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DOWNING ENGLAND'S BEST ON THE LEFT 11-10-06
Rob Dixon
I was reading a couple of Sunday papers at the weekend to gauge the press reaction to England's inability to break down Macedonia the day before and I read something quite funny.
The player ratings in one paper said Stewart Downing had 'wasted chance after chance' to provide quality service to England's attackers from the left. The paper felt that maybe the time had come for our homegrown star to be dropped.
The funniest thing was that a couple of paragraphs later, the writer of the piece discussed two of England's best second half chances: headers by both Crouch and Lampard from Downing crosses. The contradiction baffles me.
As I write this, the Guardian website is running a poll asking 'Is Stewart Downing good enough for international football?' The current standing of the poll is an 81% no.
So was Downing really so bad that he should be banished from international football forever? Or is he being used as some kind of scapegoat to bury the fact that several of the untouchable golden boys of the side were simply ordinary against a very organised and tidy team?
Well, it is true to say that, despite the dream first start against Greece, we are yet to see the best of Downing in an England shirt. However, he is the best player this country has for that position.
The people who hold Joe Cole so dear for his left-sided play are deluded. On Saturday, Downing made two chances in the second half with two kicks of the ball. It takes Cole five stepovers and a turn onto his right foot to do the same. The advantages of a balanced 4-4-2 with left sided players in left sided positions will eventually reap rewards.
For now though, Stewie needs our wholehearted support to overcome this unfair criticism he's receiving from the national press. I can't help but think that some of it stems from the fact he remains with Boro.
Despite the heroics of last season we remain an unfashionable club and I can imagine some southern journalists can't get their heads around why the lad would want to stay up here rather than join the ever-growing squad at Spurs.
The answer is simple: he loves the club and knows he can get everything he needs here. Let's repay that loyalty with our full support and faith in him. After all, the responsibility of turning around our poor start to the season may just rest in his hands.
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Thinking about the Boro's season so far is a tiring and depressing subject. While the homecoming of Jonathan Woodgate did prompt a mini-revival of sorts (ie. two away draws), a spark is still missing from the team.
Last season was an emotional and historic rollercoaster for all involved and I think the lack of any general excitement to look forward to this season (no European games to look forward to, poor performance in one cup already) is what could be blighting the side. The team may also be lacking confidence in the league, as it was the competition they were least successful in last season.
Whatever the reason for the paucity of displays, Southgate needs to turn things around. The only way to get the excitement of a European campaign back at the club is to play with the commitment, urgency and desire to climb the league and earn one. There's still thirty-one games to go, so let's get on with it.
Up the Boro.
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