Stewart Downing is still unhappy with the way Brendan Rodgers managed him.
Former Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has criticised former manager Brendan Rodgers’ man-management skills.
The West Ham star was called out publicly by Rodgers during his time at the club, criticised for a supposed unwillingness to make tackles.
Not for the first time, Downing has hit back, and on this occasion he is more animated than previously, taking Rodgers to task.
The 28-year-old told The Mail: “He (Rodgers) as the one manager I had problems with.
“I found it very difficult and the way it was handled – to come out in the papers and basically slag off your player by saying you don’t try – that was poor really.
“If it’s a one-one-one conversation and he wants to grill me, I can take that. But when it’s open like that; I don’t understand why some managers do it. You can lose the player completely. Did he do it as a gee-up? Maybe, but I didn’t appreciate it.”
The problem for Rodgers, was on this occasion Stewart Downing’s reputation among the Liverpool support and general public was at an all-time low.
He managed to combine a poor debut season with only a marginally improved second, entirely failing to justify an expensive price tag, also tarred along with other poor over-priced performers like Andy Carroll.
Not being one of Rodgers’ signing originally, there was clearly a little self-doubt from Downing as to whether the Northern-Irishman wanted him in the first place.
The pair may not have parted on amicable terms, but Downing’s sale was likely a deal which suited all parties.
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