D'you know.... if you take footage of Downing putting crosses into the box, and CGI'd Liverpool players to the point where he kicks the ball to, Downing would look like a fantastic player. He has placed some real gems of crosses into the box, just never to a Liverpool player. After that, we only have Henderson left from that summer of shame.
Enrique has moments where he could easily be in that boat. Then he has really good moments too though.
Thank God - Newcastle want Downing for £5m! Woo hoo!! Such a shame he rejected West Ham which was worth £8m! Prick! Also, I heard that we're the sticking point re. LB is that the targets want assurance of first team football but Rodgers isn't promising anything.
I think Enrique is very good defensively - can't think of a player who can shield the ball with such strength, and he has excellent pace. In a Rafa team, I think he would be even better. Technically - he's hit and miss. Intelligence - not much, overthinks, dwells on the ball but he can see a pass from time to time.
enrique is his own worst enemy... look he is not the best player in the world is he? lets be honest. he's fast, he's a great team man, he's strong, he can dribble BUT he puts his head down and he won't pass the way rodgers wants he holds the ball too long... simple if he keeps putting the head down and doing that in his own half he's a liability at times. Also downing? he's not going... he won't shift. I am convinced there is a hit list in ayre's drawer and downing is one of the names on it.... i think henderson, johnson and skertl at minimum are also on it. reason? Aspas 20-30k per week... downing 70k allen <50k per week... hendo 60k Skertl 70k per wekk... papadopolous at bremen on <20k Reina 100k mingolet<50k get my drift. I hope downing goes for footballing reasons....
Downing does seem to love pulling on that England shirt, so maybe the fact its a Word cup year and he will play each week at Newcastle might work in our favour
could argue the same about west ham. but the **** shrew thought he was too good for them, and would rather rot on our bench taking huge wages than first team footie and a chance to be selected for England
I hated the Downing signing from the start, I have never rated him. I just really hope something can be done and him gone from the club asap. Looks like Spearing is off to Bolton. With all the savings on wages and the fact that we haven't used the transfer budget surely that big signing is on the way.
To be fair Newcastle are a step up from West Ham, made some good signings so far. They might surprise a few this season
Are they? Gold and sullivan at least fully intend to cash in on west ham once they move to the Olympic stadium. none of this enters the mind of stewie who is only out for at best a WC bench slot in brazil or at worst a continuation of his big wage.... what stewie isn't seeing is big picture. NEITHER ARE WE.... Guys this asshole will not put in a transfer request so if we really want to shift him we are going to have to put this 5mil towards a pay off for the guy. What old stewie should be looking for is a 5 year deal at 30-40k per week and a pay off form us that overs the rest of his contract wages with us (the difference) This will see him out as it were. If he stays with us he'll be relegated to expensive league cup player (i hope to god) and so by the end of his deal he'll be lucky to get a championship club. Take the deal new stewie... I am going to puke when we hear our next finanacial reports showing a pay off to carroll and downing of what 3mil? more?
For me, Downing represents the last of the rot that has seeped in to the club over the last few years and I'll be relieved when he leaves (even if our squad will still need strengthening).
Sir Red I thought the same thing... this dead wood thing. But you have to look at the team and think that dead wood is a natural and evolving thing that requires constant pruning. Certainly though the madness of rafa's last years, the hodgson debacle and the kenny myopia has left a litany of just plain rank players with little or no quality on extreme wages... That said we carried houllier dirt like kewell for a long time too. Is the rot gone? Are we now just looking at decent quality guys who are on average to slightly high wages in terms of johnson and skertl and henderson or are we just looking at the next dead wood as they either drop out of the team or what? I don't know. all 3 can do a job, no question. Everyone else seems to be on <50 per week right about now. Lets look at it: Mingolet, Jones... the reina issue is not resolved. I hope we don't end up paing him a wage going forward but he is sold to barca Johnson Wisdom Kelly Flanagan Mclaughlin. To me johnson is one to target. Enrique (reported 60k wages) no depth to sqaud and a high wage.. Toure Skertl wisdom... Skertl is on big wages Agger Coates Not too bad there in defense i guess. you could prune more and we need to shift someone to bring in a new CB. Lucas - another gap and no cover. Gerrard, alberto? Allen Henderson - again high wages for Henderson Not much meat there Aspas Downing sterling ibe Suarez Sturridge Borini Coutinho Assaidi ibe sterling, Borini - assaidi to be off? Again not too much spare fat to go around. If anoything i'd accuse assaidi, borini and allen of being rodgers own dead wood. If he cuts his losses on assaidi and borini he'll do well. Need another forward in if he does. Scary to add up borini and downing fees and come to the conclusion that it'd fund costa and more in wages and fee (5+12 = 17... shed wages to add 3 mil = 20mil) I have to say we are pared to the bone here.... lose much more and we will be looking weak
I disagree. Newcastle last season were awful. They could be related this season. West Ham were looking positive. Mid table.
Of course, and next summer will be the same. But the issue we have had is that our dead wood is on sky high salaries and so will not shift. If Aspas or whoever turns out to be a flop it'll be much easier to get rid as I suspect they're on salaries no higher than 50/60k tops. UNlike the 90k of Downing and Joke Cole I do still think we need a couple of exciting signings. Papa and Eriksen/Costa will get me a bit more pumped for the new season. I don't think we can really be relying on Sterling and Ibe to be regular players, I think they will fade.
I am sure we'll see 2-3 new players come in now that Downing, Assaidi, Skrtel etc are going. Effectively: - Downing will be replaced by another forward/winger coming in - Assaidi will be replaced by Ibe (no problem as Ibe looks like an upgrade) - Skrtel will (hopefully) be replaced by THE signing of the summer for us - Papa. Want this to happen a lot I do. - Spearing does not need replaced as we have Lucas, Gerrard, Hendo and Allen fighting for the deep role. If we sign someone there they will be too far above his quality bracket to be called a replacement for him. - We may add Costa regardless of Suarez. Which makes me think if Suarez leaves, keep the money for January or the summer we will - or put it into replacing Downing or Skrtel. If we lose these players and get say Konoplyanka, Cissokho, Papa and Costa, stronger as a whole we are. I think we are willing to pay for players who are worth it (wages). Johnson and Enrique, Hendo also will be kept as long as they perform to a good enough standard, and cannot be replaced quality wise for cheaper. Hendo strikes me as the sort of guy who would take a move from £60k down to say £40k + add ons. His head is screwed on - he must realise he is on a very good deal currently. Actually, both Johnson and Enrique seem to be very committed. It would be interesting to see if they'd take a wage reduction. Maybe Yoda is looking through a fan's eyes. EDIT: Hopefully Suso will have a good year and ease these concerns next year. If he blossoms we are a lot stronger. Lovely player to watch.
They've only signed the French rapist from QPR & they were total ****e last season. With Kinnear in control of transfers I think there'll be a massive rift develop between him, Pardew & the board there & I can see nothing but a car crash for them this season.
Good news is that Suso seems to be one of the first names on the teamsheet for Almeria in preseason and will continue to get games throughout the season....I have no doubt he will adapt and improve with game time and will still be a massive player for us in the future..
I can see Downing and Assaidi being the players who's names are bouncing around late on deadline day evening.
