Summer '09 Transfer Speculation Thread

[Guest PaddyBerger15]

It looks as though I'm in a fairly small minority then. I wouldn't be suicidal if Downing came here in the Summer, I think he is ideally suited to the left hand side of 3 role that he would play.

[Qwality]

Hes no world beater but should give us a nice balance, goals and assists. Everything Kewell should have provided over the years i guess.

[Rashid]

I thin Bentley and Downing would both improve us but not enough to have us challenging how we want to IMO.

[Qwality]

I thin Bentley and Downing would both improve us but not enough to have us challenging how we want to IMO.

 

I think thats pretty fair. We really need to get our hands on another 1 or 2 world class or up and coming match winners. Whether we have the budget, vision and ambition to do so remains to be seen.

[WaltonRed]

Anyone see the interview with Capello on BBC 1 yesterday?

 

Lineker asked him who he'd been most impressed with and he actually said Downing which suprised me a lot.

[Cardie]

What do you mean 'challenge how we want'?

[Guest PaddyBerger15]

What do you mean 'challenge how we want'?

 

Babbelfish translation.....

"everybody gets what Rashid wants".

[RedinSweden]

What do you mean 'challenge how we want'?

 

shexshy football

[Xabi D]

I sometimes think Rafa has a hat full of mediocre premiership attacking midfielders names and he pulls out a couple every summer which he then chooses to sign. How else can you explain targeting James Milner IN THE FOUTH YEAR OF YOUR REIGN!?!?

[Monkeywool]

I actually quite rate Downing, he is understated but effective.

 

Capello even said in an interview the other day Downing is the one person in the England squad who suprised him because he didn't realise how good he actually is.

[Red Nick]

I actually quite rate Downing, he is understated but effective.

 

Capello even said in an interview the other day Downing is the one person in the England squad who suprised him because he didn't realise how good he actually is.

 

 

I could live with Downing who is a decent player far better than Milner who id just hate it if we signed him Downing and Bentley would improve us

[Royal Family]

Really hate to say it but, seeing that this Milner link just won't go away, I have to concur that it would be a total waste of money. Is there actually ANY point in wasting money - money we don't have and will simply go onto our debts - on someone we KNOW isn't good enough for a team with title ambitions? I felt the same when we signed Pennant (and Bellamy, and indeed when GH tried to sign Lee Bloody Bowyer(!)) - that it was a waste of money. And, to be fair, Pennant's actually been better for us than I thought we would be, even though he is not and never will be a top-drawer player. To top it all, Milner isn't even an improvement on Pennant.

 

If we buy Milner, we'll be selling him for half that price in 2 seasons. Add the wages in, the big signing-on and departure fees, and you're talking about a large amount of money. And for what? Of course, with any signing from abroad, you never know whether they will settle, regardless of fee, but i do think that anyone who follows the Premiership will know that a player like Milner will not improve us. I cannot see any justification for a move.

 

I can see what Downing would bring to the team, even though i don't overly rate him because of his inconsistency. But Milner? Just mediocrity.

[Thants]

Is it just me that wouldnt mind Milner? Am I alone? Maybe a poll who would welcome Milner. It's Milner time. Milner.

[Brownie]

Is it just me that wouldnt mind Milner? Am I alone? Maybe a poll who would welcome Milner. It's Milner time. Milner.

 

Milner, with Kevin Davies up front, you mentalist!

[Thants]

Milner, with Kevin Davies up front, you mentalist!

 

Stuff of dreams.

[Tycoon]

If we were looking to sign any of the toon players id much prefer Nzogbia to Milner, i think he would be perfect for us and he wants away from the geordies!

[stringvest]

Should've gone to SpecSavers

[ratcatcher]

Please, please, please god, NO!!!!!

[StevieH]

Downing is a very good player who will be a good acquisition. Naturally left footed, excellent crosser of the ball and scored 9 premiership goals last season in a mediocre Middlesbrough side.

[philyhamann]

I've said before that I think Downing could be a really good player, score goals and gets some good crosses in. Think he could up his game, his goal against us was great.

[StevieH]

I've said before that I think Downing could be a really good player, score goals and gets some good crosses in. Think he could up his game, his goal against us was great.

 

Absolutely. He looked a real prospect when he first broke into the Boro side & was tipped as a potential replacement for Ryan Giggs at Manchester Utd. He then went stagnate for a while, but last season he improved a great deal and upped his game and had probably his most consistent season. Middlesbrough are on the lookout for a new keeper and it may be that we could throw Carson in to any potential deal.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Genuinely two footed aswell. Would be a good signing at a reasonable price IMO.

[CWD82]

I've said before that I think Downing could be a really good player, score goals and gets some good crosses in. Think he could up his game, his goal against us was great.

 

If we have Downing on the left, who is a very naturally steady and dependable player, then we could really do with someone on the right who can change a game with a bit of skill or a bit of magic.

[dave u]

Word around the campfire is that the mancs are interested too, although they would like him to stay at Boro another year and sign him next summer. I don't know why, maybe because Giggs is only going to have one more season there?

[Rashid]

What do you mean 'challenge how we want'?

 

Actually challenge for the league title and not for 3rd place. I saw your comments on what Capello said, let's see how much he plays him in big games.