Stewart Downing insists he's a better player for a tough first season at Liverpool.

The midfielder's form earned him a place in England's Euros squad.

"Criticism makes you stronger," said the winger. "You are always going to get criticised at a big club like Liverpool but it is a great club to play for.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my first season and I am sure we will be better next year."

As Liverpool's troubles continued, so the mirth at Dalglish's repeated insistence his side was doing nothing wrong grew louder.

Yet Downing is adamant there was some truth in his old boss's assertions, even if the eventual outcome tells a different story.

"A lot has been said about Liverpool and the fact we didn't perform but we battered teams at Anfield at times," he said.

"I can think of one or two bad performances. Most of the time we were very unlucky. We just didn't have that killer instinct. The manager said there wasn't much you could say and that was probably right.

"But a lot of new players signed, we played in two cup finals and came away with a medal so there were a lot of positives to come out of it as well."