Stewart Downing amnesty.

[Brend'Watkins]

He is now starting to show his valuation and has become our most in form player.  That's the standard he needs to uphold for the season.  We'd be a far weaker team if we didn't have him in his current form.

[pauliewalnuts]

Whilst I'm not a fan of "see, told you so" threads, it is hard to see who has been our best player this season so far, if it isn't Downing.

[Phil from the upper holte]

A lot of people said he would be better after a pre-season and he has,! He's not our best player by a country mile but he is playing well. Ireland will go the same way he is quality and that will show.

All players don't settle in straight away

[KevinGage]

Whilst I'm not a fan of "see, told you so" threads, it is hard to see who has been our best player this season so far, if it isn't Downing.

Friedel, Luke Young, NRC, Ash have bigger claims to that IMO.

Alongside Heskey he has probably been our most improved player.

But best? No.

Until he makes regular match altering contributions I don't see how that stands up.

If the ball deflects in off Sidwell's arse in the 89th minute on Sunday no doubt we'll be seeing similar revisionism with him.

[Ads]

I think you’ve got an entrenched view there that’s getting in the way of reality. Downing has played consistently well all season and has contributed goals, chances, assits and so on in nigh on every game.

I will agree that Heskey has done well and NRC has been superb for the most part. Ash has been very disappointing and its your inclusion of him that bemuses me most. You appear to be measuring Downing by a different yard stick to everyone else.

[mrfuse]

Downings one of those players that always looks good on MOTD but we all know that he does go missing quite a lot I think hes improving but not quite their for me.

Best player for us so far I got to say its close between Reo and Albrighton for me and Im Gutted Albrighton is out on Sunday, im sure he is too!

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I'd go with Downing as best overall player, so far.

[PeterWithesShin]

I was never a Downing fan and really didn't want us signing him. However, he has proved me wrong so far this season and long may it continue. However, he is yet to do it consistently but the signs are good.

If it was a full pre-season etc that has made the difference to him, and the same will apply to Ireland, what concerns me is these players are still first team regulars when out of form and/or unfit. The Downing we saw last season could well have "cost" us a top 4 place or even a trophy. Can we keep having the luxury of carrying a player under those circumstances? Would a run in the reserves not be more beneficial, to both the player and us?

[PaulTheVillan]

I find it such a nonsense to see clichéd tripe like being “a powder puff”. I’ve seen him make plenty of good tackles this season, as I’m sure the neigh-sayers have as well. To single him out for this sort of criticism when we have Young in the side who struggles to cope with the effects of gravity is bizarre.

Downing is in the team to create chances, score goals, excite us and cover his full back. He’s doing all of that and to a high standard, so the OP is correct in singling him out as our best and most consistent performer this season. He’s been excellent and his goal on Wednesday was fantastic.

My thoughts exactly.

[PaulTheVillan]

NRC, Downing & Heskey have been very good under GH.

Last season I was very critical of all 3 of them. I'm delighted they're performing.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Downing is stepping up a level now he is fit and his confidence is returning. Think if Ireland had put that goal in against Chelsea we would start to see what a great player he is going to prove to be. For some reason i think Sidwell is gonna get the winner against the Shit ........

[Olneythelonely]

Maybe you would have an argument if SD was terrorizing full backs week in week out scoring and setting goals up, but he doesn't.

He's scored 4 goals so far this season. More than any other of our midfield/wide players and three of our strikers.

[Mr Diggles]

As the opening post says, he is having a great season so far. Clearly he needed time to bed in, and the change in our footballing approach has also probably helped him. Long may it continue.

I also agree on Ireland - I really do think he needs time (andsome decent forwards to play with) before we see the best of him, but I have seen flashes of it already, and am looking forward to what he will be.

[usav]

Ok. Time to man up here.

Can I just say how much I hate that expression - oh, we already have a thread for that.

Couldn't agree more TV, he has been excellent and we saw glimpses of it last year without ever seeing the full potential.

[avfcpg]

Only doubt I had over Downing was just how bad his injury was and how well he would recover. Can't have been easy, bad injury, new club etc but is now looking like the player I thought he would be.

Same for Ireland...quality player, he'll come good.