Reds Agree Downing Fee.

[Red '84]

mata is a cracking little player, an amazing ball player but he is not a wide man so i wish people would stop making comparisons with this signing.

 

downing has been bought for a very speficic reason and only time will tell if he will be a success in that role.

 

and yes i too will have a wank if we sign mata which i think is unlikely but mata and downing are not similar styles of players!!!!

 

so get over it.

 

the king is here and all these decisons will ultimately decide if he´s a success in this second spell but jesus h christ for the time being just have a little faith people!

[capablanca]

This is great news, downing is a fantastic player and professional, a great passer of the ball, quick and can score a few goals. He is heading towards the peak in his career with the players around him that he will have he will be a great signing! Trust kenny, he knows exactly what he is doing!

 

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.

 

Yes.

[bentw]

Disappointed. Hope to be proved wrong however.

[El Rojo]

Fantastic news. Only the middle of July and Kenny already has three of his first choice targets in the bag - all this before we've shifted any of the deadwood.

 

Everybody's entitled to their opinions on the merits of individual players, but finally a Liverpool manager is being backed to the hilt which is the key thing for me.

[caracaracara]

Exactly. I can't really be that bothered if we're spending a little extra to get that player that we really want. I trust Kenny and I trust Henry.

 

Given the shit state of our transfer dealings over the last few years I can not believe that anybody should be mildy concerned what the club see as value for player. We should be happy that we are getting upgrades on the Aldi purchasers we made over the last few years (as the previous owners were taking the money out of the club).

 

I expect the owners to bring in a few more players before the window closes and hopefully a big marquee signing. I still fancy us to get Mata as I don't see him as a winger but a 'between the lines' type player. The nearest we have to that is Joe Cole. If Hamburg gave us half the Mata fee I would say worth the upgrade due to age.

 

Back on topic, welcome to Downing (if it goes through) - Charlie will find you with those raking cross field passes everytime when you are in space hugging the touch line. Predict every 1 in 3 situations will result in a goal, direct or assist.

[Horus]

 

Time for these threads to be over. Whatever our personal opinions on this signing, it's all academic now. If everything is finalised, I'll welcome him to the club and back him to the hilt. I hope he proves to be an absolute steal, regardless of the fee and he is, more importantly, part of a successful team.

Edited July 13, 2011 by Horus

[Mark M]

Kenny wanted him. Thats good enough for me, he won the league with wilcox and ripley on the flanks for fuck sake.

He's a very good team player, works the wing well helps his full back gets crosses in and has pace.

Happy Days!!!!

[Kurt]

Off course im pleased.

 

Not to bothered about the price. The important thing is that we have owners backing our manager who has unified the whole club. Kenny has been allowed to sign the players he wants. That`s how it should be.

 

Konchesky out and Downing in, is a good day at the office.

[Iceman]

£32.5M according to reports.

 

I can confirm this.

[mi2061]

Konchesky out and Downing in, is a good day at the office.

 

truer words have never been spoken

[gingerhulk]

I can confirm this.

 

I will eat my face if we have paid 32.5 mill for downing

[Liam]

I'm happy. He'll bring us the balance we havent had since Riera's first season (year we came second).

 

I would just sell midfielders now and focus on one more top attacker and a left back and centre back. I hope we are prepared to pay full whack then!

[The Dude Abides]

meh.

 

Hoping to be very pleasantly surprised by him.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Disappointed. Hope to be proved wrong however.

 

Me too. Our transfers this pre-season have been nothing short of disgraceful. Relatively young, flair players, who want to play for us and will try and influence the game and will risk breaking down our rigid 4-4-2, defend on the edge of your own box at home, against inferior opposition style of play.

 

We need more journeymen, who albeit having limited talent, will put in a decent shift. Players like Konchesky, Poulsen and Brad Jones. Compared to last season, I can't believe how disappointed I am with this seasons transfers....Plus, Carlton Cole is on the verge of signing for Stoke too. Another one that's got away.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

why would it be 10 million, when they rejected 15 million?

 

It will be at least 18, maybe even 20.

 

I was being absurd to illustrate his lack of logic.

[J-V]

Disappointed. Never rated and I doubt he will do much to change that opinion. Hope he does mind.

[Iceman]

I will eat my face if we have paid 32.5 mill for downing

 

Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

[Ziggy Stardust]

The price seems to be quite a lot higher than I expected, but fuck it, I'm really pleased we're getting him.

[Arl arse]

I'm happy because Kenny will be happy & what makes Kenny happy is all that Mata's. ;)

[Lucky Pierre]

£32.5M? Hope he breaks a leg in his medical.

[truered23]

In a nutshell:

 

Pleased,but not excited.

[Iceman]

Funneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee will be laughing.

[Beantown Red]

STEWART Downing tonight joined Liverpool as Villa grudgingly agreed a £20 million deal to sell their star of last season.

 

Downing handed in a transfer request yesterday and a fee was reached between the two clubs during a series of late night telephone calls.

 

Villa chief executive Paul Falkner told the Mail: "I can confirm that we have reached an agreement with Liverpool following an improved offer received earlier today and the submission of a formal transfer request by Stewart Downing and have subsequently given them permission to speak to the player."

 

The LFC website stated: "Liverpool have now been granted permission to discuss personal terms with the player and arrange a medical."

 

Liverpool are currently in the Far East on a pre-season tour.

 

Villa have already turned their attention to replacing the England winger and have now decided to step up their interest in Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia.

 

Alex McLeish has also earmarked Aiden McGeady as a possible target with reports the former Celtic winger is unsettled at Spartak Moscow.

 

Privately, Villa are believed to be fuming that Downing has failed to repay their faith for signing him on crutches from relegated Middlesbrough for £12 million in July 2009.

 

Downing will leave Villa just two years into a four year contract after a complete U-turn over his prospects of signing a bumper extension.

 

The 26-year-old winger hinted he was willing to commit his future for longer after picking up a series of player of the season gongs at Villa’s annual awards dinner in May.

Stewart Downing factfile

 

But Downing’s growing desire to quit Villa Park for Anfield was such that he submitted a formal written transfer request yesterday to try and force the issue.

 

However, it was Kenny Dalglish’s willingness to meet the claret and blues’ £20 million asking price, rather than the player’s actions which forced Villa to relent on their previous ‘not for sale’ stance and cash in.

 

McLeish was reluctant to sell the left-footed midfielder just weeks after Villa lost their other wide player Ashley Young to Manchester United for £16 million.

 

But the impending deal will give the new boss much more scope in the transfer market. Villa do not wish to spend much more than half of it on a replacement for Downing, freeing up spare funds to strengthen other areas of the squad.

 

Meanwhile, McLeish is hoping to bring out the best in players like Stephen Warnock and Stephen Ireland, who were cast aside during the Gerard Houllier era.

 

“I think you’ve got to understand that we’ve got to pay respect to the boys that are here,” he said.

 

“I think we have to move forward with what we’ve got. I said in the dressing room, we have some players who have probably not done justice to themselves or a club of this magnitude, and I have to find the reasons for that.

 

“Going by what I’ve seen in training, there has been a lift in the spirits of some of those individuals on training.

 

“I can’t just say to Randy Lerner, there’s a bunch of guys that have not been doing it, get them out and get another six in. In these days if careful trading it’s not easy to just go an decimate a whole squad and start again.”

 

Read More Updated: Aston Villa sell Stewart Downing to Liverpool for £20million - Aston Villa FC news - Aston Villa - Sport - Birmingham Mail

[JimmyConway]

I'm very happy with this signing.

[RobbieOR]

Pretty happy.

 

It was like most signings at first, not that pleased but then it grew on me, now that he's one of us Im dying to see him play.