Stewart Drowning

For some, the occasion is simply too large.  The stage too grand.  The shirt...too heavy.  It's impossible to know, of course, which individual will respond to the enormous pressures placed upon him by coach, club, and city.  For every resounding success, there exists resounding failures by the tenfold.  For every hidden gem sprung from Grêmio or Monaco, there exists a foil - the next big thing flop - nurtured through La Masia or Clairefontaine.  Stewart Downing is neither.  A Middlesbrough academy product before switching to Aston Villa following Middlesbrough's relegation, Stewart Downing's journey has been relatively straightforward, if not pedestrian.  181 league appearances for Middlesbrough produced 17 goals and 31 assists, while 63 for Villa saw 9 goals and 10 assists.  2010-2011, a season in which he received Villa's player of the year award, was a career year for Stew, where he recorded 7 goals and 9 assists.  Targeted in the summer as a cornerstone of Kenny Dalglish's homegrown revolution at Anfield,  it was expected that Downing would slot in on the left and immediately provide Andy Carroll the kind of services he regularly displayed at Villa and Boro.  At 27 years of age, after all, Stew was entering into the peak of his playing career and had an already established premier league reputation - albeit at smaller clubs - for creating goals.

On December 22nd, 2012 Stewart Downing recorded both his first league goal and league assist for Liverpool Football Club.  A full 18 months following a £20 million move from Villa and 46 appearances later, Stewart Downing is finally on the Reds' scoresheet.  After months filled with transfer speculation and discussion questioning Downing's desire to even feature, he had finally broken through.  Moreover, he had been rewarded for a streak of games in which he had played well above his Liverpool average.  Why then must he tarnish it by this petulant gesture (above)?  Is it actually possible that Stew believes the criticism directed his way is unwarranted?  That this one goal, against a deplorable Fulham side makes up for his complete profligacy to date?  Silencing the Kop, one of the preeminent supporters sections in the world, shows a remarkable lack of class for a decidedly unremarkable footballer.  Heavy hangs the Famous Red upon Stew's shoulders.  And, ironically, in one of a precious few positive moments for Stewart Downing, he's again confirmed he's drowned by it.


YNWA.