Assists
Stewart Downing contributed seven assists in the Premiership last term, while N’Zogbia only managed five. Seven assists may not seem like an awful lot for a (dare I say it) £20m attack-minded wide player. However, we should consider that Liverpool’s current best left winger, Maxi Rodriguez, managed zero assists last season. Dalglish has asserted the importance of finding good lines of supply to Suarez and Carroll from various areas of the pitch and, upon looking at the stats, it’s easy to see why.
Key Passes
Stewart Downing recorded 25% more key passes than Charles N’Zogbia last season. In fact, such is his ability to find a killer pass during an attack, he was joint third best ‘key passer’ at the end of the season. Liverpool have been lacking in this area for a number of seasons now and it appears that Kenny Dalglish, in his attempts to sign Downing, is looking to address the problem of ‘balanced attack building’ right from the off.
Downing ability to contribute to an attack is why he was Aston Villa’s Player of the Year.
Injury record
Aside from fracturing his foot, which ruled him out of the latter half of 2009, Stewart Downing has played in almost every premiership game for his clubs since 2006. This is record that is up there with the likes of Dirk Kuyt and Frank Lampard.
The facts therefore show that Downing would contribute more to the Liverpool cause than N’Zogbia would, and definitely more than Maxi has. While this article does not think Stewart Downing is the best winger Liverpool could be trying to sign (I still think Juan Mata, if available and willing to come to Liverpool, would be the better option), a look at Downing’s record does bring a certain degree of comfort that he is a player who can be trusted to contribute significantly.
In addition to these hard facts, the thing that stands out most for me is that managers and coaches who have worked with Downing are keen to state that the player always delivers an end-product. This is not something that can be said of some of the other wingers Liverpool have been linked to (such as Jefferen or Lennon). Whether this service has resulted in goals is by and large down to the strikers Downing has worked with over the years. In Suarez, Carroll and Gerrard Liverpool will certainly provide Downing with a much better chance of having his hard work converted into goals and, in turn, hopefully into trophies too.
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First and foremost, Randy Lerner does not want to sell Stewart Downing so he can put whatever transfer fee he wants on the player. Why should he?! We should have taken this stance when we sold Alonso and Mascherano.
As for Downing himself, forget the fee, why are we wasting our time with him when Juan Mata is much better, a few million more, younger and with greater potential for sell on in the future. It doesn’t make sense.
If we make a higher bid for Downing then I would be hugely disappointed. He ain’t worth it and he isn’t good enough.
And Lee knows more about football than Dalglaish of course!
“stupidly high valuations”
Like £20m for Henderson,
35M hahaha for Carrol, Stupidly high £20m for Downing at 26 in his prime after a fantastic season i’m sorry but you deluded lot need to live in the present not the past. Get real £20M for Downing is a bargain but the thing is, is £20m the asking price i doubt it.
Henderson has more potential than Downing ever had or will have and the same applies to Carroll. Admittedly they were overpriced but at least we got some good players out of the deal.
Downing would be a massive flop and Villa can take him down to the Championship for all I care!!!
Jinks Henderson was £13 million plus “million in add ons carrol was way over the top but could prove to be a major contender and if Liverpool pay £20 million or anything near that for Downing their idiots he’s good but not that good
i’m fed up of every website beggin to go for juan mata i’m sure one or two sheep start and the world an his mate follow suit as much as mata is undoubted quality he’s not what were after he comes inside and links up the play like kuyt or maxi last year we need someone like a beckham who just shifts the ball and crosses early so carroll doesn’t have to keep checking his run and defenders are not ready downing will do just fine
Downing is by no means a better player than N’Zogbia. The only reason people are so obsessed with Downing is because he is English. This player is average at best and is nowhere near worth the reported 20m fee. Kenny should seriously forget about this overrated and overpriced guy and switch his attention to better and cheaper alternatives. Mata is younger and much more talented than Downing and is available for around the same price while N’Zogbia is available for half that price. Liverpool will not win the league with average players like Downing and the club should stop paying way over the odds for British players.
Stick to your day job. Believe me, Kenny knows more about football than you!! That is the problem nowadays; fellows like you who haven’t a clue get too much space to voice their opinions!
MJ well said mate!! its about time so called fans of football and so called lfc fans get their facts right. there are sounding like sky sports.
henderson was not 20 million pounds at all.
adam was not 10 million pounds at all.
henderson was 13 mill plus add ons going to 16 mill
adam was 7 mill going up to 8.5 mill with add ons.
And if anyone really thinks getting downing for anything over 15 mill, let alone paying F***** 20 million !!!!! god good we have huge problems.
What i cant work out is, why we are going to spend close to 19 mill on a player that is 27 in couple of weeks when fsg and the club have been going on about buying yung talent, that does not add up to me?
Downing would be a great squad player but if we are really going after younger proven international talent then mata would be here by now? cant even think why we have not got on with this deal.
Another question is, did reina stay to see F***** DOWNING ADAM AND HENDERSON, I THINK HE WAS WANTING MORE AND BETTER QUALITY THEN THAT FOR GOD SAKE.
As a Villa fan, let me assure that signing Charles N’Zogbia will certainly not soften my attitude.
We paid £12 million for Downing two years ago when he had a broken ankle, so £20 million is the bare minimum we would expect if he was for sale – which our manager says he is not.
I doubt if McLeish would be stupid enough to take N’Gog as a makeweight – he’s had enough of a hard time off the fans over the last few weeks, without signing one of the least prolific strikers in the Premier League.
Downing is only half way through his contract, so there is no reason why we should want to sell him. Liverpool finished three places above us last season, and below us the season before. Neither side is in Europe this season, so there is little to seperate the clubs.
What I would say is that if Liverpool don’t think Downing is worth £20 million – or don’t have the money – that’s fine. Just look for somebody else and stop talking about our player.
One of the reasons why some Villa fans did not want Rafa Benitez as manager was his conduct in the Gareth Barry affair; now Liverpool seems to be behaving the same way as regards Downing.
Mark im a Red and your quite right with you assertion on Downing coming to us. You always want your club to get as much as you can so i totally agree. You also write about Rafa trying to get Barry, praise the lord that didnt happen. Dont you think Manure or their connections spoke to Young before he left Villa? It happens all the time mate maybe Rafa made the Barry one more public.
There is little to seperate the clubs? That would have to be one of the stupidest things I have ever read in this website.
How about the opportunity to play along side the likes of Gerrard, Reina, Suarez, Kuyt.
How about the opportunity to showcase your skills in front of a worldwide audience.
Liverpool would be a massive step up for Downing, and if you don’t believe this then you are deluded. Grow some perspective.
thanks a lot mate, we don’t need your downing.
you can keep him as long as you wanted, he’s not equal with liverpool standard
kenny knows more end ov plus nzogbia left newcastle for wigan sorry but that says alot he is a crackpot
And Downing left ‘boro for Villa, what’s your point?
I’d rather have Nzogbia than Downing for ability and financial reasons.
No-one knows how either player will fit into the set-up but Nzogbia is a more flamboyant attacker who can go past a man – has this not been the consensus of need for the past couple of seasons? In addition to that, he’s half the price and younger.
Hey Jinks, talking of ‘getting real’, Henderson was signed for 11m rising to 16m, as confirmed by Damien Commoli. Good business I think. Not sure what your sources are. As for Carrol if you had anything other than a tabloid grasp of the situation you would know that his fee was decided between Chelsea and Newcastle with Liverpool simply insisting that there be a 15m discrepancy between the Carroll and Torres fees allowing us to sign Suarez and Carroll in exchange for a dissaffected 28 year old striker. Once again good business. Downing will not be sold for 20m, a fee of between 16-18 will be agreed. Lerner knows, Kenny knows and you know that an ambitious player like Downing cannot afford to turn down the opportunity to leave a declining club for a reinvigorated one.
Ha its like the worlds gone mad. Carroll scores less goals in the championship (yes not prem but championship) than Peter Whittingham and he has potential? No he is young and physically imposing with a good header. Let me explain Peter Whittingham used to play for us and we (oft called on this page a club in decline) let him goat our lowest recent ebb (way lower than last year)
Downing might not have Sky raving but he was bought from the championship for £12m and 18 months of football later he has reclaimed his england spot so you clever guys think. 2 years transfer inflation, much higher standing in the game… I know we’ll offer what they payed. personally would bite off your hand at£20m thats not the point. The same thing as when you try and sign Barry at a low price; we wont sell. Oh and Arsenal want him; and are by all accounts willing to go much nearer our valuation.
With LFC’s midfield crowded, Kyut is likely to be used as a striker. Therefore, LFC can afford to release Ngong. I think Villa should be offered Ngong plus 14 Million for Downing as a final attempt. If this does not work, I say the money is better spent on Santi Cazorla and Jeffren (similar player to Mata in my books). If we secure the services of Aly Cissokho, who can deliver those early crosses, I think we are sorted for now. Any fees generated from selling surplus players should be invested at the back on good ball playing defenders such as Dejan Lovren and/or Juan Forlin (Espanyol). YNWA