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Under-pressure Downing defends himself against manager Rodgers' attack on Liverpool's lazy players
By JOE BERNSTEIN
PUBLISHED: 17:11 EST, 6 October 2012 | UPDATED: 17:43 EST, 6 October 2012
Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has become the first senior player at Anfield to question the confrontational approach of manager Brendan Rodgers as the club try to move up from the lower reaches of the Premier League against Stoke City.
Downing, signed by previous boss Kenny Dalglish, has admitted being affected by comments from Rodgers after the Ulsterman appeared to doubt his commitment following a poor start to the season.
'I was obviously upset. I always try to give my best,' said the 28-year-old England international. ‘You’ll have to ask the manager what he meant by his quotes. I would have preferred it obviously if it was private.’
Wake up call: Stewart Downing says Brendan Rodgers was wrong to single him out
Rodgers, painted as an articulate and positive innovator in a television fly-on-the-wall documentary about Liverpool, has also shown a steely side since he replaced Dalglish in the summer.
Most controversially, he targeted Downing and Spanish defender Jose Enrique before last weekend’s game against Norwich by saying: ‘Lots of others in the team are putting their bodies on the line and the ones that don’t stand out like a sore thumb.’
He also branded the Liverpool team, that included Downing, ‘lazy’ after their 3-2 Europa League defeat against Udinese on Thursday night.
Fight for the ball: Downing battles with Udinese's Giovanni Pasquale during the Europa League defeat on Thursday
Downing admits he has been to see Rodgers on several occasions since losing his place in the Premier League starting line-up but was taken aback by the manager criticising him publicly.
‘Bravery is a lot of things,’ he said. ‘If you want tackling, running around bustling, that obviously is not my game. But bravery is also taking the ball when you are losing a game and creating things, which I try to do.
‘We’ve had a few conversations. You can sit in offices for hours and talk about my game but the only way I can prove it is out on the field. When I’m given that chance I have to take it. I thought I did OK against Udinese.’
Downing, capped 34 times by England, has failed to score a league goal for Liverpool since his much- heralded £19million arrival from Aston Villa last year.With Rodgers having already allowed Dalglish signings Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam to leave the club (Carroll on loan), he would consider bids for the winger in January to raise much-needed funds for new players.
Work ethic: Rodgers accused Downing of not being brave enough
But Downing is adamant he does not want to be forced out despite losing his place in the England squad through a lack of regular club football. ‘I’ve three years left on my contract so I’m going nowhere. I will fight,’ he said. ‘I’ve worked hard to get here so I don’t want to leave in a rush.
‘I don’t think any England manager is going to pick me if I’m sat on the sidelines. That’s obvious. But I’ll never give up on England. If I have a good season here, hopefully Roy Hodgson will put me back in.’
Regardless of Downing’s concerns, the Rodgers revolution will proceed at full steam ahead against Stoke, who could feature Anfield old boys Peter Crouch, Adam and Michael Owen.
Defender Andre Wisdom, 19, will make his home debut against Stoke, while there is likely to be another chance for 17-year-old Raheem Sterling as Liverpool try to build on their first league win of the season at Carrow Road last Saturday.
‘I’ve been able to identify young talent and given them an opportunity,’ said Rodgers.
‘You just have to give young players the chance,’ said Rodgers, who helped develop Tottenham’s Steven Caulker and Chelsea’s Champions League winner Ryan Bertrand by taking them on loan at his previous clubs Swansea and Reading.
‘There is probably a wee bit of negativity in terms of results if we’re not winning and that is right. But, for me, the bigger picture is I’m gaining more because I’m getting young players in the team and eventually that is going to give us depth.’
Contract talks have also started with young England defender Martin Kelly, who is currently out for six months with a knee injury.
Kelly, born in Whiston like Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard, has been at the club since he was seven years old and the club want him to continue the tradition of having home-grown players in the first-team long after Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have gone.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz28bZzcbOb
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PUBLISHED: 17:11 EST, 6 October 2012 | UPDATED: 17:43 EST, 6 October 2012
Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has become the first senior player at Anfield to question the confrontational approach of manager Brendan Rodgers as the club try to move up from the lower reaches of the Premier League against Stoke City.
Downing, signed by previous boss Kenny Dalglish, has admitted being affected by comments from Rodgers after the Ulsterman appeared to doubt his commitment following a poor start to the season.
'I was obviously upset. I always try to give my best,' said the 28-year-old England international. ‘You’ll have to ask the manager what he meant by his quotes. I would have preferred it obviously if it was private.’
Wake up call: Stewart Downing says Brendan Rodgers was wrong to single him outRodgers, painted as an articulate and positive innovator in a television fly-on-the-wall documentary about Liverpool, has also shown a steely side since he replaced Dalglish in the summer.
Most controversially, he targeted Downing and Spanish defender Jose Enrique before last weekend’s game against Norwich by saying: ‘Lots of others in the team are putting their bodies on the line and the ones that don’t stand out like a sore thumb.’
He also branded the Liverpool team, that included Downing, ‘lazy’ after their 3-2 Europa League defeat against Udinese on Thursday night.
Fight for the ball: Downing battles with Udinese's Giovanni Pasquale during the Europa League defeat on ThursdayDowning admits he has been to see Rodgers on several occasions since losing his place in the Premier League starting line-up but was taken aback by the manager criticising him publicly.
‘Bravery is a lot of things,’ he said. ‘If you want tackling, running around bustling, that obviously is not my game. But bravery is also taking the ball when you are losing a game and creating things, which I try to do.
‘We’ve had a few conversations. You can sit in offices for hours and talk about my game but the only way I can prove it is out on the field. When I’m given that chance I have to take it. I thought I did OK against Udinese.’
Downing, capped 34 times by England, has failed to score a league goal for Liverpool since his much- heralded £19million arrival from Aston Villa last year.With Rodgers having already allowed Dalglish signings Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam to leave the club (Carroll on loan), he would consider bids for the winger in January to raise much-needed funds for new players.
Work ethic: Rodgers accused Downing of not being brave enough
But Downing is adamant he does not want to be forced out despite losing his place in the England squad through a lack of regular club football. ‘I’ve three years left on my contract so I’m going nowhere. I will fight,’ he said. ‘I’ve worked hard to get here so I don’t want to leave in a rush.
‘I don’t think any England manager is going to pick me if I’m sat on the sidelines. That’s obvious. But I’ll never give up on England. If I have a good season here, hopefully Roy Hodgson will put me back in.’
Regardless of Downing’s concerns, the Rodgers revolution will proceed at full steam ahead against Stoke, who could feature Anfield old boys Peter Crouch, Adam and Michael Owen.
Defender Andre Wisdom, 19, will make his home debut against Stoke, while there is likely to be another chance for 17-year-old Raheem Sterling as Liverpool try to build on their first league win of the season at Carrow Road last Saturday.
‘I’ve been able to identify young talent and given them an opportunity,’ said Rodgers.
‘You just have to give young players the chance,’ said Rodgers, who helped develop Tottenham’s Steven Caulker and Chelsea’s Champions League winner Ryan Bertrand by taking them on loan at his previous clubs Swansea and Reading.
‘There is probably a wee bit of negativity in terms of results if we’re not winning and that is right. But, for me, the bigger picture is I’m gaining more because I’m getting young players in the team and eventually that is going to give us depth.’
Contract talks have also started with young England defender Martin Kelly, who is currently out for six months with a knee injury.
Kelly, born in Whiston like Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard, has been at the club since he was seven years old and the club want him to continue the tradition of having home-grown players in the first-team long after Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have gone.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz28bZzcbOb
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Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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