Stewart Downing

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Ha! Carroll was NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS going to move for less than 20m

 

That's just talking thick.

 

Well, it would be had it been what I was implying. He clearly wasn't going anywhere for less than 35m. I'm saying that's 15-20m too much for his current quality. That makes him 20m at the high end and 15m at the low end. He was for sale for next to nothing a year or so before.

[Kopite Pete]

Villa won't sell for £12m. They are no mugs. Look at the Barry and Milner deals.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Downing is exactly what Carroll needs, a player that hugs the touchline and can get himself a yard to whip a great cross in. Downing also gets in the box and has a decent shot on him.

 

Now we need a player in centre midfield who can move the ball quickly and switch play to either flank. Someone like Charlie Adam.

 

I know it's fashionable to go for a load of individually brilliant players who can pass and move the ball in between the lines like Arsenal and Barcelona but we've got a hulking centre forward who can't run in behind the defences so we need to make sure we get the right player for him to thrive off. He could get 15 - 20 goals a season with the right delivery and Suarez will get that through his individual brilliance, he doesn't need to be supplied in the same way.

 

I like the look of our front two if we can get Downing in

 

It's funny really, because if any of us had been asked a year ago whether Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll were the three players we needed to bring us the title, people would have laughed their cocks off. Then, when told we need to pay 65 or 70m quid for the three, we'd have gone mental.

 

A little while later, some people are well into the idea of it. It's going to be looked back on as a serious joke to spend that cash on two middle of the road signings and one player who could be hit or miss. Just hope we avoid the pitfalls of Downing and Adam. They'd make tidy squad players, but for the money and the position we're in, we need first team players. It'd kind of make mockery of Kenny's 'highest calibre' quote. Neither of those two are highest calibre.

[Christian]

Anyone who thinks Downing is better than Young must be smoking crack.

[Welsh]

Anyone who thinks Downing is better than Young must be smoking crack.

 

Not better, but I'd much sooner Downing over Young.

[Phoenix]

I could handle £12-13m for him. 15 million would be my absolute tolerance level.

 

Some people are incredibly harsh. He was Villa's player of the year for a reason.

 

and Lucas was player of the season at Liverpool. You dont see Real Madrid/Barca advocating his signature.

[BenR_]

It's funny really, because if any of us had been asked a year ago whether Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll were the three players we needed to bring us the title, people would have laughed their cocks off. Then, when told we need to pay 65 or 70m quid for the three, we'd have gone mental.

 

A little while later, some people are well into the idea of it. It's going to be looked back on as a serious joke to spend that cash on two middle of the road signings and one player who could be hit or miss. Just hope we avoid the pitfalls of Downing and Adam. They'd make tidy squad players, but for the money and the position we're in, we need first team players. It'd kind of make mockery of Kenny's 'highest calibre' quote. Neither of those two are highest calibre.

 

Great point, I feel people are far too willing to sign pretty average Premier league footballers on the merit of them simply having one standout season in an otherwise mediocre career.

 

Carroll's fee is in the past, it's done and there's no point in voicing regrets or concerns over it now.

But proceeding with the madness and spunking £30m on the wall on Adam and Downing now is just fucking mental and if it happens I will, sadly, lose all faith in our transfer strategy and any hopes we have of a top 4 finish.

 

It will indeed make a mockery of Kenny's statements, unless he was very diplomatically using the term 'highest calibre' and his definition of highest calibre is Downing and Adam, which I hope to god it isn't.

[Trucker Paddy]

Charlie Adam won't cost any more than £7m, if we got him Downing and Dann for £30m and send Konchesky to Birmingham, i'd be happy with that outlay for the 3. Add £6-7m to the Geordies for Enrique.

Also £20m on a Mata/Hazard I think we'd all be happy.

Getting rid of at least ten players which we need to do is a bigger problem.

[The Bugged Out]

and thats the key, its how many we manage to get shut of.

[Iantn]

Anyone who thinks Downing is better than Young must be smoking crack.

 

Or like a consistent final ball.

[BenR_]

Charlie Adam won't cost any more than £7m, if we got him Downing and Dann for £30m and send Konchesky to Birmingham, i'd be happy with that outlay for the 3. Add £6-7m to the Geordies for Enrique.

Also £20m on a Mata/Hazard I think we'd all be happy.

Getting rid of at least ten players which we need to do is a bigger problem.

 

Downing and Adam alone will be around £30m mate. Add Dann and Enrique and we can end up paying around £45m for Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Scott Dann and Jose Enrique. How does that make any sense? Is it not what we always hated? Did we not always say quality ahead of quantity?

 

Would you really be happy with that in, say, April, before most of those were linked heavily with us? Hell if you'd have asked me in January I'd have laughed my arse off. Think there's a real optimist mechanism in play here, where players suddenly become a lot better when it starts to look like they're coming than they were before.

[zigackly]

Kenny is our manager and he has done ok in the past. I would say judge his and Comolli's transfer activity this summer by how the team performs next season, rather than damn them for it before we kick a ball.

[Il Fenomeno]

Or like a consistent final ball.

 

Harsh criticism of Young I feel, as he has had more assists than Downing for every season in the past 6 seasons.

[Abs]

Downing is exactly what Carroll needs, a player that hugs the touchline and can get himself a yard to whip a great cross in. Downing also gets in the box and has a decent shot on him.

 

Now we need a player in centre midfield who can move the ball quickly and switch play to either flank. Someone like Charlie Adam.

 

I know it's fashionable to go for a load of individually brilliant players who can pass and move the ball in between the lines like Arsenal and Barcelona but we've got a hulking centre forward who can't run in behind the defences so we need to make sure we get the right player for him to thrive off. He could get 15 - 20 goals a season with the right delivery and Suarez will get that through his individual brilliance, he doesn't need to be supplied in the same way.

 

I like the look of our front two if we can get Downing in

 

Last thing you need is someone like Downing with Caroll in your team. Caroll is a great option as he's a beast in the air. But dont go too far and become a team thats build to feed Caroll like Newcastle was.

 

Liverpool lacks pace, someone who can beat his defender and create havoc. Downing is not that guy, he's a good player. But with Downing not being the quickest, you will see him just put in crosses to Caroll all game. Teams will learn how to deal with this by defending higher up the pitch as they have no one with pace to worry about.

[Iantn]

Harsh criticism of Young I feel, as he has had more assists than Downing for every season in the past 6 seasons.

 

Mainly because he takes every single set piece though, rather than him being a consistently good at delivering the ball. He isn't Walcott levels but he isn't consistently good.

 

Downing, I reckon, has a better level to his deliverys.

[Iantn]

It's funny really, because if any of us had been asked a year ago whether Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll were the three players we needed to bring us the title, people would have laughed their cocks off. Then, when told we need to pay 65 or 70m quid for the three, we'd have gone mental.

 

A little while later, some people are well into the idea of it. It's going to be looked back on as a serious joke to spend that cash on two middle of the road signings and one player who could be hit or miss. Just hope we avoid the pitfalls of Downing and Adam. They'd make tidy squad players, but for the money and the position we're in, we need first team players. It'd kind of make mockery of Kenny's 'highest calibre' quote. Neither of those two are highest calibre.

 

Last year is last year though. All three of them have had really good seasons at the clubs we are looking to sign them (signed them) from.

 

No club has ever really had more than 4 top, top class players. The rest of the side is normally good, functional and consistent performers than compliment the rest well. Carroll, Downing and Adam fit that bill. Ideal world is maybe a different thing from them three but football isn't an ideal world. And you don't have to be ideal to win things.

[zigackly]

Last thing you need is someone like Downing with Caroll in your team. Caroll is a great option as he's a beast in the air. But dont go too far and become a team thats build to feed Caroll like Newcastle was.

 

Liverpool lacks pace, someone who can beat his defender and create havoc. Downing is not that guy, he's a good player. But with Downing not being the quickest, you will see him just put in crosses to Caroll all game. Teams will learn how to deal with this by defending higher up the pitch as they have no one with pace to worry about.

 

I wouldn't buy Downing unless we also get a player in the mould of Hazard or Mata personally. That would give us both types of option. I think that's pretty much the plan.

 

How much would Arsenal supporters give for a plan B?

[Iantn]

I think that's pretty much the plan.

 

And that's what most are thinking of. There is a plan to what we are doing that we'll only see after the window shuts. Too many people are looking at this as individual signings but football isn't an individual game.

[CWD82]

I think the key is whilst Young might be a bit more creative and harder to read (in so much as he can cut inside and play a pass or shoot or he can go outside his man and cross with his left) that uncertainty is not the best supply for Carroll.

 

Like how van Nistelrooy used to love playing with Beckham because he knew where the ball would always be delivered and couldn't really read Ronaldo because he never did the same thing twice.

 

As long as we get the right service in to Carroll he will beat anyone in the air. Downings quick enough on the break and can give a consistent delivery.

 

Having him on one side allows for a bit of a wildcard player on the other side which we might sign as well.

 

A midfield of Downing, Gerrard, Lucas and Gervinho (only putting him in because we've been linked in the past) is not the worst I've ever seen

[Abs]

I wouldn't buy Downing unless we also get a player in the mould of Hazard or Mata personally. That would give us both types of option. I think that's pretty much the plan.

 

How much would Arsenal supporters give for a plan B?

 

Not as much as you would give for CL football:P

 

Im just playing. But I would take Young ahead of Downing any day of the week

[CWD82]

Last thing you need is someone like Downing with Caroll in your team. Caroll is a great option as he's a beast in the air. But dont go too far and become a team thats build to feed Caroll like Newcastle was.

 

Liverpool lacks pace, someone who can beat his defender and create havoc. Downing is not that guy, he's a good player. But with Downing not being the quickest, you will see him just put in crosses to Caroll all game. Teams will learn how to deal with this by defending higher up the pitch as they have no one with pace to worry about.

 

So when teams defend a high line you've got the pace and movement of Suarez running in behind the defence like at Fulham and Sunderland.

 

When they defend deep Carroll can get on the end of crosses.

 

Downing is quick enough to be honest. He's not slow on the counter at all

[zigackly]

Not as much as you would give for CL football:P

 

Im just playing. But I would take Young ahead of Downing any day of the week

 

Bet you would swap CL football for just one of the five trophies we've won in the competition :P

 

I would sign both if I could. Or at least two players of the same types.

 

You realise by the way that if we don't sign Downing Wenger will?

[Phoenix]

Consistently average.

 

 

I hope Arsenal sign Downing

[Trucker Paddy]

 

Downing and Adam alone will be around £30m mate. Add Dann and Enrique and we can end up paying around £45m for Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Scott Dann and Jose Enrique. How does that make any sense? Is it not what we always hated? Did we not always say quality ahead of quantity?

 

Would you really be happy with that in, say, April, before most of those were linked heavily with us? Hell if you'd have asked me in January I'd have laughed my arse off. Think there's a real optimist mechanism in play here, where players suddenly become a lot better when it starts to look like they're coming than they were before.

 

Adam will be £7m, Enrique and Dann similar amounts, I think we may go to £18m for Downing, and then we'll say no more.

You ask am I happy, I think those 4 players would greatly improve on the 4 players there replacing Greek, Konchesky, Poulsen and Jovanavic so I would be happy with it, people need to realise our stock is low were not gona persuade Wesley Snijder type players to join us for a couple of years, 2 years of no CL etc, the fact we got one superstar in Suarez in was brilliant if we managed to get a Mata or Hazard in this summer it's bloody genius.

[Abs]

Bet you would swap CL football for just one of the five trophies we've won in the competition :P

 

I would sign both if I could. Or at least two players of the same types.

 

You realise by the way that if we don't sign Downing Wenger will?

 

I dont think Wenger will sign him at all, just paper work. Wenger will sign an argie called Ricky Alvares. He's also a left sided player and more than likely he will be our first signing next week.

 

By the way word is Liverpool has made Clichy their nr 1 left back signing