11 Dec 2011

John Aldridge: "Liverpool expected more, but he just hasn't adapted..."

Liverpool legend John Aldridge has staunchly defended summer signing Stewart Downing all season, arguing that the former Villa winger will come good at some stage. However, after yet another game yesterday without a goal or assist, Aldo's confidence in Downing appears to be waning a little.

Aldridge, who was lucky enough to have the likes of John Barnes and Peter Beardsley creating goals for him, told LFC TV:

"I think we all expected a little bit more from Downing, and I think he expected more from himself. He's on a bigger stage now and he just hasn't adapted.

"He's playing within himself a little; he's not expressing himself as he normally would for Villa, who with all due respect, are a smaller club than Liverpool"


Aldo acknowledged that Downing has suffered from a ridiculous run of bad luck:

"He's had some bad luck. He's hit the post; he's hit the bar; he's had a few real good efforts saved.

"He hasn't created a goal, but he's put in some real good crosses, none better than the one for Andy Carroll, who should've scored the other week.

"What he needs first and foremost is a goal, or he needs to create a goal to restore his confidence.


Downing has gone 16 games without scoring or creating a goal for Liverpool now, something that must surely be weighing on his mind. To be fair, the former Villa man looks much more likely to make the breakthrough on the right, so perhaps it might be worthwhile keeping him out there?

Jaimie Kanwar


44 comments:

  1. We should never of signed him in the first place.

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  2. He put the ball on a plate for Suarez against QPR for Luis to head tamely to the keeper. Downing is playing well, he stretches the play and tries to get round the back. He'll start getting the assists / goals soon he just has to keep going with believe.

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  3. Downing is a attacking player who went all season without scoring a goal...in 2008/09 season ...shows how attacking he is....but lets close our eyes and take a deep breath and believe.w

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  4. Agree. He was always average apart from one good season last season in a poor Villa team.

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  5. Its crazy to say that Downing hasn't created. He creates chances, the strikers keep missing them so the stats are dishonest. Fr his own reasons, Aldo seems to criticise Downing and Henderson continually and never credits what they do. He was the same with Lucas. Was a great player but is a poor critic.

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  6. Downing is fucking abysmal.

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  7. he's alot better than what we've hadthe past few years-gonzalez,pennant,riera or having to look at fat dossena being played left midfield.downing has created chances but they haven't been put away.

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  8. he should never have left villa, the greedy little sh*t couldn't wait to jump ship

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  9. Great players adapt - if he cant what is he doing in the England team - he needs to become a man

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  10. the strikers are as much to blame . what do they want from downing the ball on their toe and written instructions on what to do with it as well

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  11. Great comment from a guy calling himself Acarroll.

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  12. So glad that the JUDAS is a massive failure. Gave Villa one good season after being bought as a crock before jumping ship after being nursed backed to health and paid handsomely for his troubles. There IS justice in the world. HA ha ha!

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  13. Villa a smaller club than Liverpool? Maybe that's true but all you delusional Kopites better get used to the fact that your no longer have a hope in hell of winning the Premier League and very little chance of a Champions League place this season and probably not for years to come.

    Successive managers have spent a fortune on average, and in some cases worse than average, players who would get no where near a City, Utd, Spurs, Chelsea or Arsenal side.

    Your ground is falling apart and is inadequate yet your rivals have addressed that issue and moved ahead of you off the pitch as well as on it.

    Villa don't pretend to be a massive club despite being the fourth most successful club in history. The trouble is that's what it is, history. We know our current limitations. Wake up boys, smell the coffee. Your on a road to no where and those ahead in the race are fast disappearing into the sunset.

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  14. Villa Park is victorian cess pit it's your ground that's falling apart dude.Luckily most of the fans turn up disguised as empty seasts

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  15. I cannot beleive you wrote this article, after Downing had had his best game for the club!

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  16. Kevin Beresford1239:51 pm, December 11, 2011

    Villa Park is Edwardian, actually. It's also worth noting, the Charity Shield is being staged there next year.

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  17. Liverpool fans, they are one of a kind.... 80s this, 17 titles that. Have a great history no doubt, so do Villa.Grew up in Ireland so there is 10 times more pool fans than any other...listening to them go on and on at the end of the season sit back  with a wry smile and say..." knew yee would win nothing ".. We will see the money grabbing prick this weekend. Welcome back stewart, well see whos the bigger club saturday evening.

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  18. Well I should have known better! Try to put forward some well intentioned, if critical observations, in a constructive manner and all it does is encourage some half-wit to churn out some pathetic attempt at an insult.

    Anfield as good as Old Trafford? Which may I remind has a  substantially higher capacity, and therefore generates massively more income every game. Same for Arsenal, Man City, need I go on?

    As for Villa Park it is in much better order than Anfield probably why it is being used for next year's Charity Shield ect.

    And yes we aren't filling the ground at the moment but we have our problems with an American owner who has appointed a manger that 99% of fans didn't want and dislike.

    I notice you failed to address any of the other issues I raised.

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  19. Downing is not a player of LFC calibre. Is simply not good enough for 20 million LFC paid for him. Apart from Suarez 8 Enrique they were a wrong buys or not good enough to wear LFC shirt. Hope Comolli & KD buy better players on January

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  20. Downing might be struggling but he still again had a striker miss a sitter from a pin point cross in yesterdays game that must be one in every game for the last 5 games.

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  21. Agree! Not to mention how many other sitters we have missed with passes from him in other games!
    He has hit the woodwork a few times also!
    I am sick of everyone being a critic over all the players!
    Look at Lucas... Some LFC fans still talk crap about him!
    Support the club and their players is what people need to do more of!!!

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  22. Well said, John Aldridge. Actaully our first choice was Ashley Young but because the scums got him we settled for the second best.

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  23. He is playing as well as he can for a footballing professional, but certainly not as what would be expected of a player of his age and talent. He is doing all the right things and showing the right kind of determination and what some may view as the right kind of effort, but to me, he is putting in too much effort.

    As you've correctly pointed out, he has done exactly what is required of a traditional winger which many would say he is. However, his performances for Villa seem to suggest he is an intelligent footballer, something we have not seen of him since his arrival.

    Aldo missed the point a little when he said Downing isn't expressing himself and that is disappointing because he did it with a smaller club. Downing isn't expressing himself precisely because he is at a larger club! Young and Downing probably felt they were the most important components of Villa's attack and certainly played like it! Unfortunately, Downing doesn't have the arrogance or belief to do the same being surrounded by the likes of Suarez, Bellamy, Maxi and Kuyt, one of whom is a genuinely superior player and three of whom are veterans with very good reputations and blend experience with intelligence very well.

    I thought Downing did look more relaxed and dangerous in the QPR game compared to previously, but he needs to show more of that and alot sooner. It's easier to forgive Hendo and Carroll for needing time to come good, because they do have that time. They aren't even 25! Adam and Enrique are at the age where they would be cutting it fine to adapt, but they hit the ground running, so it doesn't apply. Downing is supposedly in his prime and his price tag does not include his potential, like it did for the kids from the North East.

    I personally concur with Aldo that Downing is a disappointing signing, but not that we shouldn't have signed him. We needed a left winger and got one in Downing, and to be fair, he is providing us with what such a player should. However, our board stumped up his fees for a player who's more than just a winger. I believe in Downing's case, it is very fair to critique his goals and assists return. For 20m pounds, being on the wrong side of 25, it was never about resale value or the number of years he can play for us. His wages are probably the highest of our new signings too. Just to have a winger who offers what he has thus far, we could have signed N'Zogbia for way less! But we know Downing is much more than that and that's what we want from him. At 27, he should really have no excuse for not hitting the ground running, and it's not that the way we play doesn't suit him - when Downing plays, his portion of the pitch is his to rule, but rule it he hasn't.

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  24. Individually, he is a superior player, but based on performances for us so far, he's not any better than Pennant or Rieira. Downing has been as predictable as Rieira had been inconsistent and it's not fair to say Pennant didn't do an effective job for us. Downing has created alot of chances, fair enough, but whom for? They are typical winger created chances that defenders know how to deal with, and certainly not tailored to any of our forwards.

    Downing has indeed been playing like a top winger, but something needs to change in his approach. He seems to be either playing for his wages or playing for his art form. He needs however, to be playing for himself or playing for his team mates. From his spell at Villa, we know he is capable of doing just that! We would definitely benefit greatly from him being either selfish or selfless, but for now, he seems more interested in perfecting the art of being a winger - in the same mould as Gonzalez being speedy.

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  25. Problematic American owners installing an objectionable manager isn't a good reason not to fill the grounds. You guys should be there chanting "McLeish for Scotland!"

    Arsenal and Spurs were indeed interested in signing Downing too. For that matter, Redknapp also wanted Suarez, Carroll and Bellamy. Man U were keen on Henderson and Barca were looking at Enrique. Our flops, Dossena and Gonzalez are currently doing very well. Our biggest flop, Aquilani, shone for Juve last season and is doing even better at AC Milan. Benayoun did go to Chelsea and is now at Arsenal.

    While Poulsen and Konchesky never set the world on fire, surely Villains must know what it's like having problems with American owners who appoint managers that fans neither wanted nor liked.

    I'm also scratching my head as to how a club selling the 4th most replica kits in the world after Barca, RM and Man U could possibly pretend to be a massive club. The fact that this occurs despite the team not even finishing as runners-up in the league is sufficient proof that Liverpool's status as a massive club is certainly not history yet!

    Lastly, it's unfair to say we do not know our limitations. Fergie, AVB and Wenger are reliable experts who aren't LFC fans who have their opinions on what our limits are, and even Harry, who has and will continue to highlight our limitations for this season will concur with the aforementioned experts that we aren't on the road to nowhere.

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  26. agree with your people talking crap about lucas comment ive heard people actually say he,s good

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  27. The criticism seems to be that Downing hasn't played out of his skin. There is no way he's been poor or ineffective. He's been an important part of Liverpool at any time when they've really played well. He does absolutely everything that is asked of him at all ends of the pitch. So I don't really see the point in getting worked up because he's not turning in superstar performances. Like the whole LFC team, he's just not quite at 100% yet. He thoroughly deserves his place in the team and I think what he's doing is certainly good enough. He's right up there as one of the best players in the league and I can't say I've been in any way disappointed with any of his displays this year. 

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  28. Liverpool are one or two players short of being a major force again. The new owners we've got are weighing up all options before committing themselves to what would only be for the benefit of this great club and its wonderful supporters.

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  29.  Well done on hosting the Community Shield, you seem very impressed with that. Liverpool are still a massive club no matter is other clubs fans try and deny it. Liverpool FC has supporters clubs all over the world and a global fan base. This is why Liverpool are still a massive club. We have bought a number of young players and have some top quality coming thought the ranks such as Sterling. We are a club on the way back not treading water like Villa. Worry about your own club.

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  30. Gerrard , carragher , Dalglish?

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  31. FFS, we have scored a whopping 18 goals in 15 games, along with own goals and penalties, how on earth do people want to see numbers from our players is beyond me ......... get some thing we call a brain into your heads, people ....... had we got 32-33 goals at an average of 2.1-2.2 like we were at the end of last season, you would all have seen different numbers for the whole lot of our players ........ we are playing better than last season but scoring less - let us have patience !!!!

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  32. Fucking good, he always was shit. Villa are laughing all the way to the bank, serves you right self pity city wankers.

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  33. i can name at least five clear cut chances that downing have created least of all the one for suarez vs QPR . if all those chances had been put away, downing would have five assists to his name and we won't be having this conversation. He was bought to create chances and he's doing just that. if you want to talk about stats, why not talk about chances created or number of crosses put in the box. 

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  34. He had a broken ankle you moron.

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  35. Who remembers all the fuss on this site about Kenny playing him on the right? Doesn't seem to do too badly on there. Wingers nowadays, should be versatile enough to play on both flanks!

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  36. Support your TEAM through good and bad, not just your manager and/or chairman. Glory hunters!

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  37. Nice one Kev, take your camera, you might get to see some silverware for once!

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  38. Is it not reasonable to conjecture that if Andy Carroll had been as much a part of the "setup" as was anticpated when he was signed, rather than the disappointment he has been, that Stewart Downing would, in all likelihood, have had more impressive numbers than he has accrued to this point? Clearly, the prospect of crosses from Downing, raining into the penalty area on to the "obliging" head of Andy Carroll, was a mouthwatering prospect for players, coaches and fans alike.To the extent that Carroll has been, in the main, "M.I.A.", it is NOT surprising to me that Downing's impact from the wings has been minimized. Here's hoping that Carroll adapts before too long, and can begin to score some goals, as well as providing second balls for Suarez and midfelders making runs into the penalty area.

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  39. Oh I do support my team and travel home and away. How you could possibly call a Villa fan a glory hunter is beyond me!

    Seem to recall a lot of Kopites banging on about Hodgson and/or Gillette and Hicks. Pot kettle and black comes to mind.

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  40. Downing played his best season for Villa on the right wing, since he has been at Liverpool he has played mainly on the left. He had a good game on Saturday on the right wing where I think he should stay and form a partnership with Johnson. Maxi or Bellamy can play on the left.

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  41. Your first point "problematic owners installing an objectionable manager isn't a good reason not to fill grounds". What happened at Anfield on January 1st 2011 for what turned out to be Hodgson's last game in charge? Attendance against Bolton 35,400 more than 6,000 down on the game against Wolves a few days earlier. Few empty seats there and please don't claim they were all in the away end as we both know that wasn't the case. In fact look at attendances from the start of the season until Hodgson went and there is generally a downward curve.

    It's no good telling us all how good the "flops" who have left Anfield are doing now, they didn't do it for you and that's more important.

    And of course there are no points or trophies awarded for selling replica shirts. How that can be used as a measure of how massive a club is, well it's beyond me.

    And what will happen if, and it seems highly likely, that LFC fail again to make the top four and are not in the Champions League? Your ability to attract top players diminishes further as does your appeal to a world-wide fan base.

    Your last paragraph doesn't make a great deal of sense but I can't see what relevance your understanding of Fergie, AVB, Wenger or Harry R's views on LFC add to the argument.

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  42. I think they key to Liverpool scoring more goals is Maxi Rodriguez. After Saturday's game, as we have seen before, he compliments Suarez as well as any other player. He has terrific positional sense.  Another day he might have had a hat-trick were not for a couple of good saves and one relatively bad miss.

    As for Downing, I think he is improving.  We haven't seen a complete game from him yet. Suarez's miss after 6 minutes on Saturday from his cross was as bad as Carroll's against Swansea in the same period of the game. Downing couldn't be faulted for the quality of the cross in either case.

    Again we have to improve our corners. 127 taken and 1 goal scored. The 17, yes 17 on Sunday followed the same path.

    We need to take a leaf out of the book of hammer-throwers like Stoke or other less skilled teams who obviously practice them a lot more knowing this is one of the few ways they will score

    Also, one aspect of our hame doesn't help Downing. Consistently we don't get enough players in the opposition box. When Maxi's shot in the first half was parried by the keeper to his right we had nobody following up.

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