It is safe to say that there was discontent amongst some Liverpool fans when the Reds opted to sign Stewart Downing from Aston Villa for £20million. Beyond the desire for the club to sign Juan Mata, some felt that the Reds were just overspending on a fairly average winger who wasn’t quick enough and wouldn’t be as technically gifted as a foreign player.
It was an opinion I would have held prior to the start of last season. Whenever I saw Downing play for Middlesbrough, he never struck me as someone who would ever be worth £20million. He was never consistent enough and when he played for England he seemed to go into his shell even more, and not perform to the expected level on the international stage.
I say this was my opinion of Stewart before last season. The 2010/11 campaign saw a different Downing to the one we had become accustomed too at Middlesbrough. After taking his time to recover from a lengthy injury, he began to make a good impact in the claret and blue of the Birmingham club.
For me, something began to click in Stewart’s head that if he ever was going to be an exceptional player, he needed to be consistent and perform week in week out. Perhaps because he was injured when he moved to Villa, he felt he had something to prove all over again, and got his head down to perform to his optimum ability. In his mid twenties, he knew he was coming to the peak of his career, and it was time to show everyone that he was a top drawer player.
In a struggling team under Gerard Houllier, and invariably playing on his least favoured right hand side, Downing created 84 chances for his team mates, provided 7 assists and scored 7 league goals. The fact that Downing is in the top 5 chance creators in the last 7 years in the Premier League, means he’s never been a poor player, but his performances for Villa made people stand up and notice him. England and Liverpool both came calling very quickly.
He’s always been a good player with a bit of pace and trickery. I guess most people just felt there are more exciting (yeah exciting) younger players who would cost less or around the same price.
He was played on the right deliberately by villa so as to confuse the full back just as england are now doing. Good player but bit thick by all accounts
needs to be abit more tricky like ashley young,then ill consider him a good buy,because at the moment there’s only suarez who really takes on players
I was on loads of scouse websites telling you mugs how he was easily worth the money, when he was being slated as “not worth it” but you weren’t having any of it.
I can’t stand the duplicitous t**t as a bloke, after what he said about owing the Villa, but you’ve definitely got a good player in Downing.
If he keeps up the consistency (which he will, look at who he was playing with at Boro), he’ll probably be your player of the year too.
Good luck for the season Scousereds, but not too much eh?
another typical article
No credit given whatsoever to the role Villa played in his development into someone your so called ‘messiah’ felt the need to fork out £20 million for.
By the way, Villa also did a hell of a lot for the development of Cahill, Barry, Milner and believe it or not Ashley Young (not Man U) so its about time the media and fans of the clubs where
these guys play started to acknowledge us rather than being so blinkered, there are more than 5 teams in the Prem, clubs without ridiculous benefactors, who are competitive and produce good players who you lot keep creaming off. Would like that to be acknowledged
these guys now play started
Sorry
Last line is mistake, please ignore
He is everything that is bad in football today,no loyalty, and two faced. Aston Villa signed him whilst he was injured,they got him him into the england squad,he stated he owed Villa for their commitment to him,and weeks later after having his head turned wanted out,yes a dispicable man,and glad to see him out of Villa park.
i would have prefered juan mata 2 downing. he has no tricky ability. anyway lets pray 4 de best. ynwa!