Stewart Downing amnesty.

[hawkeye]

i'm obviously not his bigest fan,
but i feel a bit guilty of posting negative stuff on a day when we were superb, and Downing did play his part,
so even though i try to post with honest opinions, i appolagise for looking like i'm throwing a stick through the spokes.

i am really delighted by Villa's performance today, truly outstanding, overall one of the best in recent times.

ill second that mate, there is more to be happy about than sad

[Matt C]

Deserves to be back in the England squad.

[Ross]

I 'slated' him last season - and he deserved it.  A £12M player who looked half-fit and disinterested, and above all seemed to lack heart and desire in a team that had those qualities in plenty.

I am pleased he is playing well now, perhaps thanks to that mythical 'full pre-season', but he isn't doing any more than I expected a £12M international to do.  He's doing his job now, and fair play to him, but I don't think his current contribution should be laid on too thick. He needs to do what he is doing now for a much longer period.

[Dave]

I 'slated' him last season - and he deserved it.  A £12M player who looked half-fit and disinterested, and above all seemed to lack heart and desire in a team that had those qualities in plenty.

I am pleased he is playing well now, perhaps thanks to that mythical 'full pre-season', but he isn't doing any more than I expected a £12M international to do.  He's doing his job now, and fair play to him, but I don't think his current contribution should be laid on too thick. He needs to do what he is doing now for a much longer period.

I still don't see where £12m has come from.

According to O'Neill:

"£10m is a bargain. It's great value and he's a superb acquisition."

[hilts_coolerking]

I 'slated' him last season - and he deserved it.  A £12M player who looked half-fit and disinterested, and above all seemed to lack heart and desire in a team that had those qualities in plenty.

I am pleased he is playing well now, perhaps thanks to that mythical 'full pre-season', but he isn't doing any more than I expected a £12M international to do.  He's doing his job now, and fair play to him, but I don't think his current contribution should be laid on too thick. He needs to do what he is doing now for a much longer period.

I still don't see where £12m has come from.

According to O'Neill:

"£10m is a bargain. It's great value and he's a superb acquisition."

An extra £2M depending on appearances, apparently.

[Ross]

Regardless of whether its £10M or £12M, he is the most expensive signing in our squad. He should be doing the business, and I am glad he is now.  But some of the gushing stuff on here is a bit rich.

[john2710]

Without question he has been our most consistent player this season. No he won't ever go flying into 50-50 challenges, but that's not his role in the team. For those who've been eagar to critisise, it's time to move on to another victim.

[Toronto Villa]

Regardless of whether its £10M or £12M, he is the most expensive signing in our squad. He should be doing the business, and I am glad he is now.  But some of the gushing stuff on here is a bit rich.

If he was playing this well for someone else, would you pay more than £10M or £12M for him? I think he's worth more than that given what some teams shell out for footballers these days. And those amounts aren't exactly world records and for a top PL team that is a pretty middling trasfer fee to have paid for a player. We wax lyrical about other teams players all the time. How about we do it for one of ours when they do well?

[Dave]

£10/12m.

About what Everton paid for Bilyaletdinov, Spurs paid for Palacious and Keane, what Man City paid for Barry, what Fulham paid for Andy Johnson and what Liverpool paid for Babel.

If that's the crazy market that we're living in, then he is worth every penny.

And yes, there are obviously cheaper players than him who are probably doing better. But that doesn't mean he isn't worth what we paid for him.

[Somniloquism]

And yes, there are obviously cheaper players than him who are probably doing better. But that doesn't mean he isn't worth what we paid for him.

Talking about that the other stick used to beat him with is that Johnson was the better winger for £7mil. What has happened to him recently? Has he fallen out with Mancini or injured?

[Dave]

And yes, there are obviously cheaper players than him who are probably doing better. But that doesn't mean he isn't worth what we paid for him.

Talking about that the other stick used to beat him with is that Johnson was the better winger for £7mil. What has happened to him recently? Has he fallen out with Mancini or injured?

Mancini just thinks that Yaya Touré is a better attacker.

*chuckle*

[Somniloquism]

And yes, there are obviously cheaper players than him who are probably doing better. But that doesn't mean he isn't worth what we paid for him.

Talking about that the other stick used to beat him with is that Johnson was the better winger for £7mil. What has happened to him recently? Has he fallen out with Mancini or injured?

Mancini just thinks that Yaya Touré is a better attacker.

*chuckle*

He actually played today. Looks like he might have been "found out" although Blues having 10 men back wouldn't have helped trying to get through them.

[Matt Collins]

The problem for Johnson I'd that you can only do the same trick to go outside the left back with your left foot so many times. He needs tobplay on the left more.

[N'ZMAV]

Downing was first class yesterday. He's doing well cutting in from the wing. Stronger on his right peg than I thought he was.

[Lee]

Initially, I thought that he started really well when his Villa career finally started after his injury, but after this point, he became a bit of a luxury and not living up to his price tag.

However, I have to say that he was fantastic yesterday and he has been a lot more consistent this season. Long may it continue.