West Ham United midfielder Flynn Downes has been praised for his exceptional performance in a UEFA Europa Conference League clash at Anderlecht on Thursday.
Journalist Jonty Colman marvelled at the former Swansea City midfielder’s showing in his player ratings column for Football.London.
Downes has struggled for regular playing time after securing a £12m move from the Liberty Stadium to the London Stadium this summer, having made just one substitute appearance in the Premier League, alongside four appearances in the Europa Conference League, according to Transfermarkt.
The 23-year-old won’t be used to such little playing time, having played in 39 games for the Swans last season, becoming a regular in the middle of the park for Russell Martin’s side.
But Colman was heaped praise on Downes following his performance in the Irons’ 1-0 win at Anderlecht on Thursday evening, with the midfielder showing David Moyes what he can offer the east London side.
“There was only a second start in West Ham colours for Flynn Downes, bought into the midfield allowing both Declan Rice and Tomáš Soucek a rest,” Colman wrote on Football.London.
“Looked really good in possession, keen to both receive the ball and move it forward where fit, creating a half chance for Antonio with a clipped in cross.
“Consistent throughout the game, won battles in midfield, fought for possession as much as he could and really impressed facing an Anderlecht midfield that had plenty of energy in it. 8.”
TIF Thoughts on Colman’s comments
We believe that Downes’ performance suggests that he is ready to earn a regular spot in Moyes’ side when the opportunity props up for him.
The Brentwood-born midfielder earned a SofaScore rating of 7.5 for his performance in the Europa Conference League clash, after making 61 out of 67 passes earning him a completion rate of 91%, and winning a combined ten from 15 aerial and ground duels.
On top of this, the same stats provider says he made five tackles and two interceptions, suggesting that it was an all-action performance from the combative midfielder.
Therefore, we think that Downes needs to keep taking his opportunities in both Europe and the Carabao Cup, and he will soon find himself in contention for a starting role in Moyes’ Premier League side.