Do you rate Stewart Downing? Yes or no?

[RedinSweden]

He has just joined twitter.

 

Twitter

[Code]

Downing is a decent player and he is better than what we have from before so he will improve us.

 

I would not have paid more than max £14M for him though and I would start the bidding at around £10-11M.

 

There are loads of better wide players out there we could get for less than what we are going to pay for Downing so I`m not really overwhelmed by his supposed signing.

 

But at the end of the day if he improves us it can only be a good thing.

[W33LFCAndy]

I actually think Stewart is a fantastic player.He isnt really fast but fast enough.He isnt the most skillful player but he's skillfull enough to pass a player.2 areas that he really shines in are work ethic - Whether its the 1st or 90th minute, he will push himself to breaking point to get up the pitch and support his team-mates and he will do the same defensively.The other area that I think he shines in is his crossing - he doesent fall into the category of most modern wingers, people like (Theo) Walcott and (Aaron) Lennon who have pace but no end product (the cross or shot.) He is speedy enough to break on the counter attack and his crossing is brilliant.I've heard complaints that he plays the ball along the ground too much and not in the air (What we need at liverpool to give Andy Carroll service.) I for one think that is just plain stupid because at Boro and Villa he hasnever played with players with height.

 

This is my opinion but to everyone who is juping on the "What a waste of money" bandwagan just think, its not your money thats being spent so why complain??If Kenny,Damien and John are spending that much on him they must see something in him.

Always respect the king,

YNWA

[MLB]

He's not the kind of player who is going to put in performances like Suarez, but I think he will be like a better version of Riera. He will provide us with good balance, work-rate, good delivery, and more pace than he is given credit for. He's an unspectacular player, but I think he could be very effective.

[Unrighteous]

Downing is a decent player and he is better than what we have from before so he will improve us.

 

I would not have paid more than max £14M for him though and I would start the bidding at around £10-11M.

 

There are loads of better wide players out there we could get for less than what we are going to pay for Downing so I`m not really overwhelmed by his supposed signing.

 

But at the end of the day if he improves us it can only be a good thing.

 

I'm sensing a Glen Johnson moment, Code. Name those players.

[Anubis]

I'm sensing a Glen Johnson moment, Code. Name those players.

 

"Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Ten, we have......."

 

Take it away code.

[sir roger]

I advocated buying him when he went to Villa few years ago & while you have to say £20m is steep, we are in a market where 'run of the mill' defenders like Samba and Dann are being talked about as £12m+ & a ( to me ) very ordinary Cahill as £17m, so you could argue that as an attacking talent with 27 England caps it isn't so far out of line.

 

I think he has a fair array of wing skills , I like his work ethic & also the fact that he is a team player who is happy to play on the wing, working hard & isn't thinking it is beneath him like Ashley Young et al.

 

He will provide assists in the obvious way for Big Andy, but I suspect he will help Suarez even more as he will force the opposition right back out wide to face him, leaving more space between the full back & the right central defender where Luis does his best work for me. At present the right back can sit around the corner of the area & Luis gets effectively double-teamed.

[diamondjoe]

as long as he plays on the left I don't mind if we sign him. this "left footer on the right side" bollocks does my head in. we need players out wide not more of them cutting back inside. I mention this because a lot of the times I saw downing last season he was on the right.

 

I'm no Sacchi like, but isn't this to drag opposing fullbacks onto their weaker sides? allow space for attacking side full backs? never did Arjen Robben any harm anyway.

Anyway, all this relentless talk of wingers,wingers,wingers. In the modern game its the fullbacks who provide the width.

Downing for me isn't a signing that sets the pulse racing but him and Johnson down the left could be dangerous enough.

[The Golden Eel]

Yes.

 

But I still don't think it's a great signing at £20 million. We're looking for him to at the very least play as well as he's done last season, which is probably his best season since sliced bread, and then he'll do well enough. However, all there's talk about his ethic, commitment, he's a team player, etc, there's just something about him (I can't quite put my finger on it) that makes me worry that he won't be able to step up when it matters and will end up being an overpriced squad player. He does have the tools to do well here - let's hope he has the mentality.

[YNWAViking]

He's a good player.

 

He will however turn 27 in a couple weeks. I.e. he'll only have 3-5 good years left in him. I'd prefer we'd buy a good 20-23 year old instead.

 

But hey. Can't get everything you ask for rrrright.

[Magic_H]

Liverpool is where Downing wants to play next season not Arsenal, which is a massive boost for us. Plenty of times in the past we have been in for players and utd, chelsea and arsenal come in and they go there instead. We were his 1st choice, and he was ours. If we have to pay a little than we might have wished to secure our 1st choice left winger, then I say pay it. Too many times in the past we have settled for second best transfer targets and look where its got us.

 

Dalglish knows what he's doing and I have faith in his vision for the team. He rebuilt our forward line after the sale of Rush in 87 and is trying to do the same after the sale of Torres in January. We became a better team back then and i think we will become a better team now.

 

I reckon Downing will be a revelation for LFC playing alongside, Suarez, Carroll, etc, and with our new players added to the Dalglish factor, people really do need to believe in our teams aspirations for next season.

 

At 10/1 Liverpool are an excellent each way bet for the Prem next season.

[The Dude Abides]

Honestly wouldn't read too much into the 'only wants to play for Liverpool' stuff. It's pure spin.

[Magic_H]

Honestly wouldn't read too much into the 'only wants to play for Liverpool' stuff. It's pure spin.

 

I know, its pyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar bollocks. Thats why he discounted Arsenals interest and signed for us. :yes:

[Ted]

I'll be reading a lot into it, cheers.

[Wor Horse]

Honestly wouldn't read too much into the 'only wants to play for Liverpool' stuff. It's pure spin.

 

Except it isn't.

 

He turned down yer ma to sign for Liverpool. Or something.

[PaulMcC]

It's very weird (for this site), for anyone with a slightly different opinion to be called all sorts of names like seems to be going on these days.

 

Some people don't rate some players, there's nothing wrong with that.

[Guest The Chimp]

It's very weird (for this site), for anyone with a slightly different opinion to be called all sorts of names like seems to be going on these days.

 

Some people don't rate some players, there's nothing wrong with that.

 

I'm far from rude or confrontational usually but it's the lack of perspective that's truly irking me on here lately. I know it's in the past but when you look where we were, where we could actually be, and contrast even six months ago with now and a decent manager being backed fully and the club actually being safe from going into adminsitration and to be honest it beggars belief that some people are still not happy. A difference of opinion is fine Paul, it's the stamping of feet and hissy fits that I can't take.

 

It's all well and fine to say we should be buying "him" for this much, but does that take into account if the player wants to come; if his Mrs will be happy leaving family and friends behind to sit in Liverpool putting up with shit weather; what his wages and bonuses would total over a five year contract (do they make a player who appears to cost only a couple of million more ultimately ten million more expensive), if after a couple of years they player would be looking to move on and leave us in the lurch, and perhaps most importantly of all, if the manager sees said player fitting into the system he's trying to employ?

 

Maybe jibbing this off for a bit would actually be a good idea for me.

[therevivalist]

Downing for 20m is madness. We have squandered precious resources to bring in real quality from the continent or where ever, players who could enable us take the next step toward the top. We may live to regret losing this opportunity which doesn't come very often.

[therevivalist]

I advocated buying him when he went to Villa few years ago & while you have to say £20m is steep, we are in a market where 'run of the mill' defenders like Samba and Dann are being talked about as £12m+ & a ( to me ) very ordinary Cahill as £17m, so you could argue that as an attacking talent with 27 England caps it isn't so far out of line.

 

I think he has a fair array of wing skills , I like his work ethic & also the fact that he is a team player who is happy to play on the wing, working hard & isn't thinking it is beneath him like Ashley Young et al.

 

He will provide assists in the obvious way for Big Andy, but I suspect he will help Suarez even more as he will force the opposition right back out wide to face him, leaving more space between the full back & the right central defender where Luis does his best work for me. At present the right back can sit around the corner of the area & Luis gets effectively double-teamed.

 

Is this Sir Kenny himself, in disguise.

[Unrighteous]

Downing for 20m is madness. We have squandered precious resources to bring in real quality from the continent or where ever, players who could enable us take the next step toward the top. We may live to regret losing this opportunity which doesn't come very often.

 

[Guest The Chimp]

Downing for 20m is madness. We have squandered precious resources to bring in real quality from the continent or where ever, players who could enable us take the next step toward the top. We may live to regret losing this opportunity which doesn't come very often.

 

And with that I bid you adieu. Been nice knowing you guys.

[The Dude Abides]

I know, its pyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar bollocks. Thats why he discounted Arsenals interest and signed for us. :yes:

 

Of course he did.

[Josef Svejk]

Honestly wouldn't read too much into the 'only wants to play for Liverpool' stuff. It's pure spin.

 

I'm fairly sceptical about such claims myself. But there are cases where a player just feels like a certain club is the right one for them, even if it isn't the most successful or the highest paying or whatever. It might be that they have friends there, or like the prospective employer, or simply think it's the right career move for all number of reasons. I think that's true in any line of work, even if salary or prestige or whatever are often overriding factors in career decision making.

 

In this case, Downing realises that he'll be a first choice player for a historically significant club that seems to be on the rise (without getting carried away about its prospects), and at which he already knows - and perhaps likes - some colleagues. He may simply feel differently about Arsenal - its manager, players, prospects, location, determination to hire him, and so on.

 

Of course, we may have been the biggest club with a genuine interest in him. But I don't think that Downing himself has claimed otherwise...

[Unrighteous]

Of course he did.

 

It's been confirmed that more teams (with CL football) contacted Villa about Downing. Downing only wanted to join us. He was desperate to join us.

[Chinandeler Bong]

This thread has been invaded by Rawkites.

Its disgusting.