Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[Holy Trinity]

Downing is a good footballer, but a fucking puff, as I have said continuously through the last 12 months. Liverpool fans will loathe him after 3 months.

OK you don't like him, but why post the homophobic comment?  I have no idea of the guy's sexuality and can't imagine why it would matter one way or the other.  Either he can play and do a job for the Villa - or we should sell him.  I hope we keep him because he's good.

 im sure he ment puff as in pussy/wimp/coward who wont attempt a 90-10 tackle in his favour not puff as in homosexual

[murgsy]

Foster, Shawcross, N'Zogbia - not bad

[Redman]

The other half would be Liverpool doing their utmost to unsettle a player who 10 days before the close of the season was talking about how settled, happy and generally pleased with life he was. Typical Liverpool tactics, Henderson is decent but no more so than Lee Hendrie at 20. Downing is a good footballer, but a fucking puff, as I have said continuously through the last 12 months. Liverpool fans will loathe him after 3 months.

I was hearing noises about the Liverpool interest in Downing around the same time he made those comments so I'd take them with a pinch of salt.

I think the Hendrie comparison is daft personally but that's just my opinion.

[Toronto Villa]

I'll throw out a player who I think would make a very interesting signing. Pablo Barrera who is only 24 plays for West Ham. Didn't have much of a look in at all last season. However, he was very good for Mexico at Wthe orld Cup and has been brilliant during the Gold Cup that they just won. Scored twice in the final last night also in a 4-2 win verus the US (Michael Bradley got the first US goal incidentally). He's technically very good and loves to attack the full back, has a good cross, and often cuts inside to support the strikers. He'd cost I'd imagine 3-4 million at most, especially seeing as West Ham went down. Not saying it's going to happen, but he wouldn't be a bad pick up.

[Mazrim]

However he ended up, Lee Hendrie at the same age was twice the player Henderson is. I think he's bloody ordinary to be honest.

[Holy Trinity]

The other half would be Liverpool doing their utmost to unsettle a player who 10 days before the close of the season was talking about how settled, happy and generally pleased with life he was. Typical Liverpool tactics, Henderson is decent but no more so than Lee Hendrie at 20. Downing is a good footballer, but a fucking puff, as I have said continuously through the last 12 months. Liverpool fans will loathe him after 3 months.

I was hearing noises about the Liverpool interest in Downing around the same time he made those comments so I'd take them with a pinch of salt.

I think the Hendrie comparison is daft personally but that's just my opinion.

hendrie was better at 20 than henderson is now, players can fall flat on there faces after looking like world beaters (see stan collymore) he could have 0 resale value if he buckles under pressure

[Redman]

However he ended up, Lee Hendrie at the same age was twice the player Henderson is. I think he's bloody ordinary to be honest.

When Hendrie was the same age as Henderson, he'd made 24 league appearances. Henderson has made 71.

[Greg N'Ash]

However he ended up, Lee Hendrie at the same age was twice the player Henderson is. I think he's bloody ordinary to be honest.

yep. even with the home grown rule he's massively overpriced. However, he seems to be one of those players who's not naturally talented but works at it harder than comparable players. I've read he was thought of as a right duffer as a youth player but just worked harder at making the grade.

[KevinGage]

I'd sell Downing for £20m+ (he's good but not THAT good) but there had better be a shit hot player (or two) lined up first.

Agreed.  Decent delivery and would need to be replaced but not irreplaceble by any means. If he wasn't English I don't think he'd be meriting talk of £20 million pound fees and all the rest of it.

In saying that, In a world where a player like Henderson can go for £20 million, we should probably be looking at £45 million for Stewpot.

Taken off BBC Football site:

Aston Villa will buy Birmingham keeper Ben Foster after a 'cooling-off period' with boss Alex McLeish and they will also sign Charles N'Zogbia from Wigan.
Full story: Daily Mirror

If he gets them both would be over the moon!

Cooling off period? So if we change our mind we can send him back within 14 days and get a full refund?

Or: B-lose will only deal with us when they cool off, maybe July 2021.

[Mazrim]

However he ended up, Lee Hendrie at the same age was twice the player Henderson is. I think he's bloody ordinary to be honest.

When Hendrie was the same age as Henderson, he'd made 24 league appearances. Henderson has made 71.

So? We had a better team then than Sunderland have had for the past 2 years and his opportunities were more limited.
Hendrie was still a better player in my opinion.

[Redman]

However he ended up, Lee Hendrie at the same age was twice the player Henderson is. I think he's bloody ordinary to be honest.

When Hendrie was the same age as Henderson, he'd made 24 league appearances. Henderson has made 71.

So? We had a better team then than Sunderland have had for the past 2 years and his opportunities were more limited.
Hendrie was still a better player in my opinion.

Point being that if he was twice the player, he hadn't yet had a chance to prove it. 24 league appearances is nowt. 71 isn't even a lot to be making a sound judgment.

[mrfuse]

However he ended up, Lee Hendrie at the same age was twice the player Henderson is. I think he's bloody ordinary to be honest.

When Hendrie was the same age as Henderson, he'd made 24 league appearances. Henderson has made 71.

So? We had a better team then than Sunderland have had for the past 2 years and his opportunities were more limited.
Hendrie was still a better player in my opinion.

To be honest dont rate Henderson didnt rate Hendrie

[JUAN PABLO]

Independent -   still the Downing story wont go away


After a strong finish to last season and the £20m recruitment of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland earlier this summer, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is nearing further captures as he seeks to maintain the forward momentum he has brought to the club.


Moves for Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing, of Aston Villa, are both nearing completion. Adam, who scored in Blackpool's victory at Liverpool last season, has also been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham, but the Scotland international is expected to finalise a £8m transfer today, with Jonjo Shelvey moving to Bloomfield Road on a season-long loan.

Downing could follow Adam to Anfield after just two seasons at Villa Park. The England winger will hand in a transfer request, a week after seeing team-mate Ashley Young sold to Manchester United.

One player who could be on his way out of Merseyside is midfielder Raul Meireles, who has failed to agree terms on an extension to his contract. The 28-year-old was an integral part of the revival under Dalglish, finishing last season with five goals in 20 games.

The chances of Roma striker Mirko Vucinic moving to Blackburn Rovers appear slim, with the player's agent, Alessandro Lucci, claiming his client deserves a "more prestigious club".

"I have not heard anything," Lucci said on reports of Blackburn making a move. "For now it's on standby because first we want to understand the intentions of Roma. Blackburn talk is just a rumour. It is a respectable club but I think Mirko deserves a more prestigious club."

Along with Chelsea, Arsenal and Juventus, Tottenham have been linked with the Montenegro international in a possible swap for midfielder Sandro. Blackburn may now turn their attentions to Freiburg's Papiss Cissé.

David de Gea's move to Manchester United is expected to be wrapped up this week after the Athletico Madrid goalkeeper helped the Spain Under-21 side secure the European championship on Saturday.
 






 
 

[Dante Lavelli]

Re Downing. If he was playing for say everton, would you condone Villa signing him for £20m? I know I wouldn't. He'd obviously need replacing but at that money I think we could easily replace him.

Sell high, buy low.

[luke25]

I remember when Downing was signed and many on here, including myself, thought we payed way over the odds for him, now after a decent season theres talk of a 20m transfer, kind of stating the obvious but English players are so over priced its ridiculous.