We have just about reached June and it seems that Liverpool have been linked with almost every winger in Europe. Some of the reported targets are realistic and well within Liverpool’s reach while some of the others are of course pure fantasy. Of the wing targets, two in particular stand out as more realistic and therefore more likely to happen. Stewart Downing has capped an impressive campaign for Aston Villa by being awarded their player of the year while Charles N’Zogbia has been instrumental in keeping Wigan Athletic in top flight football.
Both men would no doubt add some much needed width to our squad but if it came down to a straight choice between the two, who would Liverpool be better off with? When Stewart Downing first burst onto the scene years ago, he was being touted as a real contender to make the left side of England’s midfield his own. He hasn’t quite established himself as a first XI for The Three Lions but what he has done is show that he can be counted on to work hard for the team while maintaining a good level of consistency. His reward for his resurgence has been a place in the current England squad where he doesn’t at all seem out of his depth.
Charles N’Zogbia has always been regarded as a young player with great potential and year after year he has improved his all round play which culminated in him being capped by the French national team in August 2010. His ability in the wide areas is exciting to say the least and his pace would be greatly appreciated in a Liverpool team which quite frankly, aren’t the quickest group of players around. Some would question whether he would affect Liverpool’s team spirit due to a few controversial incidents from his past, but I personally could see him raising his game to much higher level under the guidance of Kenny Dalglish.
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prefers downing over n’zogbia
Eric do not name call because it makes you look childish and anyone can do it, retard. See, anyone can do it. And face the facts Downing outperformed NZogbia this season and was Villa player of the season. He is the better player. He has FRIGHTENING pace, EXCELLENT delivery and is VERY direct. He is also English. Arsenal are after Downing too. The likes of Newcastle and Bolton are after NZogbia. Downing is the FAR better player but NZogbia does have potential.
You really are a Villa supporter Lewis. You say ” FRIGHTENING pace, EXCELLENT delivery and is VERY direct.”…REALLY!! and Zoggs is not!!!..He’s even better than Valencia and ManU took him! Didn’t Zoggs have 10 goals and 7 assists this term! on a weaker team!
I’m not a Villa fan but I imagine you are a Wigan fan. If I was a Villa fan I wouldn’t be on here because I’d want to keep Downing. Downing does REALLY have frightening pace, you should pay more attention to REAL football, stop playing video games. Downing got 8 goals (7 in the league) and 10 assists (9 in the league) in 40 games (38 in the league). N’Zogbia got 10 goals (9 in the league) and 8 assists, bear in mind N’Zogbia takes set pieces for Wigan too. These stats are basically identical except N’Zogbia is a bit more greedy than Downing (2 more goals) and Downing being more of a team player (2 more assits). But they are both pretty much evens. I’ve yet to say a bad word about N’Zogbia on here but a few ignorant retards have come here trying to state that Downing is shit or slow which is clearly not the case. Downing edges N’Zogbia because he has been tested at a bigger club (Aston Villa) and is also an old school left winger, the best left winger in the Premierleague at the moment (N’Zogbia cuts in too much).
Some people on here don’t know football.. Downing and N’Zogbia are both players I would like to see at Liverpool, along with Charlie Adam. They don’t have to start but they would add alot of depth and quality to the bench. Adam has had 12 goals in 35 Prem appearances and countless assists. N’Zogbia has had 9 in 33 and Downing has had 7 in 38 and they BOTH have had many assists also. Before you people start to slag them off, look at the team around them. Blackpool is a 1 man team with Adam. N’Zogbia has only 2-3 other decent players with him and Downing is the same.
Both are not good enough for LFC…
dalglish defiantly using smokescreens mata will sign next week
hopefully we sign any of the fellas from the spain team, every one of them could get into our team
as barnes and aldridge have came out and said, we need 4 or 5 grade a players downing and nzogbia will always be good grade C premiership players, but in order for us to win the league we need top class players
we need to be paying 20 – 25 million for players just like city and united and chelsea have done for years, we have been years behind them in terms of putting money on the big guns, instead we have bought and bought and bought hoping we would find players that would turn into something special
Any idiot can go with the flow and spend 20 plus million on players, but a true master mind and I hate to say this..Alex Ferguson (at times), Wenger especially, can pick players out for 10, 15 million and they go in and adapt to the system. As we see with Kenny there, players automatically up their games due to the aura he brings to the training pitch day in and day out! N’zogbia had 10 goals and 7 assists! Did Mata have this? how about Downing?…maybe even Bale??? wonder if Elia did that?…Hold on, don’t all these lads play on more talented teams than N’Zogbia/Brunt/Larsson…and you’re telling me that these guys are worth more!!!..LMAO!…Some players have a good name attached to them, which ups their value, but some players like the 3 i mentioned plus Turan, Park Chu Young, Sturridge would play harder under Kenny than a bunch of spoild brats like Juan “my daddy tells me stay in Spain” Mata or Stewart “I’m a bit soft at times” Downing..You get my drift! Don’t slag N’Zogbia if you only go on whats said out there…Look at Wigan games like I do!!! And trust me, I watch Villa games as well…why you ask..heritage is Trini and our beloved Dwight Yorke made a name at Villa! and Downing is not “tough enough” to handle it!
D O W N I N G DEFO
Both of Them have a good quality driblling and ability,,but i choose N’ZOGBIA..he is more stronger,aggresive,and can play as a midfielder or striker too.Downing is easy for being Injured.-YNWA-
none of them, we are thinking of getting back up to the top of the league and we are having a talk about two very average players! – thats sums this club up at the moment, until we buy better quality players and we all what im saying then lets give it a rest shall.
downing or nzogbia, – dear god help us!!!!!!?
N’zogbia murdered us when we played wigan away last season. He has bags of skill and pace, and can change a game with a moment of magic. I say we sign him up. Definately worth taking a chance on him. Downing would be a good squad/backup player but not a first choice winger for me.
Basically, we could do with both
We really, really need a pacy, quality winger. It doesn’t really ‘Mata’ which ‘Juan’ we sign. As long as he’s ‘Young’ and not Downing.
Both are good players, and both would be good for LFC, I agree that the ideal winger would be a mixture of the two, but we don’t live in an ideal world.
All you people that are saying we need to buy ‘elite’ players then dream on, the real elite (Aguero etc) are unlikely to come to us, as we aren’t in the Champions League.
As for Hazard, surely he would be a gamble? How many of you have actually seen him play? He has no experience of the premier league, and would take 6 months at least to adapt, whereas Downing or N’Zogbia could come straight in and perform. Added to that is that Hazard isn’t an elite player or he wouldn’t be playing for Lille.
@ Zahid, nice try but Young isn’t fast lmao. I assume you mean Ashley Young right? Downing is WAY faster than Ashley Young and far more direct. Young is a decent “in the hole” player who can cut in and shoot which is what he’s been doing all season (even though half his goals have come from penalties). Downing has PACE like N’Zogbia and is a LEFT footed LEFT winger which is what we NEED. He’s the best left winger in the league.
i just saw that somewhere and found it funny so i pasted it here.
Anyway i dnt agree, i think Downing’s overated, Young does have pace he proved it today when he came on for England, but i would prefere Mata (whose going to sign for us) n Hazard and i would prefere Nzogbia over Downing.
……………..reina……………..
…johnson…cara…skertel…enrique
downing…..gerrard….lucas….dsuzcak
…………suarez….caroll………..
left and right wings >> fast..dirrect cross and good movement. they will get great support from left and right back support.
……………..reina………………
…..johnson..cara..skertel..enrique….
…….meireles..spearing…lucas…….
……..kyut…..aguero….suarez…….
mid line is good and tackler to protect the defending line.
this is barcelona..
so…
buy >> enrique — 10 million
>> aguero — 27 million
>> downing — 17 million
>> duszcak — 18 million
>> jones — 8 million
>> wickham — 10 million
sell >> agger >> 10 million
ngog >> 4 million
cole >> 3 million
jova >> 6 million
insua >> 3 million
aqua >> 10 million
poulsen>> 4 nillion
Downing all the way. Nzogbia as a last resort. N’Zogbia has pace but so does a Greyhound…
OK so it’s confirmed, it’s Downing. All you pool fans get behind him and the king.