Landing The Big Fish : Stewart Downing

                     Following the Manchester United post in the "Landing the Big Fish" Series, we move onto Liverpool for this one. We welcome Sriram Viswanathan for this great piece, as he talks about King Kenny's most valuable deal this summer in his own witty style.
 

                Exactly a year ago, the Red side of Merseyside was brimming with a sort of uneasy anticipation. They had the unenviable job welcoming a certain Paul Konchesy to Anfield. Also the fact that they considered Joe Cole their best signing, told their somewhat miserable story.

              Since then, an entire legacy has been wiped out. That of Roy Hodgeson. Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen, Joe Cole and Raul Meireles, have all left the club. Raul Meireles, threatening to silence all the Hodgeson-critics by breaking into fine form, has moved to Chelsea in one of the more bizarre Deadline Day activities. AVB apparently spoke to him in Portuguese, and offered something King Kenny could not offer him ( A bit like Moyes not being able to offer Arteta Champions League football? ).

Can Downing be the new Kop-hero???

SIGNING OF THE SUMMER :

Certainly not Craig Bellamy. What the hell is he doing there? Oh well, anyways, in my book, the signing of the summer has certainly been Stewart Downing. Simply because he brings something new to the table. Liverpool needed someone on the right to make the game-changing runs, and now, as and when Gerrard returns, there will no doubt on where he will play. Under Rafa, he sometimes played on the right, and didn't do too well to be honest.

         Talking about other acquisitions, Charlie Adam is a Lucas Leiva 2.0, who is good at set-pieces. I would've let Spearing come into his own, rather than bring in Adam. Moving on, Kenny showed the Arsene Wenger in him, by signing Jordan Henderson. Decent signing, although I had also hailed Fernando Morientes as one. Remember him?

Sebastien Coates has come in, and will probably ensure that Carra is already negotiating with John W Henry on a possible place in the coaching staff this season. He apparently thought Luis Suarez is the manager at Liverpool, until he saw Kenny Dalglish.

           Looking more closely into the Downing move, he appeared in all 38 of Aston Villa's league games last season, which suggests he's likely to get more opportunities at Anfield than a certain Alberto Aquilani did. Even though he's primarily a left winger, he played on the Right-wing at Villa for large part of the last campaign, due to the excellent form of Ashley Young on the other flank. Liverpool haven't really had a world-class left-footer in the side for long time now. They had Albert Riera a couple of years back, but then, Riera is hardly what you call a World-class player. More of a Rafa Benitez rather than Kenny Dalglish, to be exact.

Stewart Downing can prove to be the most cunning piece of business by Dalglish this summer...

           Downing could also prove to be a valuable asset, should Kenny decide to play Andy Carroll (Liverpool's own version of the current Fernando Torres) in a traditional No. 9 position. He's an excellent crosser of the ball. In fact, the stats show he has completed more crosses in open play than any other player in the EPL over last 3 seasons. 135, to quote the exact figure. You don't need to be a genius to realize Carroll's best time at Newcastle was when they launched the ball from literally anywhere towards his monstrous frame.

         All in all, I think Stuart Downing is a great addition for the Kop. 19 million Pounds is an awful lot of money. But, Liverpool are buying a statistically reliable footballer for that amount. He may not be the most exciting buy, but certainly a solid and reliable one. For a club who passionately boasted about being the most successful club in English history till last year, this approach is certainly an interesting one.

But then, the times are certainly changing at Anfield, and for the good ! 




Written by-
Sriram Viswanathan

Can Dalglish be Liverpool's Messiah ?

Kenny Dalglish is back in the Liverpool Hot-seat

            King Kenny is back at Liverpool,the Place he left almost 20 years ago,as One of the Best Ever the Club had seen..Finally,it seems, the Liverpool fans have got their wish.Roy Hodgson,who many fans thought,led the club through their worst ever run, is gone,to be replaced by the Old Kop-Hero.For many,he represents hope,the sort of guardian angel,who can heal all their pains of mediocrity.But,has suddenly everything changed at Liverpool? Not Really.
            The Problems still remain at Liverpool Football Club.But,what Dalglish's arrival has done is that it has lifted the gloom around Anfield.The fans suddenly believe it's their team again.Some believe,almost to the point of foolishness, that Dalglish can take them back to their Glory-days.Suddenly,everything looks possible again.Funny,just one man's arrival should do that.But then,Kenny Dalglish isn't really like any other man.Many consider him to be the Greatest-ever to have played for Liverpool.He still remains the last man to win the English  League with Liverpool as manager,His achievements almost unparalleled.He's still The only manager of the Current era,to win the English League,with two different clubs.Liverpool fans have every right to believe,that they have found their saviour,or rather Re-discovered him.
                 Suddenly,the Anfield is buzzing again.The half-time boos,that usually accompanied the team at half-time will vanish instantly,at least for some time now.They say many players in Liverpool's current squad don't really understand what it really is,playing for Liverpool.Well, they will find out,by this Sunday. But, then, don't you think it's getting a bit too Romantic? Football Matches aren't won on just emotions,they are won by Hard Facts.The back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Blackpool are there to flash the warning signs.And no one understands it better than Dalglish.Even after remaining out of Football for long time,he still has one of the best Footballing Brains.His immediate decisions,to get Steve Clark as his Deputy,and putting full faith in Fernando Torres testify to that.
                  Liverpool still have massive problems to fix.Their defence is as porous as anyone's in the EPL.For every battling Jamie Carragher,they have a Glen Johnson,who,well,quite simply can't defend.Poor man's Dani Alves,you can call him at best.They need someone to support Torres,they know it from ages,but still we only see David Ngog and Babel running around cluelessly,when Torres is out.But,the biggest thing is they need is to get their confidence back.Let's not forget,they still have most of the players of the team that crushed Real Madrid 4-0,or the side that Romped to 4-1 at Old Trafford.They just need to believe in themselves,which,they just don't, at the moment.That's why,personally I think Dalglish's return could be the best thing to happen for Liverpool.I do not know what a master tactician he is,but he can motivate that team,He can charge them up,Make them realize that they play for Arguably the Most Historical Club in England (They are still unmatched in European Trophies,at least in England).Liverpool have suffered terribly for last few years.Reactions of some fans to the 0-1 defeat vs United show precisely how.Respectable Defeat,they claim.For a club of the stature of Liverpool,any defeat vs United should not be acceptable,even in such conditions.Can you imagine Chelsea losing to Arsenal and later claiming it was a "Respectable" loss?? Or Barcelona accepting any loss vs Real Madrid as "Good Performance"?

"Make Us Dream", that sums up Liverpool fans' feelings

             That's why,it's heartening to read about the names being linked with Liverpool now,since Kenny's arrival.Luis Suarez,Fabio Coentrao,even Charlie Adams of Blackpool,they are far better players to target than the Paul Koncheskys and Ngogs and Jovanovics Liverpool have been signing recently.It's nice to see some common sense returning there.
             Well,we do not yet know,if Dalglish can turn Liverpool's ailing fortunes around.But one thing you can be assured of,the passion is back at Anfield.There will be desire again,to go into every tackle hard,to win every ball,to win every game.The fans will get behind the team.Any team which goes to Anfield from now till the end of season,is sure to get one Hell of a game,For the Faithful Kop believe,they have got back their Messiah.And I can't wait to hear the roaring chants again,

                              "You'll Never Ever Walk Alone!"

"You-know Who" of Liverpool

Five-time European Champions,18-time English Champions,and yet again finding themselves embarrassingly 0-1 down versus not AC Milan or Juve,but Napoli...rest all, as they say,is History! Steven Gerrard,the charismatic captain,coming off the bench,to score a stunning hattrick,to save Liverpool yet again.How many times more,are we going to say that???

For the last few days,we have been singing about the greatness of Gareth Bale,comparing him already to Ryan Giggs,just after 2 classy performances,against the Defending European champions (But,please don't forget, champions who committed tactical suicide by replacing Jose Mourinho,with "Great" Rafa Benitez!!!)

2 more performances like that,and people may start to say he's better than Messi,possible! Yes,it's great to watch him tear apart World's best fullback to pieces,but let's not forget we have got a man who carries his team on his back week in-week out,He's called Steven Gerrard!

Many friends of mine will be surprised to read this,as they know how die hard Chelsea fan I am,but yes,after watching his heroics yet again in midweek,it's difficult not to praise that guy.Yes,it was only against Napoli,but in the current plight of his team,even that was a mammoth task!

Liverpool have been shambolic this season,no two ways about that,there is no desire to win,even Fernando Torres looks a lost man,but Gerrard is the only reason the Kops still have faith,he has always been there when they have needed him,just as he was on Thursday.Remember,when Liverpool needed a winner versus Olympiakos in stoppage time to avoid humiliation,it was HIM.When they needed a hero in Istanbul for the second half,or in the FA Cup final vs West Ham,he rose to the occasion,I still haven't forgotten his thunderbolt in the 91st min in that final!!

Yes,of course he has flaws,the drunken fight in a bar,and even diving at the smallest touch of a defender for a freekick,but he's only human,and he's one of the few who come closest to be Role models for young footballers.

Gerrard would have been a World-Champion,had he gone to Chelsea or Real Madrid,he even had the opportunities,no one would blame him for being ambitious ,but he chose not to.He chose to stay at the Club,he had dreamed of since his birth,even today,in the mediocrity surrounding Liverpool,still he shines like a beacon.And thats why,although I really hope he flops against Chelsea on Sunday, He is a real Hero in this world of "Ambitious" Rooneys and Ronaldos!!!