Downing Completes Liverpool Transfer

[Aston Manor]

20 million for Downing? I should Coco.

[Villafirst]

What's the betting that Lerner and Krulak achieve Hicks and Gillet status soon? I wish we had Liverpool's new owners!

Not a chance. Hicks and Gillette really were a couple of chancers.

It was all very different when we were spending money.

What's the betting that Lerner and Krulak achieve Hicks and Gillet status soon? I wish we had Liverpool's new owners!

Not a chance. Hicks and Gillette really were a couple of chancers.

It was all very different when we were spending money.

That's the con though isn't it? Lerner basically stopped spending two years ago. The net spend last year was about £2M. If you take into account £26M from the Milner sale less £8M for Ireland and £18M for Bent, £5M spent on Makoun less £3M for Curtis Davies leaves £2M spent plus I suppose loan deals for Pires, Walker and Bradley. It proves we sell to buy.

[not3bad]

What's the betting that Lerner and Krulak achieve Hicks and Gillet status soon? I wish we had Liverpool's new owners!

Assuming all this paying over the odds for players doesn't come back to bite them in the arse.  They aren't as rich as the owners of Chelsea or Man City are they?

[pedro25]

What's the betting that Lerner and Krulak achieve Hicks and Gillet status soon? I wish we had Liverpool's new owners!

Not a chance. Hicks and Gillette really were a couple of chancers.

It was all very different when we were spending money.

What's the betting that Lerner and Krulak achieve Hicks and Gillet status soon? I wish we had Liverpool's new owners!

Not a chance. Hicks and Gillette really were a couple of chancers.

It was all very different when we were spending money.

That's the con though isn't it? Lerner basically stopped spending two years ago. The net spend last year was about £2M. If you take into account £26M from the Milner sale less £8M for Ireland and £18M for Bent, £5M spent on Makoun less £3M for Curtis Davies leaves £2M spent plus I suppose loan deals for Pires, Walker and Bradley. It proves we sell to buy.

We got £3m for Sidwell too, and released Carew.  £3m in for Gardner the previous Jan also and no incomers.  We must have roughly spent £15m plus in Lerner's first 3 yrs but the last 2 zero net spend and actually up on sales.

[Aston Manor]

I think that's harsh on Lerner. He gave O'Neill full reigns in dealing in the transfer market and we fought tooth and nail to keep Barry and an emerging team together. Like it or not O'Neill bought, if not poorly, then certainly unwisely with certain players and the high wages he put them on. we have simply struggled to move them on. Last season would have been back to the drawing board whom so ever was in charge.

Undoubtedly we have fallen down the pecking order and it will make Mcleish's job all the more difficult because fans really are not happy at the moment as the optimism o the past few years has been replaced by disappointment, suspicion, anger, and worst of all an age old Aston Villa resignation that once again we came so close and yet again we're back to mediocrity.

[Villafirst]

What's the betting that Lerner and Krulak achieve Hicks and Gillet status soon? I wish we had Liverpool's new owners!

Assuming all this paying over the odds for players doesn't come back to bite them in the arse.  They aren't as rich as the owners of Chelsea or Man City are they?

I don't know about their wealth, but what I do know is they're showing a damned sight more AMBITION than our board are! We were within an ace of going past Liverpool 2 seasons ago, but now? They're miles in front of us and in my opinion will seriously challenge the top-four this season. We're going backwards fast! Wake-up!

[andyh]

HAS HE FUCKED OFF YET !!!

[not3bad]

I don't know about their wealth, but what I do know is they're showing a damned sight more AMBITION than our board are! We were within an ace of going past Liverpool 2 seasons ago, but now? They're miles in front of us and in my opinion will seriously challenge the top-four this season. We're going backwards fast! Wake-up!

I'm fully awake thanks, and I know we are going backwards - but showing ambition now does not mean there will not be consequences later as we have seen time and time again - I'm not saying this will happen but I don't know it won't.  Try to think outside what is happening in the current 5 minutes.

[Billy Walker]

I'm fairly sure Liverpool's board are no wealthier than Randy Lerner and the Lerner Trust.  It strikes me that the Liverpool board are giving it a go like Randy did a few years back.  If they don't make the Champs League within a couple of seasons I would expect them to start cashing in on some of their investments, starting with Suarez.  (I think Downing is very risky at the price they are paying because they will never recoup the outlay for him.)

[Merv]

Yeah.... Liverpool are showing ambition alright but if I were a Liverpool fan I'm not entirely sure I'd be delighted at seeing the club spend £85m on Carroll, Henderson, Downing and Adam. Can only see Carroll and Downing's transfer values going down from here on in, Adam arguably so (Henderson, I'll argue, could blossom and, at just 20, be worth slightly more in the future, though I have my doubts) and I don't think that quartet are good enough to take Liverpool to where they need to be. Which, let's face it, should be higher than top six - top four minimum, title challengers again in a couple of years.

[Kent Villian]

Surely the journalist is a villa fan? - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/jul/14/stewart-downing-stuart-james-blog

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I think that's harsh on Lerner. He gave O'Neill full reigns in dealing in the transfer market and we fought tooth and nail to keep Barry and an emerging team together. Like it or not O'Neill bought, if not poorly, then certainly unwisely with certain players and the high wages.

But surely Mr Lerner Sir has to take equal blame, he sanctioned the deals, he's the head honcho.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Surely the journalist is a villa fan? - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/jul/14/stewart-downing-stuart-james-blog

Like this bit at the end

'Downing, however, was happy to lead supporters up the garden path, saying all the right things until the moment he left Villa Park on the final day of the season. It is something he might be reminded of when he returns with Liverpool in the middle of December.'

[Holtenderinthesky]

After the massive PR disaster that was our managerial search you'd think that the club would be smart enough to announce a signing or 2 before announcing the decision to sell Downing.  It leads me to think that we don't actually have anyone lined up to sign imminently.  Hope I'm wrong.

[Stu]

Surely the journalist is a villa fan? - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/jul/14/stewart-downing-stuart-james-blog

Like this bit at the end

'Downing, however, was happy to lead supporters up the garden path, saying all the right things until the moment he left Villa Park on the final day of the season. It is something he might be reminded of when he returns with Liverpool in the middle of December.'

The comments below are littered with plastic Liverpool fans trying to convince themselves that Downing is better than Ashley Young. Based on one season.