Personally, I wouldn't mind if we got Downing for the reasons that Tomkins explains above. I think he will be a solid signing, one that addresses a weakness and improves the squad. But if it were a choice between Mata and Downing, then I would have to go for Mata. Players will come and go no matter where they're from (Look at Michael Owen and McManaman). Overall, we should be looking for real quality and then the attitude and not the other way round.
Mata has both the quality and the atitude. Someone once said that Mata works his socks off like Dirk Kuyt but is blessed with unbelievable skill.In other words,it would be like having two Suarezs' in the side.Now thats formidable.
The problem is, Mata is not an out an out winger. He comes inside into the centre. Liverpool already have a few central attacking midfield players and need an out an out winger or two. Downing is an out and out winger which is why he is being targeted ahead of Mata I think.
thats a fair point from tomkins........ in the end i fear us becoming one dimensional a bit with all these, not so fast but good passers... if everyones the same or similar then you have to wonde rif we will actually end up predictbale, nice passing but no tirckery? Who knows? i just think mata has that little bit of unpredictability just like suarez.
