Downing Finally Steps Up

The emotional strains of the Justice Collective’s ‘He ain't heavy he’s my brother’ resonated around the ground pre kick-off on a week which saw the single sell 14,000 more than X Factor’s winner James Arthur’s Impossible and looking likely to be the Christmas no.1. The week finally saw the Hillsborough inquest verdicts quashed in the High Court.

Following the disappointing loss to Aston Villa, Raheem Sterling with the ink still drying on his new contract, joined Joe Allen, whose recent under whelming performances warranted an earlier stint on the bench, in being rested. Suso and Enrique, back after injury, returned to the starting line-up with Stewart Downing promoted from left-back to right-wing.

As is now our trademark, we controlled the play as if the ball belonged to us. What distinguished this game from the others was an early goal. Gerrard as he did all game sent an excellent pass out to the flanks, Downing drove outside the fullback delivered a low cross to Shelvey’s whose flick was blocked. Gerrard’s corner was brought down expertly by the unmarked Skrtel in the area, who thumped home a stunning volley high into the net past Schwarzer.

Fulham were all at sea, with the Liverpool midfield champing at the bit to rectify last weeks submissive display. The absence of Ruiz, Sidwell and Diarra left Fulham bereft of any intensity and their display must vye for the most insepid of the season. Downing was now warming to the occasion and unleashed a stunning angled drive which flashed past the post.

As usual chances came and went. Gerrard’s scissor volley from Suarez cut-back deflected off Hangeland into the path of Suarez who played the ball across the face of goal invitingly for Agger who inexplicably slid in to knock the ball over bar from barely two yards out. Richardson struck Fulham’s first real shot in anger from 20 yards which Reina saved in unorthodox fashioned with his legs as the ball swerved back at him.

Stewart Downing enjoying his most productive Premiership game in a Liverpool shirt produced the pass of the match, playing a beautifully stunned reverse ball from just outside the area to pick out Gerrard’s surging run for him to dispatch like the captain of old.

We could so easily have scored four or five before half-time. Suso, put through from a glorious Suarez pass shanked a shot wide and Suarez tried to out fox Schwarzer at his near post, but the Fulham keeper saved low down.

Rodallega replaced Kacaniklic for the second-half with Berbatov moving into the hole behind the Columbian striker. Within a minute of the restart Suarez should have ended the game as a spectical, as he screwed a half volley wide of the post. The Anfield crowd didn’t have to wait long for closure. Downing picking the ball up on the right darted in, with old Anfield faithful Jon Arne Riise freewheeling backwards as if on skates, cut in on his favoured left foot to smash his shot past Schwarzer’s desperate dive.

As was the idiosyncratic nature of Fulham’s play, they improved after our third goal looking decidedly more balanced and more of a threat from midfield and in attack testing Reina twice on the hour, with Liverpool easing up with the game all but won. Downing fired back with a swerving angled drive from 25 yards which had the Kop faithful off their feet looking to celebrate another goal from the seemingly rejuvenated winger.

Strangley Sterling and Joe Allen came on for Suso (who produced a fine performance) and Shelvey. Gerrard again roaring into the area almost squeezed a shot past Schwarzer. Suarez linking delightfully with Gerrard went on a jinking run going past three Fulham defenders despite loosing his balance almost toe poking the ball under the onrushing Schwarzer.

Jamie Carragher replaced Lucas for his obligatory final few minutes under Rodgers.

The final few minute of injury time saw a short corner from Gerrard to Enrique. The Spaniard scooted along the by-line to cut back for Suarez to tap home from close range for a comprehensive victory to move us into 8th place.

Kop-Post Man of The Match: Stewart Downing - was as positive in a Liverpool shirt as he has ever been. He showed a willingness to attack the full-back both outside and inside which was good to see and his stunning pass for Gerrard’s goal was the moment of the match as it was about vision and the delicacy of touch to deliver a pass to pick out the captain in full flow. Let’s hope he can continue his form and build into a level of consistency worthy of place in the team especially against more difficult opposition. But not to be churlish, he was excellent today and great to see him get on the score sheet and get his first Premiership assist for the club.

Comment: Excellent performance to bounce back from the catastrophic result against Villa. Gerrard was magnificent in the centre controlling the tempo of the game with some spectacular long and short range passes. Added to that with his goal and defensive work he could so easily have been the man of the match.

The whole arena joining in applause for Justice For the ‘96’ on the 20th minute mark was a proud moment for the game.

Critical Eye: With the game well and truly won with 20 minutes to go these are the types of games where having Adam Morgan on the bench to gain some vital experience is a must. It’s disappointing that a player with potential is not being giving the chance to gain the experience in a position where we have been sadly lacking all season.

Manager’s Comment: He told reporters: "I thought he [Downing] was brilliant today in every aspect of the game.

"He’s in his late 20s, an England international a few years ago and he wasn’t playing so we spoke about how he could get into the team and if he wasn’t playing then we would’ve looked at it in January.

"I think his reaction from that moment - like it has been for Jose Enrique and one or two of the others - has been outstanding. His goal today was a fantastic strike.

"His pass for Steven’s goal was superb so if he keeps playing like that he’ll be going nowhere."

He added: "Last week we disappointed [but] this week [has] been our first week we’ve been able to work right the way through from Saturday to Saturday.

"And you could see the reaction of the players. Their pressing was outstanding and the quality of their football and goals was brilliant, so it was a great three points for us and terrific performance."

Rodgers also expressed satisfaction with the season so far and looked ahead to a packed festive schedule in which he believes the Reds can kick on.

He continued: "We know the [holiday games] be tough games but our only focus is the next game.

"Obviously Stoke will be difficult but over this period there are four games in quick succession so we’ll recover the players well and make sure our focus is right because it’s a great opportunity to pick up points and keep moving forward."

Team: 23 Reina, 2 Johnson, 3 Enrique, Agger, 37 Skrtel, 8 Gerrard, 19 Downing, 21 Lucas, (Carragher - 83 min), Shelvey (Allen - 74 min), 7 Suarez, 30 Suso (Sterling - 71 min)

Subs: 1 Jones, 23 Carragher 23, 47 Wisdom, 4 Sahin, 14 Henderson, 24 Allen, 31 Sterling

Ref: Mark Clattenberg

Att: 44,570