The view from the opposition: Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing insisted Middlesbrough will come to Anfield to play on Sunday, as the former Liverpool winger provided a view from the opposition ahead of the final day.
The Premier League season concludes tomorrow and the Reds can secure a top-four finish if they beat the north east side, whose relegation back to the Championship has already been confirmed.
Downing, who spent two years with Liverpool from 2011 to 2013, is looking forward to a return to Merseyside but warned that Boro have no intention of surrendering the points.
Read on for his preview of the contest…
It has been a disappointing season for Middlesbrough, but still one big game to go…
It’s obviously disappointing to be relegated, which we all didn’t expect as a club. We thought we’d get over the line and stay up. But it’s a big game on Sunday. We have to go there and do a professional job and hopefully try to stop Liverpool getting the result they need.
How much do you enjoy coming back to Anfield as a former player?
It’s unbelievable. Anfield is a great place to play, the fans are unbelievable. I can imagine the atmosphere is going to be electric on Sunday. They’re going for the top four so they’re going to need everyone behind them.
Your season started pretty well but seemed to tail off. Was there a problem with a lack of goals?
I think so. Overall as a team, we probably didn’t score enough goals or were clinical enough in front of goal. That has obviously cost us in the end. But it wasn’t for the want of trying.
Middlesbrough have got one of the best defensive records in the bottom half of the league. Could Liverpool run into a problem this weekend?
I hope so. Liverpool have got some terrific front players, with a lot of movement and goals in there. So we’ll have to be on our guard. Defensively, as a team we’re quite solid. We’ve struggled for goals but hopefully we can get a couple on Sunday.
You’ll have seen how other teams have set up at Anfield…
Even in my time there, a lot of clubs set up behind the ball and make it difficult for Liverpool. But they have got some very good players who can still open you up. They have had a couple of disappointing results but on their day they can beat anyone and beat them well. We’ve got to be ready.
Which players have stood out for Middlesbrough this season?
Young Ben Gibson in defence has had a lot of plaudits. He has done really well. He has stepped up to it. It has been difficult for a lot of us. He has probably been the standout performer.
Is there anyone in the Liverpool side you particularly need to be aware of?
They have got that many wonderful players, it’s quite hard to pick. But Coutinho is obviously the biggest threat – he is an unbelievable player on his day. I watched the game last week and I thought Sturridge was really good and sharp. You’ve got to be careful with him because he’s got moments of magic in him. But they’ve got a lot of good players. We just have to be defensively tight and make it as difficult as we can for them.
With it being your last game in the Premier League, will you want to go out and express yourself?
We’ll certainly have a go. We gave Manchester City a really good game and we should have won, to be honest. We’re not just going to go there and spoil the party. I would have hoped Liverpool would be in the top four by now. That’s not to be. We’ll certainly have a go if we get the chance to exploit the spaces they leave behind.