3 Feb 2012

Mark Lawrenson: Liverpool's Stewart Downing 'lacks commitment

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish recently launched an impassioned defence of 20m winger Stewart Downing, arguing that he was a 'better player than he thought he was' when he signed for the club. Kenny's former team-mate Mark Lawrenson has a different view.

Speaking on Today FM recently, Lawro was more truthful than Dalglish about Downing's impact at Liverpool so far:

"The last few times I have seen him play, it’s obvious that he has a lot of quality but for me he lacks a bit of commitment.

"He runs at people, then gets to them and thinks he might lose the ball and doesn’t take them on. The rest of the team must feel like saying ‘take him on, if you lose it, we’ll deal with it’.

"I think it’s a bit of lack of self-belief and a bit of Downing being overawed playing for Liverpool. That’s a little bit strange, as Liverpool supporters will back their players if they give everything week in, week out. They’ll accept someone losing the ball if he’s trying to run at players and make things happen.

"Downing is maybe reading the situation wrong. He’s a good crosser and relatively two-footed. He just needs to believe in himself more".


In 2008, I posted an article arguing that Liverpool should sign Downing, so when Kenny snapped him, I was relatively happy, although he was severely overpriced.

It's February now, and Downing still hasn't scored or created a goal in the League. Excuses about transitional periods surely need to stop - Downing is a proven Premier League player and England International in the prime of his career, and it's time to deliver.

Police announced earlier today that Downing will not face charges after he was arrested last month on suspicion of assault, so he can go into the Spurs game without anything weighing him down.

A goal or assist against Spurs would do very nicely :-)

Jaimie Kanwar


11 comments:

  1. Oh my Puki Mak, he lacks commitment. Paying 20 mil.pounds or 100 mil. in Malaysiam Ringgit you get a half baked professional. Good choice, Kenny with your Buy British policy.

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  2. Yea, a goal, that's the ticket!

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  3. His needs to look up before he delivers the balll

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  4. is 'commitment' another word for 'Talent', 'flair' and 'ability'.  Let me consult my thesaurus....... 

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  5. downing =complete waste of money. mentality of a mid table player, unlikely to change anytime soon. we play better without him. hopefully MON will take him off us this summer.

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  6. fergusons pr men are running rings around us, it was obvious we should have suggested the shake hands bit at the anfield game, he is now using hanson to gee up his failing team and none of them can see it.

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  7. Take a look at this for a laugh. Who's the racist club now? Although I bet the media wont make half as much fuss as they did about us...

    ww(w)(dot)bbc(dot)co(dot)uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16882078

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  8. What has this got to do with this article?

    Yes, we criticise the mancs every chance we get, as we the football fans are tribal and silly like that in our views but doesn't mean you should try to derail a thread that has nothing to do with mancs.

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  9. Oh here we go with the 'persecution complex' again

    Stop whining, its pathetic.

    Anyhoo, I think Downing should be played on the left more regularly as that his main position and maybe that will reinvigorate him. He is no Robben from the right that is for sure. Not a lost cause yet.

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  10. is this the same Lawrenson "Liverpool Legend" (joke) that stated we had definately signed Bent. The guy is no legend and has no credibility

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  11. I have said it before, that going forward he is a good attacking player, it will be interesting to see how he does now that gerrard and surez are both back. For me its his antics off the ball, verry lazy and if the game is not going well or its frustrating he gets worse!!!

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