Liverpool FC Forum

[parchpea]

I am not sure he will want to take a 50% cut in wages so it may be hard to get him out
that's all so it may take a good will gesture on our part to move him on.

Hope he goes quietly like but its a big wage hit with 2 years left on his contract and
he doesn't want to go and who would on those terms 

[devaney]

Pay for him to go !

That's ridiculous - Downing actually played well second half of last season after BR realised that Borini was either injured or poor and Sterling was going to run out of legs. We won't pay for him to go - either a club comes in for him and pays a fee and we put that towards a replacement or he stays in the squad and will no doubt be back playing in the starting line up after the left back gets constantly exposed.

Benny the club's owner has spoken...

Downing did not play particularly well in the second half of last season. He improved from a very low base after a serious kick up the ars.e from BR. Fk all to do with Borini and Sterling and a lot more to do with the arrival of PC and Danny who made him look considerably better than he is.

[maguskwt]

Pay for him to go !

That's ridiculous - Downing actually played well second half of last season after BR realised that Borini was either injured or poor and Sterling was going to run out of legs. We won't pay for him to go - either a club comes in for him and pays a fee and we put that towards a replacement or he stays in the squad and will no doubt be back playing in the starting line up after the left back gets constantly exposed.

Benny the club's owner has spoken...

Btw what do you mean by after the left back gets constantly exposed? It was Glenn Johnson who got exposed constantly last season...

[Benny The Noon]

I am not sure he will want to take a 50% cut in wages so it may be hard to get him out
that's all so it may take a good will gesture on our part to move him on.

Hope he goes quietly like but its a big wage hit with 2 years left on his contract and
he doesn't want to go and who would on those terms 

He wants to stay here and fight for his place - just like he did last season and got his place back from Jan in the prem - obviously his play from Jan will be totally ignored and it all down to Sturridge and Coutinho but Downing played his part. It's clear for most to see - he wasnt outstanding he was just solid doing a good 7/10 job until the end of the season. That is never seen with most focusing on his first season - he also played a part in us qualifying from the group stage in the Europa Lge.

[Ben Patrick]

90 grand a week is 4.5 million a season. For someone who contributes so little it's ridiculous. Johnson was more of a threat in an attacking sense than downing last season. The lad is a sh!thouse and doesnt even show for the ball half the time. Probably the most frustrating player I have seen in years in a red shirt. Sell him and move on. Lets have wide players that contribute positively,  scoring and creating goals.

[Benny The Noon]

Which wide players are they then that the manager is looking to bring in ?

We haven't been strongly linked to one wide player.

Did you know that Downing had 9 assists last season - only a couple players had more.

[redno7]

mystic ben? is that you?

[Ben Patrick]

We don't play a system with specific wide players. We mostly play a 3 so aspas will be suited from what I've seen so far. We also have the 2 young lads as options and I would have them both ahead of downing. Then theres possibly suarez and definitely Coutinho. All exciting players that play with purpose. The exact opposite of our cautious, play easy ball option downing. You moan about us signing possible mediocre players then defend our most mediocre player to the hilt. Mystifying

[Benny The Noon]

The problem is Ben when add in fullbacks pushing high we leave ourselves so exposed - what Downing provided was cover to allow either Johnson or Enrique to burst forward and not be exposed. It's just the same frailties we started last season with

[Ben Patrick]

He helps out a bit but that doesn't make up for the fact you get next to nothing going the other way. I bet you if Aspas starts the season on the right were downing played last season, by xmas he will have 5 goals.

[maguskwt]

Downing provides cover??? Is that why the team always get exposed on the right side which incidentally is where downing and Johnson played mostly in the 2nd part of the season? Downing was 5/10 at most from Jan onwards he was 3/10 before that. He is a downgrade from Kuyt playing on the right..,

[Benny The Noon]

He helps out a bit but that doesn't make up for the fact you get next to nothing going the other way. I bet you if Aspas starts the season on the right were downing played last season, by xmas he will have 5 goals.

I can't see it personally - Aspas looks like he is going to get blown over in a slight gust - Stoke will eat him alive. Reminds me exactly of Borini last season - good pre season then just go found out.

I'm all for Downing leaving but we need someone in to replace him - not a youngster or a cheap foreign player but a quality proven established player or a high quality youngster like Lamala etc

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

We don't play a system with specific wide players. We mostly play a 3 so aspas will be suited from what I've seen so far. We also have the 2 young lads as options and I would have them both ahead of downing. Then theres possibly suarez and definitely Coutinho. All exciting players that play with purpose. The exact opposite of our cautious, play easy ball option downing. You moan about us signing possible mediocre players then defend our most mediocre player to the hilt. Mystifying

^^
100% in agreement with this Ben.

Downing has to be the most frustrating player to watch ,his lethargy constantly infuriates the life out of me ,and we all know the lad has pace to burn

[red till i die!!]

downing is average but it remains to be seen whether aspas is an upgrade. he looks skilful and has shown he can finish but he is small and id be worried he will be brushed aside in the prem. he has a small frame and looks about 12" from shoulder to shoulder so i hope he has a bit of guile about him.
anyway cant believe we are offering him out at £5mil 

[Santa]

This Feckface is just a troll pretending to be a fan -- he will come here day in day out to criticise the owner, the manager, the players, the potential signings, the youngster, the stadium yet he thinks he runs the club, finance it and knows better than the those pro who "actually" manages this club.

He defended a former manager who, sadly couldn't keep up with the speed of the modern day football, who thrown a bunch of serious monies on wasted space like Downing, Adams, Caroll etc. He moan about the owners who have sanctioned (too lazy to count the exact figure) over £100M of incoming, he criticise any signing that he don't see fit, signings who have thus far shown good potentials, yet he is happy to defend a mule like Downing. I don't understand this...is he just a wind up or come here seeking attention?