plate and his stats look more fitting of a £20m player. As his confidence dropped, so did his willing to run with the ball and he kept it simple with little adventure.

I thought today, he seemed to have that directness back - although granted, the final ball was lacking, but once he scoffs one in and he provides a few assists and he'll grow into his time with us, probably becoming a squad player.

I don't think he's been ****, he's just been average - nothing more, nothing less. And to be honest, it wasn't something the majority didn't expect.

I get what you're saying mate, but unfortunately average ain't gonna cut it either, we need a hell of alot better than that, if we wanna even comtemplate 4th spot.

[Imy]

Nah, I'm with Exiled_Red on this one.

I think his strike against Sunderland goes in and a we put away a few of the chances he has put on a plate and his stats look more fitting of a £20m player. As his confidence dropped, so did his willing to run with the ball and he kept it simple with little adventure.

I thought today, he seemed to have that directness back - although granted, the final ball was lacking, but once he scoffs one in and he provides a few assists and he'll grow into his time with us, probably becoming a squad player.

I don't think he's been ****, he's just been average - nothing more, nothing less. And to be honest, it wasn't something the majority didn't expect.

He was up against a 17 year old boy making his first start, as an England international both he and Johnson should have tore him apart, more often then not they didn't.

[Mostar]

Enrique? Nah mate, he was our best player today.

I thought the same.

Him and Gerrard regardless of the fact that Stevie only played 20 minutes put on some good performances.

[Muddled]

He kept on giving the ball away, many of which were under no pressure, I like Enrique but his decision making skills leave a lot to be desired, in that sense he reminds me a lot of Riise.

In injury time, perhaps. But after 90 minutes of bombing up and down the left flank, I'm not surprised fatigue kicked in.

He was a constant threat going forward, was solid - as always - at the back and provided our width as Maxi drifted inside Suarez. He supplied a supply for Carroll, linked with Suarez and was the best player on the pitch today.

In my opinion of course.

[Exiled_red]

I agree with most of the things you post mate, but Downing has only Downing to blame for his performances IMO.

He's a big boy, he needs to man up!! Sounds harsh but he's is far to timid/placid/wimpy to make it at this level. His mentality is a major problem for him and us, he needs to take responsibility and not leave it to others to make things happen IMO. 0 goals and 0 assists... well there's no hiding from that, has to change that quick smart!

I don't mind people having a go at him for his performances (as I've mentioned I think he's often the first one to get stick and people possibly go over the top but I won't go into that again), his performances have been poor, but I think using the 0 assists as a stick to beat him with is a little harsh, you can blame him for not creating enough chances, his crosses hitting the full back, him not beating his man etc. But if he puts a good cross in (as he has done on numerous occasions) you can't blame him for the man on the end of it not putting it away.

[Imy]

He's a better player than Riise.

In his first season or two Riise was electric he had goals in his locker too (unlike Enrique).

Enrique is a much better defender though.

Football intelligence wise they are on par.

[Slinky Skills]

That was Carroll's first start in three games? And without checking the teams, I could hazard a guess that he might have started one in the previous three before that too.

He doesn't "keep" playing him and to liken the situation to Rafa getting shot of players, Carroll has been here 11 months and been injured for nearly half that period.

It doesn't matter any more. Money is spent and there is nothing that can be done about that.

He is here and in fairness he was again unlucky today.

Had some great goal scoring chances and the goalkeeper having a game of the season stopped him for banging few.

Great posts lads.

[red g]

It's a poor stat, but the assists aren't his fault. He's put some great crosses in this season, but the strikers haven't finished them (we might like him to do it more often but that's another point), I remember him putting in 4 good crosses in the second half today.

well if he put 4 in the first half I reckon he may have got an assist today.

Thats the problem he may deliver 2/3 quality crosses is that enough for conversion? I see players like Valencia, Bale etc delivering quality ball after quality ball and very rarely hit the first man.....

Maybe his assist rate was good with Villa as they had the likes of Dunne and Carew who were quality in the air.

He only has a scoring rate of about 1 in 8 as well. sorry not good enough the very definition og bang average

[Daniel 7]

its no coincedence that Downing is ****ing woeful every time he's asked to play on the right. He is terrible on the right.

A right sided midfielder is what we need, we've needed one since Rafa started at Liverpool, the nearest we got was Pennant, who incidentally looked like a £30m player if Downing is a £20m player.

Downing, though completely unspectacular, is a better left sided player than right. I'd sooner see Kuyt on the right than persevering with playing Downing out of position.

[danperkins]

I don't mind people having a go at him for his performances (as I've mentioned I think he's often the first one to get stick and people possibly go over the top but I won't go into that again), his performances have been poor, but I think using the 0 assists as a stick to beat him with is a little harsh, you can blame him for not creating enough chances, his crosses hitting the full back, him not beating his man etc. But if he puts a good cross in (as he has done on numerous occasions) you can't blame him for the man on the end of it not putting it away.

Our forwards have been wasteful also to say the least, so i do get where you're coming from with that.

I dunno mate i just don't see with it Downing, never have. Hope i'm wrong and he starts firing away but half the season gone already, come the end of the season i'll be very surprised if we look back and think "Stuart Downing is the answer to our LM problem"

[Imy]

its no coincedence that Downing is ****ing woeful every time he's asked to play on the right. He is terrible on the right.

A right sided midfielder is what we need, we've needed one since Rafa started at Liverpool, the nearest we got was Pennant, who incidentally looked like a £30m player if Downing is a £20m player.

Downing, though completely unspectacular, is a better left sided player than right. I'd sooner see Kuyt on the right than persevering with playing Downing out of position.

Downing probably had his best season at Villa last year starting from the right (Young down the left).

[Daniel 7]

Our forwards have been wasteful also to say the least, so i do get where you're coming from with that.

I dunno mate i just don't see with it Downing, never have. Hope i'm wrong and he starts firing away but half the season gone already, come the end of the season i'll be very surprised if we look back and think "Stuart Downing is the answer to our LM problem"

Did he play left today?

[Daniel 7]

Downing probably had his best season at Villa last year starting from the right (Young down the left).

I didn't see every game so can't comment on that. I did read that he also played behind the main striker and floated. Can't imagine there wasn't interchanging between him and Young as they both allegedly play both sides.

[Exiled_red]

Nah, I'm with Exiled_Red on this one.

I think his strike against Sunderland goes in and a we put away a few of the chances he has put on a plate and his stats look more fitting of a £20m player. As his confidence dropped, so did his willing to run with the ball and he kept it simple with little adventure.

I thought today, he seemed to have that directness back - although granted, the final ball was lacking, but once he scoffs one in and he provides a few assists and he'll grow into his time with us, probably becoming a squad player.

I don't think he's been ****, he's just been average - nothing more, nothing less. And to be honest, it wasn't something the majority didn't expect.

I think he is having a tough time of it, he knows he's not doing as much as he should, so I would imagine he must be so frustrated when he does some good work and the striker heads a great cross straight into the keepers hands or his shot comes back off the post or cross bar.

It's one of those things that when things are going well for you those shots go in or the striker scores a great header and it boasts your confidence further, when things are going against you (as they are for Downing and others) efforts come back off the woodwork or the striker misses a sitter.

None of us were expecting him to be a world class player I think he's feeling the pressure, he's got a big price tag, he's had a few bad performances and at the moment he probably feels the weight of the world is on his shoulders and he can't do anything right. If something goes his way I think we'll see a big improvement.