Stewart Downing

[Paco]

looks better on the right despite being a left footer. good solid premiership player - maybe the "ray houghton" of the summer for us if you count Suarez as "Beardsley" and Carroll is "Aldridge".

 

can't wait to see who the "John Barnes" will be.

[silverlining]

looks better on the right despite being a left footer. good solid premiership player - maybe the "ray houghton" of the summer for us if you count Suarez as "Beardsley" and Carroll is "Aldridge".

 

can't wait to see who the "John Barnes" will be.

 

Or the "Steve McMahon"

 

Or the "Steve Nicol"

[Trucker Paddy]

A very clever player who's improved alot, and is better than Ashly Young who's stagnated but is a threat because his pace.

I hope we sign Downing for £12-14m, but I hope it's along with a player level with Suarez for quality

[Horus]

looks better on the right despite being a left footer. good solid premiership player - maybe the "ray houghton" of the summer for us if you count Suarez as "Beardsley" and Carroll is "Aldridge".

 

can't wait to see who the "John Barnes" will be.

 

That's quite a mixed up post. Ray Houghton was a completely different kind of player to Downing. Aldridge was a great goalscorer with a proven track record, Carroll is a target man that has different strengths and will never score the amount of goals Aldridge did.

 

It really is a fruitless exercise labeling these players as "the next/new......." Especially when your comparisons are so wide of the mark it's untrue.

[silverlining]

A very clever player who's improved alot, and is better than Ashly Young who's stagnated but is a threat because his pace.

 

He's stagnated so much that he scored more goals and created more goals than Stewart Downing last season.

And the season before that.

And the season before that.

 

Next.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

If you want to compare how many goals Downing scored for a relegation battling side such as Boro against a 5th place chasing side like villa of recent years than fine. Last season in the same side both players scored and created pretty much the same amount, with young afforded the luxary of taking penalties. Don't be so dismissive of other peoples views

 

Firstly, that 'boro side wasn't always fighting relegation. In his early days they were mid-table.

 

01/02 - 12th

02/03 - 11th

03/04 - 11th

 

Downing scored 0 from 25 appearances in those seasons before going out on loan to Sunderland. When he returned:

 

04/05 - 7th (5 goals from 35)

05/06 - 14th (1 from 12 in the league and 0 from 14 in Europe and FA Cup)

06/07 - 12th (2 from 34)

07/08 - 13th (9 from 38)

08/09 - rel (0 from 37)

 

So only once was he in a relegation battle, and only once had he scored more than 5 goals.

 

He scored 2 from 25 and 7 from 38 in his two seasons at Villa. It's not spectacular stuff. Especially from an attacking player.

 

Ashley Young:

 

07/08 - 8 from 36

08/09 - 8 from 37

09/10 - 5 from 37

10/11 - 7 from 33 (same as Downing with 5 games less)

 

Ashley Young gets a mega amount of assists though. In those four years it's 17, 14, 16, 12.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I like Downing he's a good player. He just seems the type of player we have been signing for the last 15 years though decent but a few levels below the best. He would improve us though, baby steps to greatness.

 

I have this feeling there's going to be a lot of disappointed fans at the end of this window largely down to our own fantasy signings.

[BenR_]

Do you really think Downing will be sold for £12-14m?

 

I think that's why a lot of people are seemingly so happy to have him, you don't seem to understand how much he's going to cost. Too many folk seem to think he'll go for £9-14m or so.

 

We can get Mata for slightly more, if not the same price as we could get Downing for, if we can convince him to come, I don't know that much about Mata but if he's as good as people say, then surely it's a much better option?

[Welsh]

If it was down to him or Young I'd have Downing without a doubt.

I hope we go after better wingers though, I can see Mata wanting to join given the chance, Adam Johnson would come (would cost a bit though) Perotti is boss, and wouldn't cost that much.

 

Good player but I agree we can do better.

[Carradona]

I really want us to sign Downing. Sign him and another winger (one who can play on the right) and we will be fine in that area.

 

I've made a point of watching Downing loads since January ever since Brownie and Dave U said that we are interested in him. He's much, much better than people give him credit for. the argument that he is too slow is a complete myth. He's got a cracking left foot on him, and would get loads of assists and chip in with a few goals too.

 

I'd pay £13million for him, nothing more than that though.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I like Downing he's a good player. He just seems the type of player we have been signing for the last 15 years though decent but a few levels below the best. He would improve us though, baby steps to greatness.

 

I have this feeling there's going to be a lot of disappointed fans at the end of this window largely down to our own fantasy signings.

 

Well, down to media speculation, Kenny's words and the fact we've got new owners.

 

"The people we'll be looking at are of the highest calibre" -- Kenny.

[Duff Man]

I was hoping for better. Mancs getting Young and us getting Downing says it all really.

[Trucker Paddy]

 

He's stagnated so much that he scored more goals and created more goals than Stewart Downing last season.

And the season before that.

And the season before that.

 

Next.

 

Paul Konchesky had more assists in the premier league than Gareth bale this season

 

Next

[RedinSweden]

Not really. Scores less, less natural talent, not as good a dribbler, not quite as injured and probably cares a bit more.

 

Depends if you mean Harry Kewell who played for us or the real one we thought we were buying. The one that played for us scored 16 goals in 139 games. Downing has got 8 in 44 for Villa this season. So, not amazingly different.

[dennis tooth]

Firstly, that 'boro side wasn't always fighting relegation. In his early days they were mid-table.

 

01/02 - 12th

02/03 - 11th

03/04 - 11th

 

Downing scored 0 from 25 appearances in those seasons before going out on loan to Sunderland. When he returned:

 

04/05 - 7th (5 goals from 35)

05/06 - 14th (1 from 12 in the league and 0 from 14 in Europe and FA Cup)

06/07 - 12th (2 from 34)

07/08 - 13th (9 from 38)

08/09 - rel (0 from 37)

 

So only once was he in a relegation battle, and only once had he scored more than 5 goals.

 

He scored 2 from 25 and 7 from 38 in his two seasons at Villa. It's not spectacular stuff. Especially from an attacking player.

 

Ashley Young:

 

07/08 - 8 from 36

08/09 - 8 from 37

09/10 - 5 from 37

10/11 - 7 from 33 (same as Downing with 5 games less)

 

Ashley Young gets a mega amount of assists though. In those four years it's 17, 14, 16, 12.

 

 

That may well very well be the case but he's gone to United anyway. Don't want neither but if forced I'd take Downing becuase Kenny I think would improve him, he wouldn't cost as much meaning we can use the money to add another player, wouldn't demand automatic selection, he is left footed and I think we need a natural left footer who can cross and thats not Young anyway, even if he didnt plan to sign for the mancs which he does in my view and United, I think, want him.

Ideally I would take neither but would back Kenny if he thinks he can get out of the Downing what he got out of a Ripley or Wilcox then fine, its' about balance and the team winning games. For all Ashley's talents going forward he's basically been given a licence as a big fish in a small pond and does not take into account the defensive side which he has never had to bother much about there and as a possible consequnce Villa have been shite defensively.

I can see another issues and that is Young is shite in a 442 whereas Downing can do a good job there (Going off when I've seen them Young has only ever been effective in a 433 when absolved of duties) and does more work, again it depends what formation/s Kenny has in mind but young at left mid in a 442 is asking for trouble.

[BenR_]

If you think we can buy Downing for circa £13m, give your head a wobble.

 

I shall say no more on this subject. People are in for a shock when we make our move and Villa quote their price.

[The Dude Abides]

He's not a bad player by any means, and he'd improve us. But....i still think hes the type of signing that will potentially only see us slip further behind City, Chelsea and United. Because they'll go out and sign Sanchez or Hazard, and we'll sign Downing.

 

I think the only scenario where I'd be truly pleased to have Downing is if he comes in alongside Mata or someone else of that calibre.

[Kopite Pete]

Villa didn't budge on the Gareth Barry fee when he had 2 years left on his contract, And they proved with Milner they don't let players go on the cheap. I don't think this will happen unless we offer silly money. And I cant see Villa selling Young and Downing.

[Seemann]

I think Downing is trying to keep the price for him down by saying this?

 

It should play into our hands and this could even be something 'someone' whispered to him? I think this is an indication that he is about to leave if the fee is reasonable.

 

Hopefully we get him and Mata - who would have thought so 12 months ago?

[Brownie]

Not sure where the £13M/£14M is coming from. It will be much closer to £20M.

[zigackly]

Its not nearly as bad as the "he's better than what we have" argument.

 

Why would you say that? Surely the argument is that we will buy the best we can afford and convince to come here. If that is Downing and he improves us then I see no problem with that from a team perspective, but I would be concerned about the ambition and resources of our owners.

 

My personal hope is that Downing is not the whole picture though, and if we are planning to buy a better attacker then why not Downing as well, if we can afford both? It's not as if we are well stocked with brilliant wingers is it?

 

I honestly don't see any situation where we should not improve our team and squad to the best level we can afford to.

 

The only problem comes if we could afford better and go for Downing instead.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Not sure where the £13M/£14M is coming from. It will be much closer to £20M.

 

It comes from people saying 'I wouldn't pay more than'. Do you think £20m is a price we'd pay?

[Guest PurpleNose]

Not sure where the £13M/£14M is coming from. It will be much closer to £20M.

 

We won't pay £20m though will we? Shirley?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Why would you say that? Surely the argument is that we will buy the best we can afford and convince to come here. If that is Downing and he improves us then I see no problem with that from a team perspective, but I would be concerned about the ambition and resources of our owners.

 

My personal hope is that Downing is not the whole picture though, and if we are planning to buy a better attacker then why not Downing as well, if we can afford both? It's not as if we are well stocked with brilliant wingers is it?

 

I honestly don't see any situation where we should not improve our team and squad to the best level we can afford to.

 

The only problem comes if we could afford better and go for Downing instead.

 

Because 15-20m can buy a much better player, would be my argument.

[Guest PurpleNose]

Why would you say that? Surely the argument is that we will buy the best we can afford and convince to come here. If that is Downing and he improves us then I see no problem with that from a team perspective, but I would be concerned about the ambition and resources of our owners.

 

My personal hope is that Downing is not the whole picture though, and if we are planning to buy a better attacker then why not Downing as well, if we can afford both? It's not as if we are well stocked with brilliant wingers is it?

 

I honestly don't see any situation where we should not improve our team and squad to the best level we can afford to.

 

The only problem comes if we could afford better and go for Downing instead.

 

My point is that in certain areas of our squad we could improve by buying a reasonably aerodynamic traffic cone. It doesn't mean we should buy one though.

 

My fear is that we pay vastly over the odds for someone like Downing and end up giving up on really good player like Mata. Because we don't have Champions League football, we'll have to really push the boat out for a player of his calibre, and I hope we do. I hope that we're in a position to do so.

 

I'm not really interested in how much Downing costs in isolation. Its more that we will have a finite budget. Even if we're not sure what it is. Even if the owners aren't yet.