SSN: "Downing won't commit to Villa"

[KevinGage]

Didn't think Suarez was that much of a risk TBH.

Was Ajax's best player when we played them at VP back in 2008 and kept an eye on him since then. He's the kind of player we should have been targeting - pre World Cup 2010.  It's nigh on impossible to get them when they become well known.

[Dave Cooper please]

CL is not the be-all-and-end-all. No CL footie hasn't done City's recruitment drive much harm. And we're talking about Vargas and Bastos here, not Sanchez and Neymar.

Being able to offer any player astronomical wages helps though.
You can't offer either CL football or astronomical wages, just being Liverpool and having Kenny won't help sign today's pampered superstar I'm afraid. Welcome to the World of the wannabe also-ran Redman!

Somebody forgot to tell Suarez.

That'll be the Suarez from the Dutch league (about on par with the Scottish in real terms) that none of the real CL powerhouses bothered to bid for and you paid exactly how much for?

[Redman]

Didn't think Suarez was that much of a risk TBH.

Was Ajax's best player when we played them at VP back in 2008 and kept an eye on him since then. He's the kind of player we should have been targeting - pre World Cup 2010.  It's nigh on impossible to get them when they become well known.

Yeah - you've got to get in there early these days. The latest batch of promising Dutch-based attackers have been snapped up already. Castaignos has gone to Inter, Van Wolkswinkel to Sporting and Sigthorsson to Ajax. There's still a young Slovenian stirker ready to be plucked from Groningen though.

[Redman]

CL is not the be-all-and-end-all. No CL footie hasn't done City's recruitment drive much harm. And we're talking about Vargas and Bastos here, not Sanchez and Neymar.

Being able to offer any player astronomical wages helps though.
You can't offer either CL football or astronomical wages, just being Liverpool and having Kenny won't help sign today's pampered superstar I'm afraid. Welcome to the World of the wannabe also-ran Redman!

Somebody forgot to tell Suarez.

That'll be the Suarez from the Dutch league (about on par with the Scottish in real terms) that none of the real CL powerhouses bothered to bid for and you paid exactly how much for?

Come off it.

The only reason he didn't move after the world cup (a very successful one by the way) was because Ajax priced him out of it. When January came round, not many clubs were in the market but Liverpool were, Ajax needed the money and Suarez fancied it. £22.7m he cost - the third biggest deal in Dutch history after Van Nistlerooy and Sneijder.

So if you're making the point that Suarez doesn't prove Liverpool can attract CL quality players, it's not very convincing.

[KevinGage]

Didn't think Suarez was that much of a risk TBH.

Was Ajax's best player when we played them at VP back in 2008 and kept an eye on him since then. He's the kind of player we should have been targeting - pre World Cup 2010.  It's nigh on impossible to get them when they become well known.

Yeah - you've got to get in there early these days. The latest batch of promising Dutch-based attackers have been snapped up already. Castaignos has gone to Inter, Van Wolkswinkel to Sporting and Sigthorsson to Ajax. There's still a young Slovenian stirker ready to be plucked from Groningen though.

Wolfswinkel from Utrecht? I didn't know that.

Though with a name like that, he'd have to be absolutely outstanding in England to avoid getting a rough time.

[Lambert and Payne]

But they've won european trophies and dominated English football for years. Isn't that what matters? No offence but what have Liverpool done in recent years? Birmingham City have won more in the last 5 years!

That's a different argument.

Yeah sorry the mind wondered in my sleepless state! But I don't see how man utd haven't had a genuinly great team in all this time?

[supertom]

Stewie is average to be brutally honest. We could replace him with an overseas winger as good or better for a fraction of what Liverpool will fork out for DJ Stew. Get rid, and quick, so we can get about our business.

[villa for life]

By the way, has anyone actually come out publicly and suggested that the "right" thing for Downing to do would be to commit himself to Villa in order to repay the loyalty Villa showed in him, when he was injured?

I know it probably won't happen, but I'm interested to know whether or not anyone has actually insinuated this in the press.

[eastie]

Come on redman, pay up and show us the money- you know the asking fee so let's get this show on the road.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Thought this was an interesting view :

Hmm, still not feeling any tingly sensations in the old marble pouch on the Downing front but fair enough article. He's a known quantity and does what it says on the tin.

Let's just hope Liverpool hire Cilla Black to introduce him at the press conference.

"And here's summer signing number three, and he's our Stewart and he's from Middlesbrough! Aww, isn't he lovely, girls? And he cost a lorra lorra money. So our Stewart, which kind of lovely crosses would you like to find flying off your left boot?"

"Er, well".

"Take your time, our Stewart"

"They're all so lovely, it's hard to choose really"

"Awww bless him! Well, you're a lovely fella and we wish you a lorra lorra luck"

[Billy Walker]

CL is not the be-all-and-end-all. No CL footie hasn't done City's recruitment drive much harm. And we're talking about Vargas and Bastos here, not Sanchez and Neymar.

Being able to offer any player astronomical wages helps though.
You can't offer either CL football or astronomical wages, just being Liverpool and having Kenny won't help sign today's pampered superstar I'm afraid. Welcome to the World of the wannabe also-ran Redman!

Somebody forgot to tell Suarez.

That'll be the Suarez from the Dutch league (about on par with the Scottish in real terms) that none of the real CL powerhouses bothered to bid for and you paid exactly how much for?

Come off it.

The only reason he didn't move after the world cup (a very successful one by the way) was because Ajax priced him out of it. When January came round, not many clubs were in the market but Liverpool were, Ajax needed the money and Suarez fancied it. £22.7m he cost - the third biggest deal in Dutch history after Van Nistlerooy and Sneijder.

So if you're making the point that Suarez doesn't prove Liverpool can attract CL quality players, it's not very convincing.

Aye, it's a bit like signing a slightly younger John Carew.

[martyn ellis]

Curious and irritating that even in this pretty fair assessment (in my view) of Downing's ability, the general drift of the article is that he deserves to be at a 'better' club than Villa, in this case Liverpool. This assumption permeates the entire sporting press and does most football fans and most football clubs a huge disservice.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/jul/08/stewart-downing-liverpool-steve-mcclaren

[Billy Walker]

He's a Liverpool supporter, I believe, writing a Liverpool blog.  Does The Guardian employ the services of a Villa blogger, I wonder?

[martyn ellis]

He's a Liverpool supporter, I believe, writing a Liverpool blog.  Does The Guardian employ the services of a Villa blogger, I wonder?

On the face of it, very doubtful.

[byrnes collar bone]

Stewie is average to be brutally honest. We could replace him with an overseas winger as good or better for a fraction of what Liverpool will fork out for DJ Stew. Get rid, and quick, so we can get about our business.

Throwing in the towel already? Strange how a player becomes more and more average in the mind of some the closer said player moves towards the exit door.

Downing will be a loss. Just like Young. Why mug yourself off by making stupid comments like that?