SSN: "Downing won't commit to Villa"

[Markerton]

Full story on SkySports.com.

Downing:

I am 26 and at a major crossroads in my career so I won't be committing to a new deal at the moment.

"When I was injured that made me realise what it can be like to be out for such a long time. It hurt. The most important thing is to play football, but I do want to play in the Champions League at some point.

Same shit, different day.

Does anyone else see this as a bad thing? I'm starting to worry.

I can bear losing Young, but if we lose Downing as well then I'm gonna start shitting bricks already.

[Irish villain]

Double plus f**k. :-(

[Shrek]

What a knob, same old Villa, not giving 5 years deals out, how thick is our board? Milner, Ash and now Downing all record signings on 4 year contracts!

[luke25]

Full story on SkySports.com.

Downing:

I am 26 and at a major crossroads in my career so I won't be committing to a new deal at the moment.

"When I was injured that made me realise what it can be like to be out for such a long time. It hurt. The most important thing is to play football, but I do want to play in the Champions League at some point.

Well as good as he's been for us this season he still would'nt get into any of the current champions league teams.

[Markerton]

The reason players are leaving (IMHO) is because we're not showing any passion or ambition.

The signing of Darren Bent has shown we WANT to be a top club, and I think it's up to the management to pull their wallets out and start showing the money to the players we want NEED to keep.

[ozzjim]

Said on the transfer thread from hos comments a couple of weeks back to this there has been a shift. Agents whispers almost certainly. If there was a silly bid over 15 million I would sell and be done with it. Fed up of wondering if X is staying or going.

[Oscar Arce]

We won't keep our top players unless we improve and get into the top four or five, ever twas thus and always will be.
Young this season, Downing next, I'm afraid it's depressingly predictable.

[Irish villain]

There's too many question marks hanging over the club. Will GH be back, will he not? Will there be money to spend will there not? Is Ash off is he not?

We really need to answer a few of those questions in the next few weeks and start building the team up again.

[cdbearsfan]

We need to get a respected manager in as soon as possible to convince our stars to stay and, just as importantly, get others to sign.

[Mr Diggles]

Players, or rather more accurately their agents, are mercenaries. As Tevez's attitude at M<an City has shown it doesn't matter what you can offer them, it doesn't matter how much you spend or this bollocks about the board showing 'passion' or 'ambition'.

If Downing wants to go there's nothing the Villa board can do to stop him. And anyway, the best clubs in the world also lose their players, so all this bleating is a little ridiculous. Is it another blow? Yes of course. Will it happen again, and again, and agina, no matter how successful Villa were? Yes, of course.

[CJ]

He's still got 2 years left on his current deal.  After flirting with relegation this season maybe he's waiting to see who the manager will be, which players we buy, and what direction we start heading in next season.  If it's more of the same next season he'll continue our recent habit of selling our best player every summer. If things look better maybe he'll then sign a new deal.  Not reading too much into it tbh

[luke95]

We need to get a respected manager in as soon as possible to convince our stars to stay and, just as importantly, get others to sign.

No Manager in the world will convince them more than a £25.000+ a week wage increase .

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Modern football in a nutshell, after spending his first few months injured, has a good season then drops hints in the media to flush out prospective buyers.

Oh so predictable.

[Risso]

I am 26 and at a major crossroads in my career so I won't be committing to a new deal at the moment.

"When I was injured that made me realise what it can be like to be out for such a long time. It hurt....

...so I vowed to never to attempt another tackle as long as I live.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

An above average season and he thinks he's bloody Messi. Champions League football with who Stewart, Bohemians?

The only good news is as he says, he's approaching a crossroads in his career and as we all know, he can't cross a ball, nevermind a road.