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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?

 

 

So we are about to spunk 20 million on a modern day Stuart Ripley, and if we are trying to recreate the Blackburn team where does Suarez fit in?

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In what way do you rate downing higher than mata?

 

Downing wants to play for Liverpool FC, Mata wants to stay at Valencia(at least till RM wants him)

Downing has proven himself in the premiership

Downing can make an immediate impact, I think Matas performances will vary more

Downing is a better passer

Downing got better workrate and I assume he´s got better tactical skills

Downing will be cheaper

We got Suarez

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

 

Lennon is fucking shit. His final ball is woeful. Walcott is a funny one.

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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.

 

Sure, but unless you are buying off the very top shelf you tend to get pace or product but not both. I would rather a good footballer than someone who is literally like shit off a shovel.

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Guest Numero Veinticinco
Sure, but unless you are buying off the very top shelf you tend to get pace or product but not both. I would rather a good footballer than someone who is literally like shit off a shovel.

 

£20m, or more according to some, is surely big enough money to get a player - if not proven, but potentially - who can run quick and deliver a good ball?

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Guest Numero Veinticinco
And Downing is worse than them, had done less than them, but is older.

 

Downing is significantly better than Lennon, in my opinion. He's not even a footballer, he's a runner. Downing quite clearly isn't 'fucking shit'. He's decent enough, he's okay. He's just not a £20m player, in my opinion.

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£20m, or more according to some, is surely big enough money to get a player - if not proven, but potentially - who can run quick and deliver a good ball?

 

 

Is right! and for that price or a few quid more we could get top draw.

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£20m, or more according to some, is surely big enough money to get a player - if not proven, but potentially - who can run quick and deliver a good ball?

 

See you probably think we could get Mata for that and if we could I would agree, but I reckon we would be bidding against other clubs and it would quickly get nearer thirty.

 

Maybe there are better players out there for less money. I probably don't spend enough time watching obscure leagues.

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you may or may not downing but C'MON he is better than lennon. lennon is the very definition of headless chicken as is walcott. brainless footballers who will more often run down a blind alley or kick the ball against a defenders legs then put decent service into the box.

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Downing is significantly better than Lennon, in my opinion. He's not even a footballer, he's a runner.

 

He's not just a runner, he's just erratic in the extreme and seems to need specific instructions. He however has sheer pace to turn a game, like he did against Milan or Portugal.

 

Downing on the other hand had never impressed against a class opponents that he wasn't familiar with.

 

OK, so that criteria is a little random, but that's why the jury is still out.

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I never really rated him that highly, but he was good last season.

 

I'm trying to convince myself he'd be value for money, and not just better than our current players on the left.

 

I think most people are trying to convince themselves, but if any of our previous 2 managers wanted him for the money talked about it, they wouldn't be as open to the signing.

 

Saying that, if Kenny really wants him, I hope he gets him.

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you may or may not downing but C'MON he is better than lennon. lennon is the very definition of headless chicken as is walcott. brainless footballers who will more often run down a blind alley or kick the ball against a defenders legs then put decent service into the box.

 

So often people forgot that the chance Walcott spurned were also chances he himself created. And he can turn a game around on his own, remember his goal against us in the Champions League a few year back when he ran through our entire team to score?

 

Walcott is feared and respected by Barcelona, try to imagine them quaking in their boots at the thought of Downing. I can't.

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He's not just a runner, he's just erratic in the extreme and seems to need specific instructions. He however has sheer pace to turn a game, like he did against Milan or Portugal.

 

Downing on the other hand had never impressed against a class opponents that he wasn't familiar with.

 

OK, so that criteria is a little random, but that's why the jury is still out.

 

Youtube players. Downing hasn't played Champions League football by the way so your criterion is a bit misaligned. He's certainly created goals against the top clubs in this league.

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I think there is almost certainly better value to be had out there if we end up paying what Villa want for him. There is bound to be someone out there who is better than him for the money, but then that is nearly always the case. Hernandez has proven to be better value than Balotelli, Dzeko and Torres, for example. It's finding those players that's the problem. I do think Downing is a good player though, and very much improved. Many people who watch Villa regularly seem to be of the opinion that he was better than Young last year. Also, you can definitely see how he would fit into our system. He is unselfish, technically sound, versatile, and he actually really wants to come here. I'm not sure I can think of another player who fits that criteria.

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Downing completed more crosses than any other player in the premier league for the last three seasons. There's what he offers instead of outright pace. People who dismiss him as shite because he can't run as fast as Walcott are only looking at half the picture. Anyway he's not exactly slow either. Like Numero says, he will beat quite a few fullbacks, just not every time.

 

I think that's what irks me about these threads. Not that someone like Downing is brilliant because he's not, but that he gets no recognition at all off some people who should know a lot better given they are posting on a football forum and can hopefully tie up their own shoelaces.

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If anyone wants him here just because he's better than what we already have on the left then you want him for the wrong reasons, he's got to be so much more than that

 

No he doesn't. We're not trying to win the title.

 

We want him so we can qualify for the Champions league post-haste and sign better players.

 

A short-term fix for long-term gain.

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If we're that desperate for someone to cross from the left I'd rather spend the £20mill+ on Baines. He's as good a crosser if not better then Downing, would sort the Left back issue and spends plenty of the match in advanced positions. oh and he's English.

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Youtube players. Downing hasn't played Champions League football by the way so your criterion is a bit misaligned. He's certainly created goals against the top clubs in this league.

 

Downing also had 29 caps, no memorable moment (if you don't count the inept ones) and certainly no goal. Both Walcott and Lennon had impressed on occasions playing for England.

 

And the reason Downing hadn't played for a Champions League team is because everyone that qualified had considered him no better than 2nd or 3rd option. Over the past decades, any Englishman with slightest display of class got snatched up pretty quickly by the rich boys.

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Good player but not world class, yet Villa are demanding a world class fee for him. I really don't think we should go over £15M for him. The £25M that Villa are demanding for him is laughable and if they won't budge from that we should tell them where to go.

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