Do you rate Stewart Downing? Yes or no?

[Kevin D]

maybe a mod can add a poll if they can be asked.

 

[capablanca]

Yes.

 

He's an intelligent footballer and is most def a team player. I think he'll contribute a lot to us for the next few seasons.

 

Any doubters should really ask themselves why would KK & DC be willing to invest in someone they didn't think would improve our squad and contribute something. I'm not saying we should should blindly trust them, but ffs credit them with some judgement.

[Unrighteous]

He's ok at a certain price but we are gonna pay over the odds for him. Our squad must be one of the slowest in the league and he's not exactly blessed in the pace department.

 

I don't understand sweeping statements like that.

 

We're not 'slow'. Our slowest attacking options are Dirk, and Maxi out of Adam, Henderson, Maxi, Kuyt, Suarez, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, and Carroll.

 

We're quite a bit faster than the start of last season. We haven't got a 'speed merchant' or someone with 'pace to burn' in our attacking front line... but we're by NO means slow.

[Glen C]

Yes.

 

He's an intelligent footballer and is most def a team player. I think he'll contribute a lot to us for the next few seasons.

 

Any doubters should really ask themselves why would KK & DC be willing to invest in someone they didn't think would improve our squad and contribute something. I'm not saying we should should blindly trust them, but ffs credit them with some judgement.

 

All managers make mistakes, King Kenny included. I'm not just going to change my opinion of someone just because the king likes him. I've just never rated him. I've watched him like i said he's a decent and solid player, but i'd expect more than that for £20m. I'd prefer Bastos personally. Nothing to do with him being foreign, just think he's a better player and has more versatility.

[neopulian]

Any doubters should really ask themselves why would KK & DC be willing to invest in someone they didn't think would improve our squad and contribute something. I'm not saying we should should blindly trust them, but ffs credit them with some judgement.

 

It could be that they can't sell the club to higher caliber players. If that's the fact of life then that's the fact of life we have to live with, until the club evolves further and things change. But lets not pretend the mediocre players we overpaid for, or about to overpay for, had some mysterious unmeasurable qualities, or invent such qualities for them.

[Falconetti]

I would love us to sign Downing, in fact: Downing>Mata

And I have always wanted Downing over Ashley Young.

I think he would be perfect for us

[The Dude Abides]

I rate him about £10-12m.

[Glen C]

I would love us to sign Downing, in fact: Downing>Mata

I think he would be perfect for us

 

In what way do you rate downing higher than mata?

[Lario]

Modern day Stuart Ripley.

Didn't have blistering pace to beat a man, but he didn't have to. He stayed wide, received the ball, moved it half a yard to give himself space, and whipped the ball into Shearer and Sutton.

Absolute lynchpin of that Blackburn team that one the league, and was involved in most of Blackburn's goals that year.

 

Now, who was the manager of Blackburn back then?

[neopulian]

Modern day Stuart Ripley.

Didn't have blitering pace to beat a man, but he didn't have to.He stayed wide, received the ball, moved it have a yard to give himself space, and whipped the ball into Shearer and Sutton.

Absolute lynchpin of that Blackburn team that one the league, and was involved in most of Blackburn's goals that year.

 

Now, who was the manager of Blackburn back then?

 

In case you haven't noticed, the quality of the league had improved 10 folds since those days.

 

For comparative measurement, try to look up England's UEFA coefficient then and now.

[Lario]

In case you haven't noticed, the quality of the league had improved 10 folds since those days.

 

For comparative measurement, try to look up England's UEFA coefficient then and now.

 

Doesn't matter a jot, people still need to cross a ball.

 

Any era of football you want to think about, a good winger will square up the fullback/opposing winger, shift the ball away from the opponent, and bend the ball around him.

 

Football at it's simplest and most effective. Couldn't give a fuck about coefficents.

[Section_31]

Not especially. I'd say he's of middling ability. A 6/10 in the talent stakes.

[neopulian]

Doesn't matter a jot, people still need to cross a ball.

 

Any era of football you want to think about, a good winger will square up the fullback/opposing winger, shift the ball away from the opponent, and bend the ball around him.

 

Football at it's simplest and most effective. Couldn't give a fuck about coefficents.

 

Really? Pray tell when the last time this brand of "simplest and most effective" football win anything?

 

Of courses, you woudn't give a fuck about the coeficients. Fits in well with modern day. Don't like the evidence? Deny it. You'd make a great tea-bagger here in the US.

[capablanca]

Any era of football you want to think about, a good winger will square up the fullback/opposing winger, shift the ball away from the opponent, and bend the ball around him.

 

 

While I largely agree with that, I think there is more to him than that. Lets face it, he's spent most of his career surrounded by average players and his performances are going to reflect that. Give him some decent movement around him and players with some guile and skill I think we'll have a different proposition.

[spider-neil]

In what way do you rate downing higher than mata?

 

not saying downing is better (gosh no!) but downing is actually a left winger and mata is an attacking midfielder who 'can' play in a wide position.

[satansmutt]

[/b]

 

I don't understand sweeping statements like that.

 

We're not 'slow'. Our slowest attacking options are Dirk, and Maxi out of Adam, Henderson, Maxi, Kuyt, Suarez, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, and Carroll.

 

We're quite a bit faster than the start of last season. We haven't got a 'speed merchant' or someone with 'pace to burn' in our attacking front line... but we're by NO means slow.

 

You've got to be joking all of the above mentioned players are slow by todays standards Gerrard is the only one with a bit of pace and he pulls a groin muscle everytime he breaks into a sprint. Kuyt,Maxi and Adam couldn't win a race against my gran, Adam makes Lucas look like Usain Bolt and Carroll is so tall he needs 20 yards before he gets into his stride. The only player in our squad with genuine pace is Johnson.

[zigackly]

Pace is nothing without direction. We have quick enough players to win all our games. When did you last see us camped in our own half anyway?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Pace is nothing without direction.

 

I do agree, Zig, but we also need to recognise the important of pace in the wide areas. At least one of the wingers and one of the fullbacks need to have real pace.

[zigackly]

I do agree, Zig, but we also need to recognise the important of pace in the wide areas. At least one of the wingers and one of the fullbacks need to have real pace.

 

I think Downing's speed is underrated by many. He's quick enough to do what he needs to without being a complete waste of oxygen like Cisse, Walcott or Lennon.

[satansmutt]

Neither Suarez or Carroll are fast so we need a fast winger or teams can push up and put our midfield under more pressure, you always need pace or the threat of pace to unsettle teams our squad is very one paced almost pedestrian

[zigackly]

Anyway we all know there are only two possible speeds in football. "Pacey" or "fucking shite".

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I think Downing's speed is underrated by many. He's quick enough to do what he needs to without being a complete waste of oxygen like Cisse, Walcott or Lennon.

 

He's fast enough to occasionally do it. He's not a quick winger though, is he. I'm not saying he doesn't have good attributes, but that pace isn't one of them. He isn't slow, but he's certainly not quick.

 

He either bends it round the fullback or he hits the fullback.

[neopulian]

I think Downing's speed is underrated by many. He's quick enough to do what he needs to without being a complete waste of oxygen like Cisse, Walcott or Lennon.

 

Walcott >>> Downing, and the jury is still out, but it's arguably Lennon>Downing too.

[zigackly]

Walcott >>> Downing, and the jury is still out, but it's arguably Lennon>Downing too.

 

Hahaha! It's not often the internet truly does make me laugh out loud. I don't know whether to rep that, neg it, or print it out and put it on my wall to laugh at again.

[Section_31]

Neither Suarez or Carroll are fast so we need a fast winger or teams can push up and put our midfield under more pressure, you always need pace or the threat of pace to unsettle teams our squad is very one paced almost pedestrian

 

Ashley Young was the one really.